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Ascend empowers entrepreneurial CPAs to reach their goals with an innovative growth model that brings their firms into the new age. Backed by private equity from people-focused Alpine Investors, Ascend is building a modern platform for regional accounting firms that enables them to stay independent while accessing the resources of a large CPA firm to help them grow. Ascend provides access to growth capital, robust talent acquisition, best-of-breed technology, a catalytic leadership system, shared back-office services, and modernized equity incentives so that firms can surmount todays industry challenges and reach their full potential. Founded in January 2023, the company attained revenues sufficient to qualify it as a Top 100 U.S. accounting firm within six months of operation.
Smardt Chiller Group is a global leader in oil-free centrifugal chiller technology, focusing on high-efficiency HVAC solutions for commercial, industrial, and institutional applications. Founded in 2005 by Roger Richmond-Smith and Ron Conry, the company has over 25 years of experience in magnetic bearing compressors and oil-free systems. Smardt operates manufacturing facilities in Canada, the USA, Australia, Germany, and China, with more than 10,000 chillers installed worldwide. The company offers a range of products, including water-cooled, air-cooled, and evaporative-cooled chillers, as well as customizable modular systems. All chillers utilize oil-free centrifugal compressors with magnetic bearings, which enhance energy efficiency and reduce maintenance needs. Smardt also provides custom engineering, global support for installation and maintenance, and energy efficiency consulting to help clients optimize their systems and reduce carbon footprints. The company serves various industries, including government facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturing, data centers, and hospitals, emphasizing reliability and sustainability in its solutions.
Greater Iowa Credit Union (GICU) is a member-owned financial cooperative established in June 1932 by a group of Iowa State University employees. It has grown to serve over 36,000 members across a 33-county area in Central and Western Iowa, managing assets between $624 million and $667 million. GICU is federally insured and state-chartered, emphasizing its commitment to the financial well-being of its members and the communities it serves. GICU offers a range of financial services typical of credit unions, including banking services like checking and savings accounts, loans for personal, auto, and business needs, and possibly investment services. The credit union operates nine branch locations in cities such as Ames, Ankeny, and Des Moines, providing localized service. GICU is also dedicated to community engagement, having received recognition as the Best Credit Union in Crawford County and Story County multiple times.