3 Reasons Why You Should Do Business in Iowa
A central location is just one of the key advantages companies gain when relocating here.
While a number of people are eyeing Iowa as their next place to live, businesses are also taking note of its assets. Plus, many that are already located here are choosing to expand their operations in the state.
Let’s explore three of the reasons why businesses choose to relocate to Iowa.
1. Iowa is in the middle of the U.S.
Iowa’s central location puts it within a day’s drive of major U.S. and Canadian metros, including Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas, Denver and Winnipeg. Plus, the state is working to further upgrade its infrastructure. It designated $3.2 billion over five years to improve highways, bridges and connections to the major interstates, including I-29, I-35 and I-80 that crisscross Iowa.
2. There’s plenty of planes, trains, and barges.
For companies that ship freight by barge or rail, the state has 491 miles of navigable waterways that include the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, while Class I rail service is available through BNSF, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific. For air travelers, Iowa connects to the world through commercial service at eight airports around the state, including Des Moines International Airport, which has nonstop flights to approximately 30 destinations.
3. You can find a site that’s right for your company.
When it comes to finding land in Iowa, companies have a large roster of spacious sites and buildings to choose from. A few examples include 27 Flags in the Southbridge Industrial Park in Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff Park in the hub of western Iowa and the Sioux City MSA, and The Anderson 400 in Princeton. Not only is The Anderson 400 designated as a certified site, but it is also a sustainable green business park.
“One of the best available sites at Anderson 400 is a 50-acre pad on hilly ground where a company can build its headquarters and have a beautiful view of the Mississippi River,” says Tami Petsche, vice president of business and economic growth at the Quad Cities Chamber.
Ready to Choose a Site?
The state’s Certified Sites Program provides data and documentation
that designate land as development-ready, so companies can make faster location decisions. There are currently 27 certified sites across the state.
Petsche says that, as a certified green business park, The Anderson 400 is ideal for office buildings, corporate headquarters, data centers and light industrial companies. “The park is only 10 minutes to Interstate 80 and features low utility costs, plus there are very low incidents of natural disasters in southeast Iowa,” she says.
Another spacious site near the Missouri River is Southbridge Business Park, located in Sioux City in northwest Iowa, and it is looking to attract major industrial companies.
“Sioux City is fortunate to have experienced much industrial growth over the last 10 years, and we wanted to establish a business park in the southeast part of town near Sioux Gateway Airport and along Interstate 29,” says Marty Dougherty, Sioux City economic and community development director, who adds that the city has improved the Southbridge roads, built a water treatment plant, added rail service, installed utilities and are in talks with Iowa DOT to add an interchange off I-29. “It’s an incredible site for heavy industrial manufacturing, warehousing and distribution companies.”
Dougherty says several excellent tracts at Southbridge are still available. “This is a business park that can accept any kind of industrial development,” he says. “We’ve had much interest in Southbridge lately with a number of companies looking at land parcels, so we anticipate more tenant announcements throughout 2022.”
