Portions excerpted from an article appearing in the Fairfield Ledger.

Agri-Industrial Plastics Company has been awarded $36,000 and tax benefits to help expand, create and retain jobs. The award was approved by the Iowa Department of Economic Development Board and will create in Fairfield, five new jobs and retain seven jobs. The tax benefits were made from the Enterprise Zone program. A resolution supporting Agri-Industrial Plastics’ Enterprise Zone Application was approved in February, by the Jefferson County Enterprise Zone Commission.

Agri-Industrial Plastics’ request was for funding a machinery and equipment project. The project will add two machines totaling $8 million and create 16 new jobs. State Rep. Curt Hanson of Fairfield said, “I’m pleased the state is participating with us to create good-paying jobs in our community”. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and it’s essential that we provide support and assistance to help small businesses across Iowa grow.”

Fairfield-based software technology company Let's Order Online, Inc. has been awarded $200,000 in regional and state incentives to help grow its workforce by at least 10 employees over the next 36 months. Let's Order Online markets a proprietary online customer service and ordering software package to restaurants across the country.

The Let's Order Online incentive package includes $125,000 in funding from the Entrepreneurial Ventures Assistance [EVA] program administered by the Iowa Department of Economic Development. A $75,000 low-interest loan from Regional Economic Development Investments, Inc. program rounded out the package.

 

Agri-Industrial Plastics Company (AIP) will be accepting another 6-layer fuel tank machine in early August to compliment their current machine, doubling the production capacity of fuel tanks for ATV, snowmobile, watercraft, golf cart, lawn & garden and the small to medium sized engine market.

AIP began manufacturing non automotive multilayer fuel tanks in 2005 to meet the more stringent permeation requirements enforced by the EPA in the United States. Since going down this path, their business has now required additional equipment to meet greater demand.

Read the media release here.

The 2Q 2009 edition FEDA Quarterly was released on June 17.  The newsletter includes articles on the creation of 70 jobs in Fairfield, a piece on online tools for professional development, FEDA's 2011 strategic plan and much more. 

Click here to see a web page version.

FEDA Executive Director appeared on James Moore's Planet Erstwild  show on KRUU-LP 100.1 to discuss the 2011 FEDA Strategic Plan.  The full interview is available on the KRUU web site here.

This letter to the editor appeared in the May 21, 2009 edition of the Fairfield Ledger.

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

BUSINESS 34 IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

The Fairfield Economic Development Association has announced its strategic priorities for the years 2009-2011.  The Priorities, informed heavily by the results of the Fairfield Existing Business Initiative [FEBI], will guide the decision-making process for FEDA over a critical two-year period during which a substantial portion of the $72 million in estimated expansion capital investment identified in the FEBI report is expected to take place. 

Read the media release here.

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FEDA has formally requested that the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors exempt the two-mile "extraterritorial zone" from consideration as part of the corn suitability rating non-farm land use provision in the updated Jefferson County Subdivision Ordinance currently under review.  See the FEDA's letter to the supervisors here.

 

2009.04.04 update: the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 to pass the subdivision ordinance with no changes to the CSR provision.

A new video just released by the Southeast Iowa Manufacturers Consortium and Opportunity2 regional economic development marketing group is now available and will soon be put in front and in the hands of area young people.  The 9-minute video, six months in development, showcases the diversity of occupational opportunities in advanced manufacturing in the region and makes the case for an industry far from the dark, dirty, labor-intensive days of manufacturing past.  Featuring area manufacturers utilizing sophisticated software and computers, robotics and graphic design, the video is the first product to be developed as part of a long-ranging economic development marketing plan being jointly executed the Manufacturers Consortium and Opportunity2.  Check it out.