(Spencer)– The head of a local economic development entity says recently completed visits with 55 manufacturers and businesses in the four-county area they serve look promising. Shannon Landauer, CEO of the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation, says based on the findings they’re cautiously optimistic over business retention and expansion in the region…
“Really excited to report that in aggregate with those visits we’re looking at about $150 million in investment at 18 of those companies, looking at about 185 new jobs. So those expansion plans really range from physical expansion with building; just new positions added in growth of product line, etcetera; and certainly some equipment purchases and technology upgrades as well.”
And she says finding people to fill those positions remains a challenge…
“And again working on some of those workforce training projects with the community college to upscale some of the current employees we have and offer new opportunities, so. We absolutely know it’s a challenge. We don’t want our employers in our communities to be competing in those wage arenas, but it really is a reality as well and, again, we know it’s a challenge for the employers but it’s also a betterment for the people of the community when they do have new opportunities to grow themselves whether it be new skill sets or what have you. So along with the work we’re doing with industry we are very focused, too, on the employer recruitment marketing. We’re partnering with Iowa Economic Development Authority on some of those things, really focused on millenials that are looking at that quality of place and trying to grow those in our laborshed area.”
Landauer says constructing another spec building in the region is also high on their priority list right now…
“The Spirit Lake shell building is something that The Corridor has been a part of for several years. We are closing on that building. It will be a manufacturing project, but we are in discussions with Cornbelt and Iowa Lakes Electric. We’d like to look at another spec building in the Spencer space. So just kind of starting those conversations.”
Landauer gave the updates at Tuesday’s Spencer City Council meeting.
