Recent News

AMVC, LLC, is a multifaceted business enterprise: a large and small animal Western Iowa veterinary practice with multiple locations and a respected swine management services company. In fact, AMVC, headquartered in Audubon, Iowa, is the 10th largest pork producer in the United States. AMVC has over 700 employees and 2...Continue Reading

The new Landus Innovation Center in Ralston showcased one of its partners emerging technologies in a recent demonstration to area farmers. TerraClear, a Bellevue, Washington start-up, brought its state-of-the-art rock picker to Landus. The rock picker, which is compatible with a compact track loader or skid steer loader, can selectively pick u...Continue Reading

Des Moines – The Iowa Department of Education today announced the Build Iowa’s Future Design Challenge, an opportunity for K-12 students to create innovative projects, connect them to careers and compete for up to $1,000 awards for their schools.  The Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning and the Home Builders Association o...Continue Reading

Landus Cooperative plans to augment its harvest staff in Churdan and Paton with inmates from the Rockwell City prison this fall. Dan Clark, Iowa Prison Industries director, and Adam Yetmar, Rockwell City deputy warden, briefed the county supervisors about the program at the board’s Aug. 16 meeting. A representative from Landu...Continue Reading

The landscape has changed dramatically for businesses accessing the labor market pool. Employers have to rethink how to approach prospective employees if they plan on meeting their hiring demands. Job shortages have created a frenzy where companies are scrambling to adopt a new approach to hiring new team members i...Continue Reading

David Maach figured if he was going to do business with a Fortune 500 company, it might look a tad more professional if he moved his startup off his dad’s farm. That’s how LDM Ag Services came to move off a farm south of Beaver and into a proper building o...Continue Reading

August 3, 2021 (DES MOINES) –  Today, the state of Iowa is pleased to announce that the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) received 178 applications from broadband providers for the latest Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program. The request stems from the $100 million broadband investment that wa...Continue Reading

A new report from the American Clean Power Association shows Iowa leads the nation in the percentage of electricity generated by renewable sources. Nearly 58% of electricity generated in Iowa in 2020 came from wind turbines and solar panels. “It’s important news for the state of Iowa, not just for consumers...Continue Reading

When the success of Coon Rapids Hardware Hank led owners, Duane, Robyn and Adam Esdohr to seek out a larger location, a whole cascade of economic development was set into motion with the help of the City, Main Street Coon Rapids, Main Street Iowa, a Main Street Iowa Challenge Grant...Continue Reading

One of the more-prominent developers and land investors in Iowa, LeMar Koethe of Urbandale, has acquired 111 acres north of New Hope in Carroll and plans to work with developers to build homes and apartment complexes there. Koethe, who operates Marko Properties and owns 66 farms in 13 cities, is seekin...Continue Reading

COON RAPIDS: As Coon Rapids Hardware Hank wraps up transition into its new building at 615 Main St., the Iowa Economic Development Authority announced it has awarded the City of Coon Rapids a $100,000 Community Catalyst Building Remediation grant to renovate the now-vacant hardware building at 517 Main St. Ryan an...Continue Reading

Not only is Iowa a leader in agriculture and ag-related industries, it is also a center for manufacturing and a safe and advantageous location for data and information technology companies. Iowa is a right-to-work state and these target industries are vital for Iowa’s ongoing and anticipated economic development. Advanced Manufacturing With ove...Continue Reading

If the recent pandemic has taught business leaders anything, it’s that solid readiness planning through diversification and data analysis can reduce the impact when a crisis hits. Nearly half of operations leaders surveyed in the recent PwC US Pulse Survey indicated that reducing supply chain disruptions is “very important.” But few companie...Continue Reading

Filing business-related taxes can often be a time-consuming and complicated process, especially for new entrepreneurs. Small business owners need a good understanding of the federal, state, and local taxes required to file. The types of taxes can range from income, employment, excise, and sales. It is critical that business owners ar...Continue Reading

(L-R): Rand Fisher, President, Iowa Area Development Group; Brittany Dickey, Development Finance Director, Corn Belt Power Cooperative; Jim Vermeer, Vice President of Business Development, Corn Belt Power Cooperative; Brooke Sievers, Civil Engineer, ISG; Scott Jacobs, Calhoun County Board of Supervisors; Keaton Hildreth, CEO, Calhoun County Electric Cooperative Association; Jill Heisterkamp...Continue Reading

The U.S. is gradually recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and states have heavily relaxed their COVID-19 restrictions. As a result, the unemployment rate has dropped to 5.8% from its high of 14.8% in April 2020. The country’s progress toward economic recovery has been largely possible because of the strides it ha...Continue Reading

With its fertile fields, livestock, and poultry farming, Iowa is synonymous with agriculture. According to the USDA, Iowa is number one in production of corn, feed crops, eggs, and corn; number two for soybeans; and number four for cattle. These abundant resources and raw materials are the fuel that power...Continue Reading

If you’re looking anew for a place to pursue the American Dream, Iowa merits consideration. In March, U.S. News & World Report ranked the vast and rural heartland state as tops in the nation for opportunity. As a place to get ahead, Iowa was assessed as No. 4 for affordability...Continue Reading

Iowa Workforce Development Highlights Leaders and Programs Strengthening Iowa’s Workforce Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to listen to a new weekly podcast from Iowa Workforce Development. Apprenticeship programs, entrepreneurism, technology programs and resources for veterans and Iowans with disabilities are just a few of the subjects tha...Continue Reading

ELK HORN — With parents struggling to deal with a day care shortage, the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton Community School District will help open a day care in Elk Horn, to be located in the Elk Horn school building. “The day care, Kids in the Village, has been a work in progress over th...Continue Reading

Heartland Bank broke ground May 12 on its new 4,600-square foot office building in the 1700 block of N. Elm St in Jefferson. Heartland Bank opened on the northeast corner of Jefferson’s downtown square in February 2020. There are now five fulltime employees there, led by Scott Weber, business development officer. Kevi...Continue Reading

The Jefferson city council moved forward on rezoning a portion of northeast Jefferson at its regular meeting May 11, approving the first reading of a pair of ordinances for the rezoning. That action followed two public hearings at which no one spoke. The neighborhood involved generally surrounds St Joseph Catholic Churc...Continue Reading

A local innovative and trailblazing manufacturer in liquid transfer equipment recently reached a milestone as the 300th TTR-20 hose real left the production plant and entered the field. President and CEO of Puck Enterprises of Manning, Jeremy Puck, says they are proud of this accomplishment. “This 300th TTR-20 represents the continued growt...Continue Reading