As we do each year, we asked our readers to cast votes for what Des Moines has to offer in a variety of business-related categories. These businesses, leaders and organizations make up an ecosystem in our region that supports a strong and vibrant community.

This year, we followed up with the winners and asked them to tell us their thoughts about the business ecosystem in Greater Des Moines. Many of their answers were featured online and in the Sept. 22 print issue. Here are a few extra answers that weren’t included in that coverage about some of the economic trends these leaders want others to know about. We hope you enjoy reading them.

– Emily Barske Wood, special projects editor

We asked: In your industry, what is one new trend that other business leaders should be aware of?

I foresee a continued focus on creative reuse and reinventing commercial real estate properties that have become “tired” or passed their useful life. Construction costs have made many projects difficult to pencil and find a development pro forma that makes economic sense. I expect landlords and developers that are creative at redeveloping and repositioning commercial properties to have success in the near term.
– Bill Wright, managing director, CBRE Inc.

A strong culture is imperative, and it goes beyond the perks and benefits companies offer. When it comes down to it, culture is about how you feel when you’re at work. One of the biggest indicators for us has been the boomerang employees who have left and then come back to Bankers Trust because they didn’t realize just how unique our culture is. Being a premier workplace is something we highly prioritize and cultivate in many ways, by valuing employee engagement and communications, providing professional development opportunities, listening to employee feedback and investing in the communities we serve.
– Don Coffin, CEO and president, Bankers Trust

With nearly 70% of people having a pet, they are more a part of our lives than ever. We continue to see Des Moines grow as a pet-friendly city in so many ways, and we expect efforts to continue to grow as we make more room for our four-legged loved ones.
– KC Routos, director of development and communications, Animal Rescue League of Iowa

There’s more than one trend that we want to highlight:

• Firstly, the rate at which the business world is setting net-zero carbon emissions commitments is increasing. Between 2020 and 2022, net-zero corporate commitments increased 75%, from 20% to 35%. This trend will accelerate when the SEC’s climate disclosure rule is released, and carbon reporting and reduction goal requirements are added to the U.S. Federal Acquisition Regulation.  
• Secondly, more and more building users are asking about and improving indoor air quality in their facilities. We receive far more questions about the versatility and air quality of HVAC systems than ever before. This is factoring into design and leasing decisions more than we have seen in the past.
• Lastly, construction technology is always advancing. One method of advancement we are testing is creating a digital twin of our built facilities using Reality Capture technology. Using this, we are able to improve upon construction output and future facility operations. This has even more potential when coupled with artificial intelligence to capture and analyze performance data.

– Brad Schoenfelder, president, Midwest region, Ryan Cos.

Nationally, artists are diversifying where they sell or present their work.
– Stephen King, executive director, Des Moines Arts Festival

Employees entering the workforce consider professional development to be part of their compensation. Business leaders who recognize this and champion training and coaching opportunities for people at all levels of the organization will enjoy a fully skilled and highly motivated workforce.
– Rowena Crosbie, president, Tero International

Artificial Intelligence can potentially transform the architectural, engineering and construction (A/E/C) industry by combining human creativity with computational power, resulting in more innovative and effectively built environments. AI offers a range of benefits to the A/E/C industry, enhancing various aspects of design, analysis and decision-making, such as design optimization and finding more efficient, cost-effective and innovative solutions. [This includes] energy efficiency and sustainability modeling by optimizing building systems and components for energy efficiency and sustainability. But integrating AI in architecture and engineering may develop new regulations and industry standards to ensure AI technologies’ responsible and ethical use.  
– Craig Erickson, business unit director Des Moines, Shive-Hattery

New forms of waste and ways to handle it are always emerging. While waste streams evolve, transforming the needs of the metro, Metro Waste Authority remains committed to delivering exceptional programs and innovative solutions while providing excellent service to our communities and residents.
– Michael McCoy, executive director, Metro Waste Authority

Read more Best of Des Moines content.

Editor’s note: How does Best of Des Moines voting work? You voted. We checked the data, removed any suspicious or erroneous votes and then tallied the results for all 66 categories. All Greater Des Moines businesses, people and organizations are eligible to win categories. In other words, there was no cost to be listed as an option due to the survey being open-ended. You can’t pay to win a category.