Council Bluffs Business Connection

10/16/2026

Member Spotlight:

Alan Zacharias is a sales and marketing professional for FAC Print & Promo. With over 40 years in the industry, he helps companies get their image and message out to the public. Whether it is for customers, potential customers, or employees, Alan helps make a lasting impact through print or promo products. Graphics and design have been a long time passion that has helped Alan’s success in the industry. When not working, he enjoys water sports and his growing family.

Alan has been a proud member of CBBC since the beginning back in 2014 and he continues to encourage the growth made by the many connections he's made over the years.

10/14/2026

Life's too short to not enjoy a little sweetness!

National Dessert Day is the perfect day to joyfully indulge in all your favorites, whether that’s a flaky pastry, a decadent slice of chocolate cake, a scoop of creamy ice cream, or a warm, bubbling apple cobbler made from a treasured family recipe. From pies and cookies to donuts and candies, every sweet treat has its moment to shine.
Stop by. one of local speciality stores and get you something yummy😋❤️

10/12/2026

NATIONAL FARMER'S DAY
Look across the plains of midwestern states this time of year, and you’ll see it in action: combines rolling from dawn 'til dusk, gathering the golden bounty of the harvest. On October 12th, we celebrate the incredible people behind that bounty on National Farmer's Day. It's a day to give a much-deserved salute to the men, women, and families who are the backbone of our nation and the stewards of our land.

Set perfectly in the midst of harvest season, this is our chance to recognize the relentless hard work that puts food on our tables and keeps our country running.

We are so thankful and grateful for all our farmers and their families❤️

10/09/2026

Amazing Business History:

Milton Hershey never gave up on his dreams and in the end, his impact lives on with every candy bar they sale🍫❤️

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19WiVgcct7/?mibextid=wwXIfr

10/07/2026

We clean up good! If you're interested in CBBC, please reach out to any of our members, we would LOVE for you to join us!

Meet our Members:
Back Row
Luke Mieska, Marty Moore, Rick Guill, Aubury Krueger-Kutchara, David Lawrence, McKenna Hanafan, Kyle Ranney, Tammy Francisco, Alan Zacharias, Meggan Jensen, Travis Waldstein, Blake Hunter, Tiffany Eggett, Kein Ybanez
Front Row
Amber Raes, Jaci Dierks, Kendall Prine, Niki Zaloudek, Cindy Schmader, Alisa Roth
Not pictured
Lacy LeRette

10/06/2026

Did you know that the first Tuesday of October is National Taco Day?🌮❤️
Get out and support some of our local restaurants serving up delicious TACO'S on this TUESDAY!

The Tale of the Taco
The story of the taco is deeply woven into the history of Mexico. Anthropological evidence shows Indigenous people living in the lake region of the Valley of Mexico filled fresh, soft corn tortillas with small fish. The first documented "taco feast" for Europeans was arranged by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. Chronicler Bernal Díaz del Castillo described the meal, served on corn tortillas, that Cortés hosted for his captains in Coyoacán.

The modern word "taco" is believed to have originated in the 18th-century silver mines of Mexico. Miners used charges of gunpowder wrapped in paper, which they called "tacos." Their lunchtime staple—tortillas wrapped around a spicy filling—looked strikingly similar to these dynamite sticks, and the name stuck.

Tacos were introduced to the United States by Mexican migrants in the early 20th century, with street vendors and taquerias popping up in cities across the Southwest. However, it was the invention of the pre-formed, hard-shell taco that helped launch the food into mainstream American culture.

Let's Taco 'Bout Some Facts
Americans eat over 4.5 billion tacos each year!

The hard-shell taco was made popular by Taco Bell in the 1950s.

The Guinness World Record for the largest taco ever made stretched over 246 feet long and was filled with carnitas (Mexico, 2011).

Breakfast tacos, filled with eggs, potatoes, chorizo, and cheese, are a morning staple in the U.S. and Mexico.

Whether you prefer soft or hard tortillas, tacos work just as well as a quick snack or a full meal. Beyond great flavor, they can also be a fresh and nutritious option when loaded with seasoned lean meats, fish, or vegetables. Try opting for grilled chicken or seafood and light cheese to keep things on the healthier side.

10/02/2026

Member Spotlight:

In 2004 Alisa Roth had a dream to start and run her own floral business. She was in her early twenties then with two very young children. However, within six months Alisa and her key employee, Susan Enewald, were working out of a storefront in the historic 100 block of downtown Council Bluffs.

Bloom Works Floral quickly became a household name in the community and a main stay presence in downtown Council Bluffs. The business grew so much it moved twice within its first five years, into bigger store fronts, still located on the historic 100 block.

Alisa is a respected entrepreneur in the Council Bluffs community and is a top influencer in her region in the industry. Alisa loves to help and support other businesses as well as future entrepreneurs. She is not only passionate about her industry but is passionate about sharing her love for owning a small business with others.

Alisa is extremely involved in her community and uses her business as a means to raise awareness and dollars for issues important to her. One example of this is the Bloom Works Annual Good Neighbor Day event. Every year on the designated National Good Neighbor Day, Bloom Works Floral gives away 15,000 free roses. The company opens its doors at 8 a.m. and, while supplies last, gives away 12 roses to each person who wants them. Alisa asks each person to keep one rose and give 11 roses away to 11 other people, to create many random acts of kindness in Council Bluffs.

Alisa has been through many trying times with her business and in her personal life but has worked through it all and has never stopped developing her business and putting her heart and soul into making Council Bluffs the best place it can be. In May of 2016, Alisa lost her husband, Lieutenant Ben Roth, to a very short and devastating battle with cancer. The loss was mourned by the entire community and Alisa has been a crusader ever since on raising awareness and dollars for cancer and for the community’s police force.

Thank you Alisa and your amazing team for making CB beautiful, for showing kindness to others, and for believing in our Community!❤️🌺
CBBC-PROUD

For more information on Bloom Works Floral, visit https://www.facebook.com/bloomworksfloral, www.ebloomworks.com

10/01/2026

CBBC supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month by honoring our good friend and long time member Amber Raes on her journey to being cancer-free! If you are interested in Amber's Benefit on October 25, please reach out to one of our members. 🩷

09/30/2026

WOW-when we say our members are people you might know, we weren't kidding you. We have 8 members on several different categories in the Best of Council Bluffs 2026 competition.
Niki Zaloudek-HomeCare Advocacy Network, Travis Waldstein-Waldstein Plumbing Meggan Jensen-OneGoal, Kein Ybanez-American Nationa Bank, Blake Hunter-Berkshire Hathaway, Alisa Roth-BloomWorks, Aubury Kruegar-Kutchara-Connections Area Agency on Aging and David Lawrence-Edward Jones Financial, represent their companies at the highest standards and we could not be more proud! Now click that link and vote people😀

Cast your vote for the best businesses, restaurants, professionals, shops and attractions in the Council Bluffs, IA area.

09/29/2026

Today is National Coffee Day and whether you like it black, hot, cold, loaded with sugar, or whipped frothy, stop by one of our many local Coffee Houses and ENJOYa cup!☕❤️