OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND FOR WESTERN IOWA RESIDENTS, TRANSPLANTS
DENISON, Iowa (September 27, 2006) — Larry Breeding worked for 25 years as a petrochemical engineer along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, refining petroleum to feed the nation’s fuel needs. It took him that long to realize the industry had flatlined, and it didn’t take much longer for him to call Western Iowa his home.
“I looked at my skills as an engineer and chemist, and I looked at the industry, and the bottom line was that the petroleum refinery business wasn’t compelling and it wasn’t growing,” Breeding said. “Growth is exciting, and I realized that I wanted to use my skills working at an innovative company in a growing industry.”
In September 2005 Breeding and his wife relocated to Glidden, and he began his work in nearby Ralston as general manager of West Central Cooperative and manager of research and development for Renewable Energy Group, Inc. and West Central. Industry and company growth across the region have opened the door for challenging and innovative work in unexpected cities and counties, increasing the appeal to both residents and transplants.
“The entrepreneurial spirit of business owners in the region combined with the welcoming nature of its residents have helped to bolster opportunities here in Western Iowa,” said Don Luensmann, executive director of the Chamber and Development Council of Crawford County and member of Western Iowa Advantage, an eight-county regional partnership initiative. “Larry Breeding is a testimony to the fact that the region truly is a good thing growing.”
While Western Iowa’s renewable energy production fuels the rest of the nation, increasing business and residential growth has spurred job opportunities in a variety of industries. VT Industries, for example, has its headquarters in Holstein and operates plants in Sac City and across North America. VT Industries continually hires production and customer service positions in order to maintain its position as the number one manufacturer of architectural wood doors and postformed laminate countertops.
The Pella Corporation also continues to grow, seeking skilled workers to fill engineer and production positions in Carroll. Also in Carroll County, Turbine Fuel Technologies, a global supplier of systems and services to the aerospace, defense and homeland security markets, seeks machinists and production specialists. In Audubon and Crawford counties, skilled welders, concrete finishers and metal fabricators are also in high demand. Growth like this helped decrease Western Iowa’s unemployment rate to 3 percent in July 2006 from 3.5 percent in July 2005, according to the Iowa Department of Workforce Development. The state and national rates also decreased from 2005 to 3.8 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively.
Complementary to quantity of skilled job positions in Western Iowa is the unmatchable quality of life available to workers and residents. Though daunting to the Breedings before relocating to Glidden, rural life quickly appealed to the southerners.
“We were at first concerned about how we would adapt to small town life so far from the city, region and culture we knew, but when a neighbor knocked on our door just days after we moved in to invite us to a Sunday gathering, we knew the big change was a welcomed one,” said Breeding. “The acceptance here is overwhelming.”
In maintaining that high quality of life, Western Iowa regularly seeks to expand its services and hospitalities. Combined with the increased popularity of restaurants, golf courses and other recreational activities, job opportunities are on the rise at health and assisted living facilities, like St. Anthony’s Regional Hospital, and educational programs, like Ida Grove’s Head Start.
Breeding will admit that a life in Western Iowa is not for everyone, “but for a challenging career in a growing industry, supplemented with a comfortable, safe life, the choice for us is clear.”
