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Venture Awards Honor Iowa Businesses
The Iowa Area Development Group (IADG) on behalf of Iowa's electric cooperatives and member municipal systems honored twelve distinguished Iowa companies with the Iowa Venture Award. This is the 19th year that IADG has recognized and honored Iowa's business leaders and entrepreneurs. Since 1988 IADG has recognized over 150 of Iowa's leading companies with the Iowa Venture Award.
The 2006 "Outstanding Business of the Year" Venture Award was presented to Progress Casting Group, Inc. located in New Hampton. A major supplier and manufacturer for Harley Davidson motorcycles, Progress Casting began operations in a new state-of-the-art 83,000 sq.ft. aluminum casting and molding plant in New Hampton�s 154 acre Industrial Park South. Headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota the New Hampton operation expects to employ over 150 people with future expansion plans under consideration. Progress Casting Group was nominated for the award by Butler County Rural Electric Cooperative.
"The Iowa Venture Award has a rich and prestigious history. Since 1988 IADG has recognized over 150 of Iowa's leading companies with the Iowa Venture Awards. Iowa Area Development Group and our member electric cooperatives and municipal electric systems are grateful to have the opportunity to honor and recognize Iowa's outstanding companies," said IADG President, Rand M. Fisher. "Each year as we honor business leaders and entrepreneurs with the Iowa Venture Award we also thank these accomplished companies for their commitment to Iowa through capital investment and job creation," added Fisher. Since 1985 the Powerful Partnerships and economic development efforts of IADG and their sponsoring utilities have helped generate over $3.5 billion dollars of capital investment and over 35,000 jobs for Iowa.
Iowa Venture Awards were also presented to nine other businesses for their significant contributions in diversifying and developing Iowa's economy. The 2006 Venture Award
winners include: Amaizing Energy LLC, Denison; Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., Fairfield; Freudenberg - NOK General Partnership, Spencer; Hog Slat, Inc., Humboldt; Horizon Ethanol, LLC, Jewell; L & M Radiator, Inc., Independence; Lomont Molding, Inc., Mount Pleasant; RELCO Locomotives, Inc., Albia; and White Oak Vineyards, Elkhart. Iowa Representative Clarence Hoffman assisted in presenting the Iowa Venture Awards. IADG is the marketing and economic development arm for 85 of Iowa's rural electric cooperatives and municipal electric utilities. The 2007 Iowa Venture Awards ceremony was held at the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives' annual meeting in Des Moines.
The "Value-Added Agriculture" Venture Award recognizes significant contributions and leadership in promoting and developing Iowa agriculture. This year the award will recognize Sara Lee Food & Beverage, located in Storm Lake for their outstanding contributions to value-added agriculture in Iowa. Sara Lee has reached the midpoint in a $46 million dollar expansion of turkey production. When the project is finished 36 family farms will have added 153 turkey production facilities boosting production by nearly 5 million birds annually. They will be recognized at the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation's annual meeting held in Des Moines.
Venture_Awards_06
______________________________________________________________
For more information on items in this section, please contact Ann Foster, IAEC director of communications, at 515-727-8945 or afoster@iowarec.org.
The 2006 "Outstanding Business of the Year" Venture Award was presented to Progress Casting Group, Inc. located in New Hampton. A major supplier and manufacturer for Harley Davidson motorcycles, Progress Casting began operations in a new state-of-the-art 83,000 sq.ft. aluminum casting and molding plant in New Hampton�s 154 acre Industrial Park South. Headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota the New Hampton operation expects to employ over 150 people with future expansion plans under consideration. Progress Casting Group was nominated for the award by Butler County Rural Electric Cooperative.
"The Iowa Venture Award has a rich and prestigious history. Since 1988 IADG has recognized over 150 of Iowa's leading companies with the Iowa Venture Awards. Iowa Area Development Group and our member electric cooperatives and municipal electric systems are grateful to have the opportunity to honor and recognize Iowa's outstanding companies," said IADG President, Rand M. Fisher. "Each year as we honor business leaders and entrepreneurs with the Iowa Venture Award we also thank these accomplished companies for their commitment to Iowa through capital investment and job creation," added Fisher. Since 1985 the Powerful Partnerships and economic development efforts of IADG and their sponsoring utilities have helped generate over $3.5 billion dollars of capital investment and over 35,000 jobs for Iowa.
Iowa Venture Awards were also presented to nine other businesses for their significant contributions in diversifying and developing Iowa's economy. The 2006 Venture Award
winners include: Amaizing Energy LLC, Denison; Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., Fairfield; Freudenberg - NOK General Partnership, Spencer; Hog Slat, Inc., Humboldt; Horizon Ethanol, LLC, Jewell; L & M Radiator, Inc., Independence; Lomont Molding, Inc., Mount Pleasant; RELCO Locomotives, Inc., Albia; and White Oak Vineyards, Elkhart. Iowa Representative Clarence Hoffman assisted in presenting the Iowa Venture Awards. IADG is the marketing and economic development arm for 85 of Iowa's rural electric cooperatives and municipal electric utilities. The 2007 Iowa Venture Awards ceremony was held at the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives' annual meeting in Des Moines.
The "Value-Added Agriculture" Venture Award recognizes significant contributions and leadership in promoting and developing Iowa agriculture. This year the award will recognize Sara Lee Food & Beverage, located in Storm Lake for their outstanding contributions to value-added agriculture in Iowa. Sara Lee has reached the midpoint in a $46 million dollar expansion of turkey production. When the project is finished 36 family farms will have added 153 turkey production facilities boosting production by nearly 5 million birds annually. They will be recognized at the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation's annual meeting held in Des Moines.
Venture_Awards_06
______________________________________________________________
For more information on items in this section, please contact Ann Foster, IAEC director of communications, at 515-727-8945 or afoster@iowarec.org.
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