Legislative Day Once Again At The Iowa Bioprocessing Center

Kaye De Lange (Plant Manager of Cargill - left) and Michael Schrock (Oskaloosa City Manager - Right) at Friday's Legislative Day (photo by Ginger Allsup)

Eddyville, Iowa – It’s easy to forget what is in your own back yard. The 2012 edition of “Legislative Day” drew several communities representatives together for a day of exploring.

There are not many facilities and places that have grown to the scope that the Eddyville Cargill facility has over the past 25 years. Since that time, the infrastructure around the facility has continued to expand as well.

According to the Iowa Bioprocessing Center website, the four international companies have invested nearly $1.5 billion dollars in the area.

The group along with Opportunity2 – a group in place to also help promote and grow the SE Iowa region – invited city and county officials, along with many from the state legislature to come and listen, ask questions and visit the facility. This is done in the hopes that, with a better understanding, all parties will be able to work more closely in the future.

An expanded 4 lane highway in the shape of State Highway 163, along with a new 4 lane bridge leading to the facility from the highway, along with rail are just recent examples of improvements made.

I asked Oskaloosa City Manager Michael Schrock about the recent push towards infrastructure upgrades in the area and how it impacts the area. “I think access to infrastructure is one reason why this facility is here.”

With the types of upgrades to infrastructure that help attract business, the hopes are that more jobs will come as current employers expand or new ones are attracted to the area. “As these employers grow, that means that more people are going to have higher paying jobs that also live in Oskaloosa.”

“I found out as a Supervisor, you work with all the counties around you.” Mahaska County Supervisor Ken Rozenboom said of the work elected officials perform in helping to build partnerships with neighboring communities.

The companies that are part of the Iowa Bioprocessing Center “have been very important to the community and to the area and I think we need to keep dialogue with them”, Rozenboom said.

A video used to help attract people, possible employers and is an example of the quality of life possible in the SE Iowa area is below.