Ready to go

Industrial park land is certified

To anyone traveling down Iowa Highway 7 west of Fort Dodge, it appears that the open ground at the industrial park called Iowa's Crossroads of Global Innovation is ready and waiting for businesses.

Now the community has something that says that real estate truly is ready for development.

A total of 720 acres of ground was recently declared a certified site by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, a fact that was celebrated with a special event Thursday afternoon.

"Site certification says something very simple," said Debi Durham, the director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Finance Authority. "It says we are ready for growth."

Durham spoke to a group of about 30 people Thursday afternoon under a tent on the grounds of the Valero Renewables ethanol plant, which was the first occupant of the industrial park. It was joined in 2013 by the Cargill and CJ Bio America plants.

There is plenty of room in the industrial park for other businesses. To make that space more inviting to business, the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance, Fort Dodge, and Webster County went through a long process to get the property site certified. That certification tells businesses that there are no obstacles to developing the land.

The certified site consists of 455 acres to the west of the existing plants. It also includes 265 acres on the east side of those plants.

Astra Ferris, the chief executive officer of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance, said Thursday's event was about much more than those 720 acres.

"It is about readiness, it is about opportunity, it is about collaboration," she said.

"While today is certainly worth celebrating, what excites me most is what comes next," Ferris added. "We've done the work. We're ready to compete, and now it's time to position ourselves as we seek opportunities collaboratively and together the way we always do."

Durham said companies that are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in facilities don't like surprises. Site certification, she said, eliminates any surprises related to the land upon which they want to build.

She said communities can't control when an economic opportunity will come along, but they can control their readiness to take advantage of those opportunities. Having a certified site is a way to be ready for opportunities, she said.

The new certified site, she said, is "part of a well-established industrial corridor."

In addition to the certified site, the local community has several other advantages, including a "very unique" level of cooperation between the Fort Dodge and Webster County governments.

County Supervisor Austin Hayek said the opportunity presented by a certified site represents years worth of work by previous county supervisors and City Council members.

"Today is what can happen when a region works together with a common vision," Fort Dodge Mayor Dave Flattery said.

"Today, let's send a clear message across Iowa and beyond -- the Fort Dodge region is ready," he added. "We are prepared."

Kelly Davey, plant manager for Valero Renewables; Eric Stough, external relations coordinator for CJ Bio America; and Sydney Pokorny, facility manager of Cargill; each spoke briefly to welcome the group to the site and provide some information about their companies.