The Ames Chamber of Commerce, driven by a bold vision for economic growth and business development, had outgrown its city-focused identity. With over 750 members spanning Story, Boone, and Hamilton Counties, the organization needed a brand that truly embodied its far-reaching impact and commitment to regional partnerships. This led to a full-scale transformation.
The Chamber rebranded as the Ames Regional Economic Alliance (AREA), launching a new name, refreshed logo, and a powerful digital presence. This transformation was more than a rebrand—it was a strategic step toward uniting businesses and driving regional prosperity, and we were proud to be part of that journey.
The Ames Regional Economic Alliance recognized the need for a website that could better represent their expanding regional influence. Their previous site had become difficult for users to navigate, making it challenging to find key information and fully showcase AREA’s broad range of services and partnerships. Additionally, the site needed enhancements to ensure accessibility for all users, allowing them to engage more effectively with the organization.
With a bold vision in mind, AREA set out to create a modern, dynamic digital presence that could effectively communicate their expanded role across the region. They needed a streamlined, user-friendly platform that would highlight their core initiatives, business resources, and community partnerships. Most importantly, the new website had to be accessible for all users, ensuring inclusivity across devices and abilities.
To bring the Ames Regional Economic Alliance’s vision to life, our team delivered a clean, modern design that perfectly aligned with their updated branding. We embraced a contemporary design style, using bold, contrasting colors to ensure the new website stood out while staying current with web design trends. This visually striking approach helped elevate AREA’s identity beyond that of a traditional chamber of commerce, reinforcing their role as a regional leader.
We focused heavily on usability. Our designers implemented a streamlined, user-friendly navigation system that effectively organized information on AREA’s various affiliate organizations, communities, and events. This ensured that residents, visitors, and potential members could easily explore economic opportunities, discover upcoming events, and learn more about the benefits of joining AREA. The result was an engaging and accessible digital experience that reflects AREA’s forward-thinking approach to regional growth.
Partnering with AREA, we worked closely with their team to address these challenges through thoughtful project coordination and clear communication. By aligning our expertise with their vision, we were able to deliver a website that not only reflects their updated brand but also enhances user experience, accessibility, and engagement across the board. Our goal was to support AREA in creating a digital presence that truly embodies their commitment to regional growth and community partnerships.
In addition to our work with the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, we collaborated closely with several of their affiliated organizations to ensure each one had a website that was cohesive, user friendly and tailored to their unique contributions to their individual communities.
Since 1975, The Ames Foundation has been dedicated to enhancing community spirit and resources in Ames, Iowa, through fundraising, project curation, and volunteer organization. They approached Saltech Systems to help modernize their brand, aiming to reflect the diverse range of projects they support while emphasizing their commitment to bettering the community. Our solution involved creating a new logo and website that ties back to the organization’s roots, drawing inspiration from one of their original projects. The four columns in the logo evoke the familiar Ames Signage seen upon entering the city from I-35 and Highway 30, symbolizing both legacy and progress as the Foundation continues its important work in the community.
Work in Ames aims to cultivate a vibrant workforce across the Ames Metropolitan area, encompassing the communities of Ames, Boone, Huxley, Nevada, Story City, and surrounding regions.We collaborated with Work In Ames, to develop a robust job board website that facilitates job postings for the Ames, Boone, and broader Story County areas. The site automatically aggregates job listings from a database that updates daily, allowing employers to register and post their own openings.
We partnered with Ames Main Street to design a website that reflects its role as the cultural and entertainment heart of Downtown Ames. The site highlights the district’s vibrant atmosphere, showcasing local arts, dining, and events while providing an easy-to-navigate platform for residents and visitors alike.
With over 160 members and more than 20 events each year, AREA Young Professionals (formerly FUEL Story County) is dedicated to making impactful connections and fostering community involvement in Central Iowa. At Saltech Systems, we designed a website that encapsulates their mission to be transformative leaders, enhancing the quality of life through a focus on leadership, growth, philanthropy, and social engagement. The new platform serves as a dynamic forum for networking, professional development, and community partnerships, showcasing the businesses, attractions, and events that make Central Iowa a vibrant place to live, work, and play
With an average attendance of over 3,000 visitors each Saturday, the Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market is a cherished community event that brings together residents from Ames and the surrounding areas. We crafted a website that reflects the market’s vibrant spirit and showcases the bounty of locally grown produce, live music and engaging activities as well as made the website user-friendly and inviting for website visitors.
The Boone County Economic Growth Corporation (BCEGC) has a long-standing commitment to supporting both large and small businesses in this vibrant area, which is home to 11 communities and over 26,000 residents. We recently revamped the BCEGC website to provide a modern design that simplifies maintenance and updates, ensuring that it effectively showcases the region’s diverse economic base and educated workforce.
The Nevada Economic Development Council (NEDC) is committed to creating a thriving business environment in Nevada, Iowa, a community strategically located for growth. Following a brand refresh, NEDC approached us for a new website that captures their renewed identity. Our team designed a modern, inviting website that not only showcases the advantages of doing business in Nevada but also provides vital resources for companies seeking to establish themselves in this vibrant community.
