WoodLink LTD

WoodLink is the exclusive licensee for the manufacturing of birding products to the design specifications of the National Audubon Society.

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According to Todd Blanton with Heartland Energy Solutions, the factory hopes to be in full hiring capacity by 2012. Hiring will be done in three phases with maximum employees to be around 105-110.

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Rural Development  Center previously  known as Southwest Iowa Entrepreneurial Center is now a reality

The United States Department of Agriculture - Rural Development announced a $300,000 grant award to the Southwest Iowa Coalition from the Rural Community Development Initiative grant. For more than four years, a working group of regional, primary partners, with a vision to establish a rural development center to support the business start and expansion needs in their rural area, have been piecing together the funding necessary to capitalize the initiative. This latest award, coupled with additionally secured funding, puts the final piece in place to formally begin operation of the Southwest Iowa Entrepreneurial Center with a total of $646,000.

The technical assistance grant program was created by Congress in 2000 to assist in the development or increase the capacity of nonprofit organizations, low-income rural communities or federally recognized tribes to undertake projects in the areas of housing, community facilities, and community and economic development in rural areas. Nearly $6.7 million in technical assistance grants from this funding pool was awarded in March to assist 31 nonprofit community-based development organizations and low-income communities or federally recognized tribes for development initiatives in 20 states.

The Southwest Iowa Coalition, a 14-year old, grassroots, volunteer driven rural advocacy organization, was able to make the application for the grant for use by primary partners committed to founding the Southwest Iowa Entrepreneurial Center. These partners include the Grow Iowa Foundation, Wallace Foundation for Rural Research and Development and Iowa State University Extension to Communities and Economic Development.

“I am proud to be associated and working with the Coalition whose years of success and stability as a regional organization gives us the capacity to secure critical resources when they become available for our rural, local development needs. As it has in the past with other projects, the Coalition and primary partners will support this Center as it develops its organizational structure for sustainability and moves into independence creating one more legacy of success as the Coalition forges ahead with its mission of rural advocacy,” states Southwest Iowa Coalition President, Jim Offenbacker of Taylor County’s Bedford Area Economic Development.

The Center will serve as the mechanism which can bring all existing providers in the region of technical assistance, programming and education into relationship in order to conserve resources currently being expended to serve business starts and expansions of all sizes. It will be able to provide additional resources that will increase the availability of assistance and then fill the gaps that exist in the region for business development. In addition the Center will have at its disposal concrete product-to-market tools for small and micro-businesses that will allow for them to afford to expand their market in order to increase sales revenue. Because of the Southwest Iowa Coalition’s membership of business owners, local governments, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations, the Center will be able to respond in a timely manner to requests for services and programming needed in local communities.

Basic to the success of the Southwest Iowa Entrepreneurial Center is a physical communication and working site that will eliminate the loss of potential business starts and expansions that are inherent in the current networking scenarios between providers. Supporting and collaborating with the primary partners is Southwestern Community College. Its support has led to the commitment of three offices within the Red Oak Technical Center rent free for a two-year start up phase for the Center. Staff and mobile specialists will be hired to serve through the Center and travel as needed and requested into communities at satellite locations throughout the region that will be established.

Counties eligible to be served by the Center are those within the membership and service areas of the primary partners that have a desire to participate. These counties can include: Adair, Adams, Audubon, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Crawford, Decatur, Fremont, Greene, Guthrie, Harrison, Madison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Shelby, Taylor and Union. Development leadership not currently attached to the project is encouraged to contact the Coalition office at 712/623-5521 or swicomail@mchsi.com for specific community and county inclusion for service or visit www.swico.org. Additional details will also be announced at the April 25th regular Coalition membership meeting. These meetings are open to the public, and reservations can be made by contacting the office.

Once again, we appreciate your continuing support. You are invited to attend our monthly Development meetings held the second Wednesday at noon at the SWIREC Building!!

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Recent Entrepreneurial Studies in SW Iowa

Studies conducted by McLellan Marketing, offer interesting facts about where we live and work. The communities in Southwest Iowa have a low-wage mentality, a lack of broad economic development investment, inconsistent high-speed Internet and cell phone service and virtually no interest in serving in public office. According to the report, essential businesses may disappear if succession isn’t planned. Volunteer capital and opportunities abound, however, and there’s significant wealth tied up in an aging population that hasn’t been given a reason to help.

While Southwest Iowa doesn’t have enough workers to supply several new large employers (i.e. 200+), there are significant human resources to support small, entrepreneurial businesses that are positioned to grow slowly and steadily. That’s good, though, because we have an entrepreneurial spirit, an experienced (aging) population base, a strong medical and health care infrastructure and plenty of volunteer opportunities for retiring and retired seniors who are not willing to shut down, but want to continue giving back to communities that appreciate their contributions.

What can we do? Let’s target those ready to reinvent themselves, and give them the resources to succeed here in Southwest Iowa!

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Some Area Links

Mt. Ayr Inn & Suites

Southern Iowa Tourism