(Des Moines)– The state’s Economic Development Board and Iowa Department of Economic Development today (Thurs.) announced awards to 14 projects that plan to create and retain more than 2,700 jobs and make capital investments of 814 million dollars.
Locally, a Ruthven manufacturer was awarded 410-thousand dollars from the Economic Development Set-A-Side program along with Enterprise Zone tax benefits. Farmers Corrugated Solutions will expand into a new building and automate its manufacturing process. 116 jobs will be created with an average wage of $12.47 an hour.
In 2006, Farmers Corrugated Solutions bought a company in Arkansas that makes pallets from cardboard instead of wood and moved production to Ruthven.
Two ethanol plants in the region were also awarded funding.
Siouxland Energy and Livestock Corporation in Sioux Center was awarded tax benefits from the High Quality Job Creation program to creat 11 jobs at an average wage of $16.70 an hour. The additional jobs are the result of a 42 million dollar expansion to more than double the plant’s production to 60 million gallons per year. Now under construction, the expansion is expected to be online late this year.
Belmond Renewable Energy in Belmond was also awarded tax benefits from the High Quality Job Creation program to create 43 jobs with an average wage of $18.18 an hour. The 100 million gallon-per-year plant is scheduled to open in the spring of 2009. The 210 million dollar facility is owned by Midwest Grain Processors.
