Gov. Chet Culver will present Iowa’s first-ever Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Iowa Freedom Awards to three Iowa employers on Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. in his office. Culver will also sign a proclamation designating the week of Sept. 14 as Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve Week.

Gannett Co. Inc. and Tribune Co. announced today that Gannett has acquired an additional 10 percent stake in CareerBuilder from Tribune for $135 million. The acquisition gives Gannett a 50.8 percent controlling interest in CareerBuilder, the nation’s largest online job site. This announcement comes on the brink of Gannett eliminating more than 1,000 positions in mid-August.

West Des Moines-based American Equity Investment Life Holding Co. yesterday said it has expanded its board from nine to 13 members. The newly appointed board members are Joyce Chapman, a retired banker; Steven Chapman, CEO of ITAGroup Inc.; Debra Richardson, American Equity’s senior vice president and secretary; and Wendy Carlson, American Equity’s chief financial officer and general counsel.

Deere & Co. announced yesterday that it will close a factory in Welland, Ontario, affecting about 800 workers. The factory makes John Deere’s Gator utility vehicles and farm equipment attachments and is expected to close by the end of 2009, with its work shipped to the United States and Mexico. Meanwhile, the company announced today that it plans to establish a European technology center in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The facility is expected to be operational in the spring of 2010 and will employ up to 200 engineers.

Meals From the Heartland, an inaugural event with a goal of packaging 3 million meals to send to some of the world’s poorest nations, kicked off on Labor Day at Hy-Vee Hall in the Iowa Events Center. So far, 10,000 volunteers have signed up to package meals, starting as early as 9 a.m. Business leaders Max Holmes and J. Barry Griswell, as well as Drake Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb, will work with other volunteers this afternoon packaging meals, and Holmes will announce the first packaging total at 6 p.m.

Casey’s General Stores Inc. will release its first-quarter earnings at the close of U.S. markets today. Casey’s will discuss the results in a conference call scheduled for Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Iowa time.

North Liberty-based Heartland Express Inc. announced yesterday the purchase of a 10th regional location in Dallas, Texas. The facility is situated on approximately seven acres of land on the southeast side of Dallas in Seagoville, and an adjacent five-acre tract of land was acquired for future expansion. Property renovations are expected to begin immediately, with operations scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.