Iowa Lakes Corridor News & Events

News & Events

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Check out other Women in Manufacturing stories: Demco Products GKN Safco Products Danielle Massukado is an FSQA Manager at Tyson Foods, The Hillshire Brands in Storm Lake. A veterinarian working in the Food Industry for the last 20 years, Massukado has experience with beef, pork and poultry plants. A mentor in her early career encouraged Massukado to make the world a better place through her skills acquired at Vet School, which sparked the idea to improve Food Safety and Quality of Animal Protein offered to the world. “Being a woman in a male-dominated field can pose challenges, but it’s not as intimidating as you think &ndash...

Women in Manufacturing: Safco Products

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Welcome back to our series on Women in Manufacturing! In case you missed it, check out our other features! Women in Manufacturing: Demco Women in Manufacturing: GKN Tiffany Plagman is an Assembly Group Lead at Safco Products. The Laurens native now lives in Spencer and commutes to her job in Milford. Before getting a job a Safco, Plagman only had experience in retail, and she wanted to do something different. Her hands-on job makes the days fly by, and she doesn’t get bored because there is always something new to learn! “I had never worked in manufacturing before and had no idea what ...

Women in Manufacturing: GKN

Monday, October 26, 2020

Both Jody Hobmeier and her husband work at GKN in Estherville. Hobmeier, an Estherville native, enjoys building parts and finished products to contribute to the agricultural and earthmover industries. One of the biggest things she has learned in her time at GKN is that you gain valuable skills. “It’s rewarding as you learn skills that you can use inside and outside of work. I have learned several problem-solving techniques.” “You can come in with no experience and learn the trade through training,” she says. “Keep an open mind that there is room to grow and learn. It’s always great to see wha...

A major opportunity to invest in our people and our businesses

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Most of us involved in business leadership agree that our people are our greatest asset. We also recognize that investing in our people with meaningful professional development often gets lost in the busy-busy-busy nature of daily operations. We spend so much time working IN our businesses that we fail to work ON them often enough to build on what we are doing right and to correct what we are doing wrong. As we practice social distancing and face broad economic restrictions on business activities due to COVID-19, we have a opportunity to invest in our people and our businesses. In particular...

Iowa Prison Industry and Prison Industry Enhancement program visits

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

Last week Corridor Business Retention & Workforce Partnership Coordinator Joanne Follon and Bob Becker, Spencer IowaWORKS, traveled to the North Central Correctional Facility in Rockwell City. They had the opportunity to meet with Daniel Clark, Director of the Iowa Prisons Industry (IPI) Program and see the IPI training programs available for inmates to gain the education, soft and hard skills needed to be successful citizens upon their release. There are three private-sector work partnerships available through the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program: 1) employers transport offenders to/from the workplace 2) employers subcontract with IPI 3) employers set an operation inside a prison. The Stat...

Workforce Resources 101: Federal Bonding Program

Thursday, March 28, 2019

What is it? The Federal Bonding Program provides a business insurance policy to protect employers who hire "at-risk" individuals that can be hard-to-place in the workforce. This fidelity bond covers loss of money or property that is due to employee dishonesty such as theft, larceny, forgery or embezzlement. Who does it cover? The program covers individuals involved in the justice system, those in recovery from substance abuse, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients, those with poor credit, economically disadvantaged individuals without work history, and dishonorably discharged military. What doesn't it cover? Poor workmanship liability, job injuries, work accidents, bail bond, contract bond, performance o...

Fast Facts About Iowa Lakes

After 5 p.m. you are on vacation!

The Iowa Lakes Corridor offers balance in life. Spend time with loved ones, meet career objectives, and enjoy scenic commutes, excellent schools, safe communities and endless recreational opportunities.

Life-new

Healthy Income

Median household incomes in Dickinson Country are greater than the Iowa and nation median incomes. Clay, Buena Vista and Emmet Counties have median household incomes ranging from $44,556 to $50,289.

Household Income-new

Trails, trails and trails. . .

There are more than 200 miles of trails throughout the Iowa Lakes Corridor region for the cyclists, runners, walkers, cross country skiers and snowmobilers.

Trails-new

Highway improvements...

Safe and efficient highways are throughout the region for commercial, resident and tourist traffic. Recently improved roads include Iowa 86 and 9, and US 20 and 71.

Highway 86-new

Low cost of living and affordable housing...

The cost of living and housing prices in the Iowa Lakes Corridor are below the US averages.

Affordability-new

Employment Opportunity

The Corridor offers career opportunities in the key industries of agriculture, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and health services.

Employment-new

News & Events

News & Events

Fast Facts About Iowa Lakes

After 5 p.m. you are on vacation!

Healthy Income

Trails, trails and trails. . .

Highway improvements...

Low cost of living and affordable housing...

Employment Opportunity

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