Every day, dozens of vehicles go by some big, light-colored buildings on the southeast side of Fort Dodge which house the local operation of Calcium Products.

That operation is about to get bigger.

The company, which turns limestone and gypsum into soil additives, has announced a $17 million expansion. It plans to build a new production facility across Webster County Road P59 from its current plant. That current plant will be retained, however, and will become a warehouse for the company.

This project will create two new jobs and retain the current 11 jobs.

The expansion will help the company go after new customers, and it solidifies its future here in Webster County. This is great news.

But it isn’t the only good news on the economic front. Webster County and Fort Dodge are fortunate to be the home of industries that have kept on growing, despite the economic upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For example, AML Riverside, a maker of veterinary medicines, is investing $6 million in additional research and development equipment. It will also hire about a dozen more people.

CJ Bio America, which makes amino acids to be added to livestock feed, has committed to a $20 million expansion to be done by the first quarter of 2022.

Koch Nitrogen has announced a $140 million investment which will increase its production of fertilizer by 85,000 tons annually. This is a very large project that will lead to nearly 1,000 employees of various contractors staying in the Fort Dodge area and spending money with local businesses.

White Transfer & Storage Co. Inc. is building a 105,000 square foot warehouse to better serve its customers. It is the latest building project in a growth spurt for the company, which constructed a 50,000 square foot warehouse in each of the last two years.

And recently Elanco, a major producer of veterinary medicines, committed to a $106 million upgrade to its facilities, It will also add 26 more jobs.

The bottom line is that our community has a vibrant industrial sector that will ensure prosperity for years to come.