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 make up an ecosystem in our region that supports a strong and vibrant community.

Here’s how it worked: 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.

This year, we followed up with the winners and asked them to tell us their thoughts about the business ecosystem in Greater Des Moines. We wanted to know their advice for recruiting top talent and the opportunities they see for business in the metro. We wanted to know what they think the future holds for their varying industries.

The following is a selection of perspectives from the winners who responded to the questions we asked them. We hope you enjoy reading them.

To read the full article, visit the Business Record.