An $18 million distribution center that Proctor
and Gamble Company plans to build in West Branch was approved for tax
benefits from Iowa's New Jobs and Income Program (NJIP). The Iowa Department of
Economic Development board approved the project, which will create 225 jobs.The
550,000 square foot distribution center,
to be operated for P&G by an outside logistics company, is expected to provide a total of 225 jobs and
possibly more. The building is designed for possible further expansion.
Construction is expected to begin in September with distribution starting from
West Branch early next year.
The Big
River Resources ethanol plant in the West Burlington area was approved for the Iowa's New Jobs and Income Program
(NJIP). The Iowa Department of Economic Development board approved the project
for tax benefits from NJIP because of the need for new job opportunities and
development shown by Des Moines County.
The project would create 18 jobs eligible for NJIP while the program
requires 50 jobs. This employment level created the need for a waiver review by
the IDED board. However, the projected investment of $51 million far surpasses
the $10.87 million required to qualify for tax benefits from NJIP. Big River Resources Cooperative would be the
majority owner of the plant, which would process 15 million bushels of corn into
ethanol per year when operating at capacity. Members of the Cooperative would
provide 75 percent of the corn.
John Deere and Company
recently unveiled a new skid-steer production line at the John Deere
plant in Dubuque. Present were Lt.. Governor Sally Pederson, many state and
local officials, and Leo Durand, a Wisconsin businessman, who was buying
the first skid-steer produced in Dubuque. Deere announced in November that
it was moving it's skid-steer production from Tennessee to
Iowa.
The largest farmer-owned
ethanol plant in Iowa, The Tall
Corn Ethanol plant in Coon Rapids,
recently celebrated its grand opening. The plant was built by 450 farm families
and currently employs 40 people. The plant will produce 40 million gallons of
corn-derived ethanol annually. IDED invested more than $500,000 in the project
through the Value-Added Agricultural Products Financial Assistance Program
(VAAPFAP.) CJ Niles, IDED Director, said the project was "A perfect example of
taking what you have, working together and making it better for your
state."
The Iowa Department of Economic
Development Board of Directors has approved incentives to assist
Council Buffs in recruiting a major expansion of Automated Concepts,
Inc., a provider of advanced manufacturing systems to companies nationwide. The
nearly $4 million expansion would create and retain 84 jobs at an average
starting wage of $19.19 per hour for the 13 new jobs in Council Bluffs. The IDED
Board approved a $300,000 investment (loan, forgivable loan) from the Community
Economic Betterment Account, a state job creation and economic growth program.
Automated Concepts, a privately held company, is planning a new 65,000-sq. ft. manufacturing
facility with $400,000 in new equipment to replace the smaller premises it uses
now.
An Italian company plans to build a manufacturing
plant in West Burlington that initially will have 40 employees making
electrical harnesses and other components for industrial
vehicles. Construction of the $1 million, 30,000-square-foot building for
COBO International in the Flint Ridge Business Park is expected to begin in
September. The plant hopes to open in early 2004.
The workers will be paid an average of $11 per hour. Carlo Linetti,
COBO's Export and Marketing Director,
praised the support the company received from the two cities, the
county, the IDED and others involved
in economic development. "They eliminated every problem," he said. "Moreover, we
have noticed that there are considerable intellectual and cultural affinities
between our mentality and the typical Midwest one. This fact made the
development of the personal relationships and the mutual understanding easier."
Regional
Finance Programs Roundtables have been scheduled by
the IDED. The Department is in the process of
reviewing the business finance programs to identify where improvements can be
made and we are seeking the perspective and input from our partners and
constituents who use these programs. During the month of September, IDED in
partnership with the Professional Developers of Iowa will be holding a series of
regional meetings to discuss proposed changes to the Department's business
finance programs. Below is a list of the meeting dates and locations. If you
would like to attend one of the meetings, please contact Melisa Moore at 515-243-2000 or
email at mmoore@sppq.com.
IOWA
CITY, Thursday, September 5, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Iowa City Area Development Group, Inc., 325 E. Washington Street, Suite 100, Iowa City, IA 52244-5267
NEW HAMPTON, Thursday, September 12, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., New Hampton Economic Development Office, Linn View Business Complex, 951 N. Linn, Box 435, New Hampton, IA 50659-1203
AMES,
Thursday, September 17, 1:30 p.m. -
3:30 p.m., Ames Economic Development
Commission, 1601 Golden Aspen Drive, Suite
110. Ames, IA 50010
SIOUX CENTER, Tuesday, September 24, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Corporate Center, 950 North Main Avenue, (Highway 75 North) Sioux Center, IA 51250
RED OAK,
Thursday, September 26, 1:30 p.m. -
3:30 p.m., YMCA, 101 E. Cherry,
Red Oak, IA 51566
Half-day
seminars on changes in the Iowa
Enterprise Zone Program will be held in
five cities. Legislative
changes have made new counties and cities eligible and there are new
opportunities to encourage business and housing investments in Enterprise Zones.
The seminars are scheduled for 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the following locations:
August 28th, Corning, Turner Building; September 4th, Denison, Municipal
Utilities building; September 11th, Des Moines, IDED main conference room;
September 26th, Algona, Iowa Lakes Community College premises; and October 2nd,
Maquoketa, public library. The purpose of these seminars is to help IDED's partners at the county and community
levels in using the
program.
An
International Business Center at this year's Farm Progress
Show will be sponsored by the
IDED. The show will be held in Alleman, Iowa from
September 24th to 26th. The International Business Center will provide a
comfortable site for all international guests to meet with Iowa exhibitors as
well as other international visitors, access the Internet, conduct private
meetings, utilize interpreters and other business services, select from a
variety of gifts at the State of Iowa souvenir shop, obtain travel and tourism
information and obtain information about conducting business in Iowa.
The Iowa Venture Capital Conference will
be held on September 30th at the Polk County Convention Complex in Des Moines.
Presented by the Iowa Department of Economic Development, the John Pappajohn
Entrepreneurial Centers and Equity Dynamics, this conference brings together
Iowa's entrepreneurial community by offering entrepreneurs, investors,
entrepreneurial students, community leaders and economic developers a broad
range of networking opportunities, workshops and presentations. Registration is
$40 before September 23; $45 the day of the conference. For more information,
call 800-245-4692 or www.iowasmartidea.com.
Smart Moves,
Economic Development in the 21st Century, Final
Workshop for economic developers,
public officials and partners of the IDED,
September 26 at Stony Creek Inn, 5291
Stony Creek Court, in Johnston, IA at 1:30
p.m. "Smart Moves, Economic Development in the 21st Century," will
provide an exciting interactive forum that will educate those new to economic
development, reinforce development principles for those with experience, and
provide new ideas for innovative initiatives to help us thrive in the 21st
century. For more information, contact Kerry Koonce at
800.245.4692 or Email regionalmeetings@ided.state.ia.us
Business
Development Division News
HRRC will participate in National Black MBA
Association Annual Conference & Exposition in Nashville on September
19th & 20th, for the third year in a row. This is an
exceptional opportunity for Iowa companies to recruit MBA candidates from across
the country.
The HRRC
is also participating in
several college career fairs throughout the fall and early next year.
Planned events include the University of Northern Iowa, Sept, 23rd;
Iowa State University Engineering, September 24th; ISU
Business/Liberal Arts/Sciences, September 25th; University of Iowa,
September 26th; ISU Biotechnology, October 23rd and
Central Iowa Regents Career Fair, Des Moines, January
8th.
The Governor of the state of Veracruz and his
delegation visited Iowa August
29-30, 2002. The purpose of the
visit was to establish new
relationships between the two states and to open the door to increased trade and
investment opportunities, benefiting the economies and citizens of both states.
Governor Miguel Aleman Velazco and his delegation attended a reception sponsored by IDED,
participated in meetings at the Iowa Corn
Promotion Board, and attended a luncheon
meeting with Governor Vilsack.
The U.S.
Food and Agribusiness Exhibition in Havana, Cuba will feature exhbits by the IDED, the Iowa
Corn Promotion Board, the Iowa Pork
Producers Association, the Des Moines Partnership and possibly the Iowa Farm
Bureau from Sept. 26th to 30th. This is the first opportunity for
U.S. food and agricultural companies to exhibit and market in Cuba since the U.S
reauthorized exports to that country.
The Business
Development web site at www.IowaSmart.com has been redesigned and
updated with new content. Final enhancements are being implemented in August.
Please Visit the site at Iowasmart.com and provide any
feedback.
Community
Development Division News
Iowa will host the CenStates Travel and Tourism
Research Association meeting in Des Moines on September 12-13. This is
a multi-state organization for people who use tourism research in their planning and
decision making. Topics will include an update on the Vision Iowa Program,
Tourism Opportunities in the RV Market, the Economic Impact of Tourism, Use of
Research in Business and Marketing Plans, Destination Branding, The Motorcoach
Market, The Historic Site Visitor, and Building Tourism Through Sports
Marketing. For more information, contact
Nancy Landess at 515.242.4702.
August was Iowa Downtown Month and activities throughout the state celebrated Iowa's fantastic downtowns. The Iowa Downtown Summit was
held August 20 and 21 in Mason City with a
record 250 attendees.
Twenty-six applications requesting $1.2
million in matching grants were submitted from Main Street communities for the Main Street Challenge Grant offering a total of $400,000. Awards will be
announced within the next month. For more information, contact Thom Guzman at
525.242.4733.
More than 100 CDBG Water/Sewer
pre-applications were received as
of August 1. The Infrastructure Team recently completed four regional meetings
with external CDBG program
administrators to gather input and
discuss program changes and new initiatives.
City Development Board
met on August 15 and held a public hearing on
proposed annexations to Norwalk and West Des Moines. The Board discussed plans
for a public hearing on a Des Moines annexation proposal for 8800 acres. For more information, contact Steve McCann at
515.242.4719. The City Development Board met with
and explained their procedures to the IDED Board on Aug. 22.
Calendar of
Events
September/October
September
Eastern Iowa Tourism Association General
Membership Meeting
9/4/02 8:00
AM
Location: Hawkeye Buffalo
Ranch, Fredericksburg For more information, contact Nancy Landess
at 515.242.4705
or Email tourism@ided.state.ia.us
Housing Fund
Application Workshop
9/4/02 9:00 AM
The
Housing Fund 2003 Application Workshop will be broadcast to various
locations across Iowa via the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) - originating
from Des Moines. There is no fee for this
workshop. For more information, contact Anita Lemons at
515.242.4811 or Email anita.lemons@ided.state.ia.us
Iowa's
Enterprise Zone Program Seminar
9/4/02 1:00 PM
Recent legislative changes make new cities and
counties eligible and present opportunities for existing Enterprise Zones. Learn
how you can use this tool to encourage businesses and housing developers to
invest in your community. This event will be hosted by Crawford County
Development Corporation. Location: Denison
Municipal Utilities, W. Broadway & 7th Street, Denison, Iowa. For more
information, contact Amy Johnson at 515.242.4735
or Email amy.johnson@ided.state.ia.us
Iowa's Enterprise Zone Program
Seminar
9/11/02 1:00 PM
(Note:
This seminar is full. No more reservations for this date and location are
being taken.) Recent legislative changes make new cities and
counties eligible and present opportunities for existing Enterprise Zones. Learn
how you can use this tool to encourage businesses and housing developers to
invest in your community. Location: IDED Main
Conference Room, 200 East Grand Ave., Des Moines, Iowa. For more information, contact Amy Johnson at 515.242.4735
or Email
amy.johnson@ided.state.ia.us
CenStates Travel and Tourism Research
Association Conference9/12/02 7:00 AM to 9/13/02 12:30
PM
Location: Savery Hotel and Spa, Des Moines. For more
information, contact LuAnn Reinders at 515.242.4732 or Email tourism@ided.state.ia.us
City Development Board Meeting
9/12/02 1:00 PM to 9/12/02 4:00 PM
Annexations to be considered at the September 12, 2002 board
meeting must be filed with the City Development Board by noon on August 29,
2002. Filings for annexation requests may be mailed or delivered to the City
Development Board at 200 E. Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309. For more information, contact Ragina Ostendorf
at 515-242-4746 or Email ragina.ostendorf@ided.state.ia.us
Location: 200 E Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa, Main
Conference Room 2nd Floor
City Development Board NC02-18 West Des
Moines Decision Meeting
9/12/02 2:00 PM
Case File NC02-18 West Des Moines was accepted
by the board at the July 11, 2002 meeting as being complete and properly filed.
A Public hearing was held on August 15, 2002, at the West Des Moines Learning
Resource Center Community Room to hear arguments for or against the petition for
annexation. At the close of the public hearing the board set a decision meeting
for September 12, 2002. The decision meeting is for the board to deliberate and
make motion to approve or deny the petition for annexation. The decision meeting
is open to the public, however no additional comments or presentations will be
heard during the meeting. Meeting Location: Iowa Economic Development, 200 E
Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa.
For more information, contact Ragina
Ostendorf at 515.242.4746 or Email
ragina.ostendorf@ided.state.ia.us
City Development Board Public Hearing for NC02-17 Cedar
Rapids
9/12/02 6:00 PM
Case File NC02-17 Cedar Rapids was accepted by
the board at the July 11, 2002 meeting as being complete and properly filed.
This public hearing will be held to allow the parties and interested residents
from the proposed territory and the City of Cedar Rapids to present their
position for or against the petition for annexation. Location: Administration Building, Eastern Iowa Airport,
2515 Wright Brothers Blvd., SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. For more information, contact Ragina
Ostendorf at 515.242.4746
or Email ragina.ostendorf@ided.state.ia.us
China Beef Trade
Mission
9/13/02 to
9/22/02
Beef export opportunities to
China are growing at a steady pace. Iowa has played a key role in sponsoring
"hot pot" educational seminars in Guangzhou and Shanghai, NE China and last year
moving inland to Chengdu. This year's mission will travel to Beijing, Xian and
Shanghai, with an educational seminar in Xian. Participating Iowa companies will
learn about this developing beef market and meet with Chinese importers,
distributors and restaurant operators. Location: Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai, China. For more
information, contact Mark Fischer at 515.242.4760
or Email mark.fischer@ided.state.ia.us
Governor's Volunteer Awards Ceremony
9/13/02 9:30 AM
Address:
525 Grandview, Ottumwa, Iowa. Location:
Indian Hills Community College Auditorium.
For more information, contact Jody Benz
at 515.242.4764 or Email
jody.benz@ided.state.ia.us
Governor's Volunteer Awards
Ceremony
9/13/02 2:30 PM
Address:
3111 North 10th Street,
Marion, Iowa. Location:
Linn-Mar High School. For more information, contact Jody Benz at 515.242.4764 or Email jody.benz@ided.state.ia.us
Governor's Volunteer Awards
Ceremony
9/19/02
9:30 AM
Address:
2006 South Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny,
Iowa. Location: DMACC Auditorium (Building 6). For more
information, contact Jody Benz at 515.242.4764
or Email jody.benz@ided.state.ia.us
Governor's Volunteer Awards
Ceremony
9/19/02 2:30 PM
Address:
1800 24th Street, Eldora, Iowa. Location:
Eldora-New Providence High School Auditorium.
For more information, contact Jody Benz
at 515.242.4764 or Email
jody.benz@ided.state.ia.us
Governor's Volunteer Awards
Ceremony
9/20/02 10:00 AM
Address:
1550 Clarke Drive, Dubuque,
Iowa. Location: Clarke College Chapel. For more
information, contact Jody Benz at 515.242.4764
or Email jody.benz@ided.state.ia.us
Farm Progress Show
9/24/02 to
9/27/02
The Farm Progress Show returns
to central Iowa for the first time in 15 years. The show is sponsored by
Wallaces Farmer and is touted as the largest farm exposition in the U.S. and THE
place for farmers to stay abreast of new technologies with exhibits and field
demonstrations. An estimated 9,000 international visitors attend the show each
year, providing a prime opportunity for international exposure of Iowa companies
in their own backyard. IDED is actively promoting the show internationally to
increase the number of visitors and will be coordinating a variety of
matchmaking opportunities. This year show organizers are offering exhibitors
cash fees with no advertising qualification required. Location: Alleman, Iowa.
For more information, contact Peggy Kerr
at 515.242.4745 or Email
farmprogressibc@ided.state.ia.us
Central Iowa Tourism Region General Membership
Meeting
9/25/02 8:00 AM
Location: Prairie Meadows Racetrack and
Casino, Altoona. For more information, contact Nancy Landess at
515.242.4705 or Email
tourism@ided.state.ia.us
Lead Based Paint Workshop
9/25/02 1:00 PM
Lead Based Paint Workshop
9/26/02 8:00 AM
Governor's Volunteer Awards Ceremony
9/26/02 9:30 AM
Address: 510 West 4th
Street, Storm Lake, Iowa. Location:
Buena Vista University-Harold Walter Siebens Forum. For more
information, contact Jody Benz at 515.242.4764
or Email jody.benz@ided.state.ia.us
Iowa's Enterprise Zone Program Seminar
9/26/02 1:00 PM
Recent
legislative changes make new cities and counties eligible and present
opportunities for existing Enterprise Zones. Learn how you can use this tool to
encourage businesses and housing developers to invest in your community. This
event will be hosted by Kossuth County Economic Development Corporation. Location: Iowa
Lakes Community College, Highway 169 N, Algona, Iowa. For more
information, contact Amy Johnson at 515.242.4735
or Email amy.johnson@ided.state.ia.us
Governor's Volunteer Awards Ceremony
9/26/02 2:30 PM
Address: 2700 College
Road, Council Bluffs, Iowa. Location:
Iowa Western Community College Auditorium.
For more information, contact Jody Benz
at 515.242.4764 or Email
jody.benz@ided.state.ia.us
2002 Venture Capital Conference
(9/30/02 8:30 AM
Presented by the Iowa Department of Economic
Development, the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers and Equity Dynamics,
Inc., the 2002 Iowa Venture Capital Conference brings together all areas of
Iowa's entrepreneurial community. Entrepreneurs, investors, entrepreneurial
students, community leaders and economic developers from around the state are
invited to participate in a broad range of networking opportunities, workshops
and presentations. Location: Polk County Convention Complex, Des Moines,
IA. For
more information, contact Susan Stearns at 515.242.4712 or Email venturecapital@ided.state.ia.us
October
Iowa's Enterprise Zone Program
Seminar
10/2/02 1:00 PM
Recent
legislative changes make new cities and counties eligible and present
opportunities for existing Enterprise Zones. Learn how you can use this tool to
encourage businesses and housing developers to invest in your community. This
event will be hosted by Maquoketa Area Chamber of Commerce. Location:
Maquoketa Public Library, 126 2nd Street S, Maquoketa, Iowa. For more
information, contact Amy Johnson at 515.242.4735
or Email amy.johnson@ided.state.ia.us
2002 National Rural TeleCongress Conference
10/6/02 to 10/9/02
Building Demand for Broadband Annual Conference, Hotel Fort Des Moines, Des Moines, Iowa. While rural places in the U.S. continue to
make gains in bridging the digital divide, many are still unserved or
underserved by high speed telecommunications. Some areas that have made gains in
achieving access to high speed, continue to struggle with populations who are
not "technology savvy" and are therefore not taking full advantage of
the power of the world wide web to create wealth while allowing them to enjoy
the benefits of living in a rural setting. Website:
http://www.ruraltelecon.org/Default.htm
Registration: $245 for non-members,
$195 for members. To become a member or register visit the website above or
contact Toni Black at black@coloradomtn.edu or 970-947-8365. For Hotel
Reservations: 1-800-532-1466 or 515-243-1161 Rate: $79/single and double,
$89/triple, $99 quad. Good through September 15, 2002. For more
information, contact Sue Lambertz or Email sue.lambertz@ided.state.ia.us
Homeless Application Workshop
10/7/02 10:00 AM
Location: Various ICN sites.
For more information, contact Diane Foss
at 515.242.5907 or Email
diane.foss@ided.state.ia.us
City Development Board Meeting
10/10/02 1:00 PM
Petitions for annexations to be considered at
the October 10, 2002, City Development Board meeting must be filed with the City
Development Board Administration by noon on September 26, 2002. Filings for
annexation requests may be mailed or delivered to the State of Iowa City
Development Board at 200 E. Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309. Location: Iowa
Economic Development, 200 E Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa. For more
information, contact Ragina Ostendorf at 515.242.4746 or Email ragina.ostendorf@ided.state.ia.us
Iowa's Enterprise Zone Program
Seminar
10/14/02 9:00 AM
Recent legislative changes make new cities and
counties eligible and present opportunities for existing Enterprise Zones. Learn
how you can use this tool to encourage businesses and housing developers to
invest in your community. Location: IDED Main
Conference Room, 200 East Grand Ave., Des Moines, Iowa. For more information, contact Amy
Johnson at 515.242.4735
or Email amy.johnson@ided.state.ia.us Iowa-Latin America Corn
and Soybean Summit
10/14/02 to
10/15/02
The corn and soybean summit is
being expanded this year to include an exhibit area and a reception in the
evening. Buyers from all of the Latin American countries including the Caribbean
countries are invited to participate. For two to three days (yet to be
determined) following the seminar the foreign buyers are also invited to
participate in the Iowa Corn Promotion Board's Fall Harvest Tour. Location: TBA.
For more information, contact Dick Vegors
at 515.242.4796 or Email
r.vegors@ided.state.ia.us
Iowa Tourism Conference
10/21/02 8:00 AM to 10/23/02 12:00 PM
For more information, contact Lonie Mezera at
515.242.4727 or Email
tourism@ided.state.ia.us
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