The Department of Economic Development is asking filmmakers to make a decision on whether they want to complete their projects and take advantage of the state tax credits. The film credit program was suspended after problems turned up, but DED. spokesperson Kay Snyder says they are ready to move ahead.
Snyder says they are working with the companies currently in the pipeline that can move forward if they choose to do so. She says those companies will have until December 21st to decide if they want to move forward. Snyder says there are about 100 companies that could decided to use the credits.
Snyder says it will provide them the opportunity to pay more attention with the limited staff to the projects that are in the works and they won’t take any more projects during this current fiscal year that ends in June. The projects in the pipeline could total 38-million dollars.
The investigation is continuing into whether there was any wrongdoing in the Film Office over the credit program. The Iowa Economic Development Board also approved awards for several business during its meeting Thursday. Snyder says a Clarinda business is getting help to expand.
She says the Royal Cargo Company was given an award to help them aquire and remodel five buildings totaling 78-thousand square feet. The company was awared 45-thousand dollars in state funding and is also eligible for some tax credits. The company which makes trailers, will create 95 jobs. An Illinois company is getting state funds to move to Dubuque.
Creative Frontier Incorporated was awarded 105-thousand dollars in state assistance and tax benefits as they will invest about one-point-two million dollars to relocate to Dubuque from the present location in Galena, Illinois. The company makes safety gates for kids and pets and brings 21 new jobs to Iowa. Another award went to Custom Poultry Processing which is purchasing the former Allstate Quality Foods plant in Charles City.
She says they are looking to remodel to add some processing capacity, and were given 260-thousand dollars in state money from the Iowa Values Fund along with enterprise tax benefits as well. The Charles City plant will create 26 jobs and when it reaches full capacity could process more than 14 million chickens per year and employ 126 people. Seven companies were given state aid from what’s called the “Iowa Demonstration Fund” to roll out new technology products. The board approved the following awards for these companies:
·$100,000 to Eliason Media of Urbandale which has developed a social media platform that pays Twitter users to send advertising messages to their friends. Eliason is upgrading software and developing more customers.
·$150,000 to Innovative Lighting of Roland to market energy saving lighting for display cases at food and convenience stores, using the company’s LED technology and precision optical lenses.
·$150,000 to Ovation Networks of Cedar Rapids to market and commercialize wireless technology that reduces energy consumption in hotel rooms when the guests are away.
·$100,000 to Agren Inc. of Carroll for regional and national marketing of its online Geographical Information System (GIS) for conservation planning, showing how farm fields look using different conservation practices.
·$50,000 to Canvis, LLC of West Des Moines to market web based software to housing developers and general contractors that allows each new buyer to personalize their new home and communicate on construction.
·$50,000 to DeskActive of Des Moines for expanded marketing of health & safety software to insurance companies and other large employers, a product that reduces health problems among sedentary office workers.
·$50,000 dollars to ezPay LLC of Johnston for continued marketing and startup of a network product that accelerates recurring payments that accompany long-term services contracts and construction projects.
