Much of that growth is driven by the Prestage Foods of Iowa plant south of town.

“Since Prestage we’ve had an increase,” City Administrator Bryce Davis said.

“We saw a 3 percent increase in active meters over the last year, which translates into about 35 new meters,” he said. “We’ve had 24 new construction projects or a $2 million increase to our tax base. We enroll two to three individuals for new accounts each week.”

There are also several new businesses and infrastructure improvements.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Crews work on putting up the steel framework for a new loadout at the AG Processing Inc. plant in Eagle Grove.

“We have a new Mexican restaurant, El Jalapeno,” he said. “The Shop expanded; Slay expanded.”

The Shop is an arts and crafts store, while Slay Fitness Studio offers personal training and fitness classes.

A local barbershop has new ownership and a local group of investors is building a hotel.

One of the other new businesses is Arden Scott Collectables.

“It’s an exciting business,” Davis said.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Eagle Grove City Administrator Bryce Davis works in his office at City Hall. Davis said the community is doing well and growing.

Scott offers vinyl records, CDs, music collectables and instruments.

Davis has shopped there, although he passed on that first pressing of Led Zeppelin I.

“I bought strings; I restrung my guitar,” he said.

Another new business is Huntley’s PitStop Meals to Go.

TJ Huntley and Les Huntley opened the business on Dec. 16.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen A group of private investors are building a new independent hotel in Eagle Grove.

She prepares single-serving breakfast, lunch and dinner heat-and-eat meals from a menu she will change monthly. The meals help meet a need for individuals that for various reasons, can’t or won’t cook.

“It’s a serious need around here,” Les Huntley said.

She said that taking out meals can also save precious family time. Busy working parents can pick up a freshly made meal, heat it and then spend the time they would have spent in the kitchen, with family instead. Some are seniors who split a meal. Some are single.

“They just don’t want to cook for one,” TJ Huntley said.

They’re also seeing a lot of workers from local industries stopping in for something to have at lunch. The workers get a great meal that beats the bologna sandwich they might make themselves.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen The Jalepeno Bar & Grill at Broadway Street and Commercial Avenue in Eagle Grove is one of the communities newest restaurants.

They also deliver within a 20-mile radius and they too have faith in the future of Eagle Grove.

“I think they’re flourishing,” TJ Huntley said. “We have low unemployment; it’s very tight knit. I’ve never lived in a small town before and I love it.”

Davis also said the AMI grocery store, which has been empty for three years, has been purchased and will once again open as a store.

Ag Processing has a 4,000-ton load-out facility under construction.

Gold-Eagle Cooperative built a truck maintenance and wash facility.

He said the city of Eagle Grove is ready to help. He said they’ve set their focus to “prepare a path for investment.”

The year 2019 was a good one. The city received $2.5 million in grants, switched the water service to a new plant, saw an addition to the school, got a Community Development Block Grant to fix up to nine houses and added a fire truck, ambulance and squad car.

The 2020 vision includes a downtown streetscape and water quality improvements. Davis said there are $600,000 in grants pending and that they’ve already gotten $600,000 for the streetscape.

There was also a private/public partnership that got some homes painted.

“The city provided $2,500 to three nonprofits to paint three different homes,” he said. “We worked with Go Serve Global, the Boy Scouts and the Rotary Club.”

In 2019, they also tore down three houses and transferred two to the Community Development Corporation for renovation efforts.

With the increase in population, Davis said that any major growing pains have been avoided.

“We’ve had more calls,” he said. “It’s not Prestage related. We haven’t seen an issue yet. We haven’t seen that from a public safety or cultural standpoint.”