Iowa Lakes Corridor News & Events

News & Events

Tuesday, April 05, 2022

New report details regional labor pool, wages The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) and Iowa Workforce Development announced the updated “Laborshed” reports for Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet Counties for 2022. Conducted every three years, the “Laborshed” study provides detailed information about workforce availability, occupations, wages, benefits and commuting patterns. Iowa Workforce Development estimates that there are 116,046 workers in the Corridor “Laborshed,” defined as the area or region from which an employment center draws its commuting workers. The data is based on mail surveys of businesses in the region and phone call surveys of residents. “Having current and accurate workforce dat...

Corridor launches innovate new website service designed to support local business

Friday, March 11, 2022

IOWA LAKES CORRIDOR LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE NEW WEBSITE SERVICE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS SizeUpIowaLakes provides free market research and business intelligence to help small businesses The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) is launching SizeUpIowaLakes on its website, making powerful market research and business intelligence available to local businesses to help them succeed. The public rollout will kick off March 21st at 2 p.m. with a public webinar to showcase the tool and answer questions from the public. Local businesses can now access industry-specific and hyperlocal information to help them grow and make smarter decisions using Big Data analysis. The research is individually customize...

Corridor to begin weekly entrepreneurial networking events

Thursday, March 10, 2022

IOWA LAKES CORRIDOR TO BEGIN WEEKLY ENTREPRENEURIAL NETWORKING EVENTS The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) has announced the start of Corridor Connect, a free networking and educational event that will occur weekly throughout the four-county Corridor region. Corridor Connect is a free, open-to-the-public event to give entrepreneurs and small business owners the opportunity to learn, grow and create valuable connections with others in the entrepreneurial network within the Corridor region. These events will happen weekly from 7:30-8:30 a.m. at various venues in the Corridor. At each meeting, two local companies will share what they do and both challenges and successes they ar...

Corridor to host Quarterly Investor Meeting

Monday, March 07, 2022

Iowa Lakes Corridor to host Quarterly Investor Meeting The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) will host its first 2022 Quarterly Investor Meeting on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. at the Spencer Golf & Country Club. The event will feature speaker Aaron Brossoit, CEO of Golden Shovel Agency. Brossoit is a founding member of Golden Shovel Agency (GSA). He began as the Vice President of Business Development and filled the COO position prior to becoming the CEO. After earning his Bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University, Brossoit co-founded a digital marketing agency in central Minnesota – a company h...

Supply Chain Event speakers announced

Friday, February 18, 2022

Supply Chain Event speakers announced The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) and Iowa State University’s Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) have announced the speakers for the March 22nd event, “Managing Your Supply Chain During Time of Chaos.” Speakers will include Melissa Burant, Scott Grawe and Marc Schneider. Melissa Burant is a Supply Chain Project Manager and leads Supplier Scouting for CIRAS. In this role, she helps companies develop and expand their supplier networks and identify new opportunities. Burant joined the CIRAS team in 2014, transitioning from her previous role as an Army civilian. In her time at CIRAS, sh...

Corridor supports aspiring entrepreneurs with innovative website service to plan small business openings

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

IOWA LAKES CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION SUPPORTS ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS WITH INNOVATIVE WEBSITE SERVICE TO PLAN SMALL BUSINESS OPENINGS SizeUpIowaLakes provides free market research to foster local entrepreneurship Tuesday, February 15, 2022 – Just in time for National Entrepreneurship Week, the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) has announced a new tool to empower local aspiring entrepreneurs through an innovative online service called SizeUpIowaLakes. The service will be available for free to all local entrepreneurs on the Corridor website beginning in early March. A national entrepreneurship boom is now occurring as entrepreneurs starting new businesses has reached historic highs. This is a positive sign fo...

Iowa Lakes Corridor Region featured in Fresh Pickings Magazine

Monday, February 07, 2022

Read the Article The Iowa Lakes Corridor Region was recently featured in the Winter 2022 edition of Fresh Pickings Magazine. The article highlights area businesses including Cherry Lane Farm and Ruthven Meat Processing, as well as activities, museums, and restaurants in the region for readers to explore. The article describes the Corridor region as “…a quintessential reflection of the masterful way Iowans balance ingenuity and quality of life with rural roots and big-city amenities.” It also shares the stories of Calvin and Krissy Thiessen who began Cherry Lane Farm in 2016 and Chris and Suzie Kraft of Ruthven Meat Processing. “It’s wonderful t...

Corridor welcomes new board members

Tuesday, February 01, 2022

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022 MEDIA CONTACT Alyssa Petersen Coordinator of Administration & Communication Iowa Lakes Corridor Phone: 712-264-3474 Email: apetersen@lakescorridor.com Corridor Welcomes New Board Members The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) recently welcomed three new board members for 2022: Scott Berglund, Plant Manager at Safco Products; Walter DeBock, Plant Manager at Tyson Turkey; and Nathan Wittmaack, President & COO at Ranco Fertiservice, Inc. These board members were appointed to fulfill the terms of previous board members Michael McKim, Jared Brashears and Jeaneth Ibarra. They will add their leadership experience and guidance to the Board of Directors as the Corridor continues to help the region’s businesses thrive and t...

Corridor announces hire of Vice President of Business Development

Sunday, October 10, 2021

Corridor Announces Hiring of New Vice President of Business Development, Tom Nelson SPENCER – The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) has announced the hiring of Tom Nelson as its new Vice President of Business Development for the regional economic development organization serving Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet counties. He will be replacing the Corridor’s former Vice President and Entrepreneur-in-Residence Brian Dalziel who resigned earlier this year after eleven years of service for the Corridor. Nelson currently works for Minnesota-based Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA). He served CEDA’s contact with the Jackson Economic Development Office by acting as the Economi...

Corridor announces results of board elections

Friday, June 25, 2021

The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) is welcoming three new board members for Fiscal Year 2022: Keith Deitering, Market President at Bank Midwest in Spirit Lake; Roger Jacobson, Owner of Jacobson Broadcasting and KILR Radio in Estherville; and Donavon Wunschel, Branch Manager at Midwestern Mechanical in Spencer. The new members will add their leadership experience and guidance to the Board of Directors as the Corridor continues to help the region’s businesses thrive and to ensure its residents enjoy an active and rewarding quality of life. They will also begin their terms alongside new President and CEO Shannon Landauer, CEcD, wh...

Corridor announces hiring of new President & CEO, Shannon Landauer

Friday, June 04, 2021

SPENCER – The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) has announced the hiring of Shannon Landauer, CEcD, as its new President and CEO for the regional economic development organization serving Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet counties. She will be replacing the Corridor’s former President and CEO Kiley Miller who resigned earlier this year after six years of service for the Corridor. Landauer is currently the Executive Director of the Carroll Area Development Corporation and Carroll Chamber of Commerce in Carroll, Iowa. She earned an Associates Degree from Central Community College in Columbus, Nebraska. Her professional training includes the Heartland Basi...

OEI Alum purchases ownership shares in Spencer Company

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Perseverance and passion are two attributes that describe Andrew Pauley, a 2017 OEI alum and a new part-owner in Specialty Archery L.L.C. in Spencer. Pauley started his first business at the age of 12, which kick-started his love for business. In college at Iowa State University (ISU), he started a new business venture, U Conceal It. “I knew the best way to learn would be to start a business and immerse myself in the business process,” said Pauley. Throughout his time at ISU, Pauley had many opportunities to learn, including being accepted into the 2017 Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute. Going into the week-long experience at OEI, Pauley mad...

Get A Lakes Life: Find opportunity, fun in the lakes of northwest Iowa

Thursday, July 20, 2017

You can find opportunities in many places, but you have to look harder to find the right combination of opportunity and fun. The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation is telling folks to look no further and get a lakes life. Visit getalakeslife.com, the Corridor's new website dedicated to spreading the word about what our region has to offer, to either find opportunities for yourself or for people you know. In the Lakes of Northwest Iowa region, you can land a job that launches you into a career. You can raise a family in safe, welcoming communities with spectacular schools. You can also live right next t...

Fast Facts About Iowa Lakes

Employment Opportunity

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

Employment-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

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

News & Events

News & Events

Fast Facts About Iowa Lakes

Employment Opportunity

Low cost of living and affordable housing...

Highway improvements...

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