The Iowa Transportation Commission has approved funds for roadway improvements to help businesses in Sioux Center and Pella.
DOT spokesman Craig Markley says Sioux Center will receive around $390,000 to assist the New Tech company. “They’re a remanufacturing and sales company. So they take heavy equipment and they work with a lot of local manufactures to refurbish that equipment — so welding, replacement of parts,” Markley says.
He says the company is currently operating in Hull. “Unfortunately, they are landlocked where they are at and need a whole lot more space than the Hull location just can’t provide,” Markley says.
The other funding was approved to help improve a roadway for a company in Pella.
“This is for a company called Lely North America, and they design and manufacture automated systems for dairy farms. This project is just shy of $306,000,” Markley says.
He says the award of $244,000 helps keep the company in Iowa. “Lely has a big presence in Canada as well as other states, and they were looking at moving out of Iowa. Currently, they are co-located with Vermeer Corporation and that lease is not being renewed, so they needed to find a different place,” Markley says.
Markley says the company will retain six of its 53 jobs and create 15 new ones at a high wage. He says the wages are $30.36. Markley says the design is expected to be completed in April and the road construction in September of this year.
The Transportation Commission approved the funds at their meeting today.
