Iowa Workforce Innovation, Success

This week, events with two major sectors of the Iowa economy underscored why the state is such a great place to live and work. 

I visited the Vermeer Corporation headquarters in Pella and spoke at the Iowa Wind Energy Association conference in Des Moines.  At Vermeer, the company president and CEO, Mary Andringa, presented me with the National Association of Manufacturers Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence in recognition of “consistent support of manufacturers and their employees across the United States.”  Vermeer is a member of the national association, which advocates for good-paying manufacturing jobs, and Mary Andringa is chair of the association board.

At the Iowa Wind Energy Association conference, I highlighted the Iowa industry’s national prominence.   Iowa leads the United States in the percentage of its electricity that comes from wind, with more than 15 percent.  The state is also a leader in the manufacturing of wind energy equipment. 

It’s a no-brainer to advocate for public policy that supports manufacturing and wind energy jobs.  Fair tax policy, open trade markets for U.S. exports, and a halt to wrong-headed government regulations are among the key conditions necessary to create and maintain jobs.  A big part of my responsibilities representing Iowa in the United States Senate is advancing federal policies that enhance the state and national economies. 

But Congress and other levels of government can do only so much to create jobs.  The Vermeer Corporation and the wind energy industry are built on the innovation and work ethic of their employees and the quality of their products.  Wind energy was a fledgling industry just two decades ago.  The industry took an electricity production tax credit I authored in 1992 and ran with it to reach national prominence.  Not only does Iowa have billions of dollars’ worth of installed turbines, but it also has dozens of manufacturers that support the wind industry.

Just this week, Governor Terry Branstad announced that a Maryland company plans to build an iron castings foundry that will supply the wind energy industry and employ 175 people in Iowa City by 2013.  This is just the latest company supporting wind energy in Iowa.  A total of 80 companies support the state’s wind energy industry, employing 2,300 people.

All together, more than 4,200 manufacturers employ more than 230,000 Iowans and generate more than $10 billion in payroll, according to the Iowa Department of Economic Development.

Ask corporate leaders why they choose Iowa, and they say without hesitation, “the people.”  It was my pleasure to appreciate the quality of our state’s workforce firsthand this week.