Principal Financial Group Inc. is one of the eight best companies in the country to retire from, Fortune magazine says. It credits the company for a 75 match on employee 401(k) donations, up to 8 percent of pay, and two defined-benefit plans that scale up over an individual’s career and, in some cases, top out at 14 percent of pay. Together, for a retiree who has spent 25 to 30 years at the company, the plans can provide the equivalent of a full salary for life, as well as perks like health care and financial advising, Fortune said.

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Visionary Services Inc. announced this week that it has acquired Compuwizards Inc., a Miami-based Web site design and development company. Visionary Services intends to continue offering Web site design and development to clients in the Miami area and further its expansion into the small and medium-sized business design, development and hosting markets. Iowa Realty Inc. and Prudential First Realty are among the company’s clients in Central Iowa.

Citing personal reasons, Judith Lahart has resigned from Broadlawns Medical Center’s board of trustees. Elected to the board in 2008, Lahart had previously retired from nursing at Broadlawns. Her resignation creates an open position on the board, which, according to Iowa Code, may be filled by appointment by remaining members of the board. Lahart’s term runs through December 2014. Any citizen of Polk County interested in serving on Broadlawns board may submit a letter of interest by Nov. 6 to Lori Wahman, board manager, at 1801 Hickman Road, Des Moines.

Dubuque-based Durrant Group Inc. is among 24 U.S. architecture, engineering and development firms calling on Congress to update national building code standards to meet energy-reduction targets and incorporate timelines to reach carbon-neutral buildings by 2030. In letters addressed to the U.S. Senate this week, leaders of the 24 companies stressed the importance of addressing the building sector. The companies, which are responsible for a combined $100 billion in building construction annually, have partnered with Architectural 2030 to push for changes that address energy consumption and climate change while opening new markets. Architecture 2030 is a nonprofit research organization working to achieve a reduction in the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of buildings by changing the way they are designed and constructed and collaborating with key players in the building sector.

Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) broke ground yesterday on its second expansion of bus storage space at 1100 DART Way since it moved there in the 1970s. Largely funded by the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Public Transit Infrastructure Grant Program, the 15,828-square-foot garage will help accommodate DART’s growing fleet, adding indoor storage space for 19 buses. Federal stimulus funds are also being used to help offset the $1.5 million cost of construction. The building is expected to open next spring.