Why Companies Should Onshore in Jasper County, Iowa

Why Companies Should Onshore in Jasper County, Iowa Main Photo

22 Dec 2020


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For companies looking to stabilize their supply chains by onshoring, Jasper County, Iowa has the desired assets and amenities that appeal to site selectors looking to relocate or expand.

Why Did Onshoring Become a Key Strategy?

Onshoring to strengthen supply chains has become critical for many businesses as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the vulnerability of relying on global resources and products. Over the past 40 years, many companies focused on cost reduction chose to steadily relocate manufacturing overseas as global markets opened up in places such as China, South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. However, because of world events, businesses are now focusing on reducing the risk of disruption of their operations. Even before the pandemic, businesses felt the impact of supply chain interruptions due to natural disasters such as the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and the Thailand floods. All of this contributes to the trend to move manufacturing back to the U.S.

Why Companies Should Onshore in Jasper County, IA

Available Commercial Sites

Jasper County has the space for any business looking to expand or launch. Explore the full array of available sites and buildings here.

Featured properties:

Brummel-Southwest: This triangular 73.23-acre property is adjacent to the railroad providing a good location for industrial development with accessible utilities. The parcel could be split and a spur would be possible on the south end. The land is currently in the county; with annexation, the city zoning is likely to be light Industrial.

Brummel-North: This 37.29-acre site, northeast of Newton and located in the county, is just north of the TPI plant. It is currently zoned agricultural with the future use anticipated to be industrial. The owner is willing to subdivide and will consider an industrial lease.

Van Rys Wyk Farms: This currently undeveloped 7- acre site is directly adjacent to Highway 163 interchange 29. (Highway 163 provides direct 4-lane access into the Des Moines metro.) The adjacent property is Casey’s Monroe Travel Center and zoned commercial. This facility provides semi parking, diesel fueling lanes, a truck wash, showers and basic dining. The parcel is within the Monroe corporate limits and municipal utilities are available. The City of Monroe is eager to facilitate necessary permitting to allow the use to be established.

Colfax Truck Stop: This currently vacant 8,591-SF truck service repair facility is located within city limits on an interstate highway exchange. This commercial-zoned property features two semi bays with 14-foot doors, restrooms, showers and cooking facilities, office/driver's lounge, and service pit. Diesel fueling is adjacent. 

Lynnville  Repair: The one-story 10,200-SF metal building with milled wood frame was built in 2015 and has spray foam insulation and in-floor heat. It includes two offices with heat and A/C and three large overhead doors. The facility includes a paved 3,432-SF concrete parking lot poured in 2014.

Location

Jasper County has a prime location that makes it the right place for businesses to locate whether the need is access to raw materials sourced in the Midwest, or distribution of finished products throughout the country. Businesses can reach Des Moines within minutes while benefiting from the abundant space and cost advantages of locating in the county. 

Transportation Assets

Interstate 80 — Main Street of the United States from New York City to San Francisco in terms of traffic volume and points of interest — runs through the county. Highway 330/65 and Highway 163 are major transportation routes that offer convenient access to regional destinations. 

The Iowa Interstate Railroad— a Class II carrier—runs through the center of the county and into the Des Moines metro where it has connections to three Class I carriers: the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Norfolk and Southern, and Union Pacific.

The Newton Municipal Airport is an enhanced service general aviation airport designed to meet the needs of business users. In nearby Des Moines, businesses have access to the Des Moines International Airport — ranked in the Top 50 airports for cargo tonnage in the United States.

Incentives

Jasper County and the state of Iowa offer a range of incentives to existing businesses expanding or making property improvements within the county, as well as to new businesses starting up in the county. Financial benefits of doing business in Jasper County can be found here.

Workforce

Jasper County is home to a large self-reliant workforce known for being hard working, highly skilled, and educated. Adjacency to the Des Moines metro translates into a large laborshed to recruit from. According to a recent analysis by Iowa Workforce Development, the total potential labor force from within the area where Jasper County currently draws employees is over 226,000. The county's labor force totals 20,630.

There is a pool of talent readily available to area businesses because of the educational resources available. Des Moines Community College has a campus in Jasper County where workers can receive the training necessary to advance their skill sets. Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) has the Jasper County Career Academy on its Newton Campus which provides high school students the opportunity to earn both high school and college credit for courses taken through the program.

Jasper County, IA Economic Development (JEDCO) is Equipped to Assist Site Selectors

JEDCO is available to answer questions, help with research and data gathering, assist with site selection, and connect businesses with incentives and programs that can help them succeed in Jasper County. Use them as your one-stop-shop for information and resources. Email them at JEDCOIowa@gmail.com or call 641-417-9500. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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