Governor Branstad says he’s “concerned” about unrest in the Middle East, but he has no reason to believe an Egyptian company will shelve its plans to build a $1.4 billion fertilizer plant in southeast Iowa.
“I’m confident that that company — the owner of which is a Coptic Christian — will follow through with the commitment they’ve made here,” Branstad told reporters this morning.
Coptic Christians in Egypt are expressing concern about the rioting over an anti-Muslim film made by a Coptic Christian who lives in Los Angeles.
Orascom is the largest publicly-traded company in Egypt. The company plans to build a fertilizer plant in Lee County. State and local officials from Lee County have pledged incentives worth $240 million to land the deal.