posted 2/6/2015 in News
Midwest Partnership Economic Development spotlighted developments in Audubon, Adair, Greene and Guthrie counties during the Midwest Partnership Annual Dinner on January 22nd.
Dr. Scott Smith earned the Guy Powell Award - named in honor of a late
economic-development advocate in Adair County - for his work with the New
Century Art Guild in Audubon County.
According to Smith and the guild's website, the nonprofit organization
promotes the growth of artistic culture and development of art-related
careers in the Midwest, especially those of military veterans wishing to
make new careers in visual art. The guild supports three buildings that
feature over 4,000 square feet of studio and gallery space located on Main
Street of Kimballton.
Sarah Gomez, executive director of the Midwest Partnership, said the year
featured many successes for the region.
"The governor spent a lot of time in our communities," Gomez said. "One of
his first stops was at Cardinal Glass in Greenfield where they had the
highest level of employment since 2008, with a workforce of more than 400
people."
Other highlights, according to Gomez:
- The Greenfield development group sold a site on its industrial park.
- Guthrie Center was named a Main Street Community.
- Whiterock Conservancy announced a $4 million trail project.
- Puck Custom Enterprises in Audubon County announced an expansion of 30,000
square feet to its facility.
- AMVC celebrated the open house and ribbon-cutting of its new
state-of-the-art veterinary service facility located on Highway 71 in
Audubon County.
- Quality Machine in Audubon continues to grow by gaining bigger accounts
with the military, and in order to compete with India and China, has added
some new innovative equipment to production lines.
- HyVee in Jefferson is currently under construction and plans to be open in
weeks.
- Scranton Manufacturing broke ground on its expansion project of 56,000
square feet and will add 75 new jobs.
- Vaughn Bauer continues to work on his next venture in Paton, with a
170,000 square-foot facility that will be used for the development of custom
equipment for John Deere. That is expected to mean 50 new jobs.
- Greene County was named the first Home Base Iowa community for Gov. Terry
Branstad's initiative aimed at returning military men and women.