Essential Estrogen

Eleven financial awards announced today by Gov. Chet Culver and the Iowa Department of Economic Development could create 1,078 new jobs and retain more than 200 science-based careers in Iowa.

The state incentives totaling $4.235 million impact proposed expansion projects in Ames, Cedar Rapids, Earlville, Eddyville, Fort Madison, Grimes, Lucas, Osage and Urbandale. The grants are primarily being awarded in the economic sectors of renewable energy, bioscience and insurance technology.

"This announcement serves as another example of Iowa's strong economy," said Culver in a prepared statement. "Our strategy to aggressively recruit high-quality companies and careers to Iowa is getting results. These stimulus funds are expected to create over 1,000 new high-quality jobs and ignite new economic growth across the state."

Fort Madison

Wind energy jobs could more than double at Siemens Power Generation after a $33 million manufacturing expansion this year. To increase production of giant wind turbine blades, Siemens is expected to add 75,000 square-feet to an existing facility and construct a separate 125,000 square-foot building for manufacturing, warehousing and offices. An additional 287 people are expected to be hired at an average of $17.14 per hour.

IDED awarded $1.4 million from the Physical Infrastructure Assistance Program for the expansion, which also will receive tax benefits from the High Quality Jobs Creation and Targeted Jobs Withholding Tax Credit programs.

Urbandale

Seabury and Smith's expansion into a new 215,000 square-foot facility currently under construction is expected to bring 450 new jobs to Iowa as a part of a two-phase expansion scheduled to end next year. The second phase in 2009 includes a second facility for a total of $20 million in new capital investment.

The insurance services firm, which operates as ConsumerConnexions and is a part of Marsh and McLennan Companies, was awarded $1 million from the Community Economic Betterment Account and tax benefits from the High Quality Jobs Creation program. Among the jobs to be created, 61 pay an average of $44.33 per hour and 245 pay an average of $26.54 per hour.

Worldwide Integrated Supply Chain Solutions, a firm providing shipping and distribution management services, iexpects to create 101 jobs paying an average of $18.40 per hour. The company was awarded $300,000 from the Community Economic Better Account.

W.R. Berkley Corp. plans to acquire and renovate a 122,00 square-foot building to serve its property and casualty insurance businesses. The project potentially creates and retains 215 jobs, 76 of which are anticipated to pay an average of $35.77 per hour. The company was awarded $350,000 from the Community Economic Betterment Account and tax benefits from the High Quality Jobs Creation program. Existing employees at the Johnston facility would be moved to the new Urbandale site.

Ames

Ag Leader Technology Inc. plans a 98,000 square-foot addition at the facility where the company manufactures and distributes precision farming hardware and software systems. The $6 million project is expected to create 58 jobs, with 40 of them paying an average of $24.76 per hour. IDED awarded Ag Leader $150,000 from the Value-Added Agricultural Products and Processes Financial Assistance Program. The company will also have tax benefits from the High Quality Jobs Creation program.

Eddyville

Wacker Chemical Corp. will invest $15 million at its plant to expand production of cyclodextrins, a stabilizer ingredient made from corn and used in pharmaceutical and other products. Enlarged Wacker operations at the Iowa Bioprocessing Center is expected to create and retain 25 jobs. Four new jobs pay an average of $26 per hour. The project was awarded $250,000 from the Value-Added Agricultural Products and Processes Financial Assistance Program and tax benefits from the High Quality Jobs Creation program. Wacker is the global market leader in cyclodextrins.

Cedar Rapids

Addition of a second yest culture building at Diamond V Mills is expected to create and retain 54 jobs. Sixteen new jobs will pay an average of $28.70 per hour. The new $12 million facility will have a 25,000 square-feet of production and 3,000 square-feet of offices. A manufacturer of yeast culture and feed ingredients used in animal nutrition worldwide, the company was awarded $250,000 from the Value-Added Agricultural Products and Processes Financial Assistance Program and tax benefits from the High Quality Jobs Creation program.

Earlville

Adding new product lines, S&R Manufacturing is embarking on a $1 million expansion to create 22 jobs paying an average of $14.99 per hour. IDED awarded the project $85,000 from the Community Economic Betterment Account. S&R has developed new products related to the ethanol industry including a bagger for cornstalks and gluten, and a high volume rake.

Lucas

Custom Rest Bedding is leasing 33,000 square-foot building to manufacture and distribute mattresses to Midwest and East Coast customers. The $1.2 million project is expected to create 40 jobs, 37 of the jobs paying an average of $13.35 per hour. Custom Rest was awarded $150,000 from the Economic Development Set-Aside program to develop the jobs and manufacturing in Lucas.

Osage

As part of the acquisition of Cardinal Brands, RR Donnelley will move four product lines from Cardinal’s plant in Mexico to Osage, where Donnelley owns the Moore Wallace office forms plant. New products in Osage are expected to create and retain 20 jobs, twelve new jobs paying an average of $15.85 per hour. IDED awarded the printing expansion $100,000 from Economic Development Set-Aside program and Enterprise Zone tax benefits.

Grimes

Creativision, Inc., which does business as Performance Display, will consolidate three facilities into a new 35,000 square-foot building in the Grimes Business Park. A growing producer of retail and point of purchase displays, Creativision was awarded $50,000 from the Community Economic Betterment Account and tax benefits from the High Quality Jobs Creation program. The nearly $3 million expansion is expected to create 12 jobs, six of the jobs paying an average of $33.09 per hour.

“New jobs mean new opportunities for workers across Iowa,” said IDED Director Mike Tramontina. “With support from the state, Iowa’s economy and our targeted industries – advanced manufacturing, biosciences, renewable energy and financial solutions – are continuing to grow.”