Living's Easy In Iowa, Too

Iowa is no slouch in the quality-of-life sweepstakes. The state came in second to Minnesota in the aforementioned Morgan Quitno study for the past two years and its largest city, Des Moines, ranks in the Top 10 in Forbes' "Best Places for Business & Careers" list.
        One of the leading food-producing states with more than 97,000 farms, Iowa almost always has some kind of food processing investment under way. One of the recent projects involves Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), which is investing $107 million to upgrade process technology at its Cedar Rapids and Clinton corn processing plants. ADM will receive tax benefits from Iowa's New Jobs & Income Program (NJIP). The Iowa Dept. of Economic Development (IDED) approved a waiver from the requirement that projects create at least 50 jobs because of the wages and capital investment involved. The two projects will create 20 jobs.
        As the nation's leading corn-producing state, it should be no surprise Iowa is also a leader in ethanol production. The state has 12 plants in operation with several under construction, including Otter Creek Ethanol, which is building a $54-million facility near Ashton.
        Other recent projects of note in the state include Continental Western Group's $14 million expansion in Urbandale. The company intends to create 50 to 60 jobs with construction of a 30,000-sq.-ft. (2,787-sq.-m.) addition to its headquarters. In Iowa City, United Natural Foods is investing $9.6 million to upgrade its distribution facility with a 140,000-sq.-ft. (13,000-sq.-m.) addition of dry storage, freezer and cooler space.