Whirlpool, the buyer of financially-struggling Maytag, is moving forward with the sale of a number of Maytag properties in Illinois, Arkansas, West Virginia, South Carolina?and the former corporate headquarters in Iowa.
Kim Didier, director of the Newton Development Corporation says the sale will happen in steps over the next year. With a local owner Didier says there’s a proponent of the community’s vision for the future, that will make it happen. Newton-based Iowa Telecom bought the corporate headquarters, part of a collaborative effort between the telecommunications company and area economic development organizations.
She says Telecom plans to consolidate operations on the campus will bring about 140 jobs to Newton’s downtown area. At least forty of those will be new jobs to Iowa. Didier says the company’s formerly outsourced some services to Canadian workers but will bring those jobs to Newton.
As earlier reported, two of the buildings on the main campus will be sold to Des Moines Area Community College, for vocational courses the school plans to offer to high-schoolers and adults in Newton. At least five new faculty positions will be created at that career academy. Didier says DMACC’s enrollment rates have been good, and with the new facility the student numbers could increase even more thanks to the vocational training opportunities.
As for the rest of the old Maytag manufacturing lines, Didier says a Los Angeles realty group that specializes in industrial properties will be buying most of the manufacturing facilities in Newton as well as facilities in Illinois, Arkansas and West Virginia.
