MISSION

Hancock County Economic Development LLC is a public-private 501 (c) (6) non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating economic development strategies that promote and secure opportunities for business retention, growth, and the attraction of new industries that create quality jobs for community residents.

VISION:

Hancock County Economic Development is to be thelead economic development organization located in Hancock County that demonstrates leadership, collaboration, and ingenuity to enhance the business climate, business and employment base, while promoting the unique and identifiable assets of the Hancock County area, with the purpose of creating wealth and being the model of a results-driven organization.

2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS What others are saying about Hancock County Economic Development...

Officers/Executive Board • Entity Jerry Tlach, President • Hancock County SupervisorEric Newton, Vice President • First State BankDave Backus, Treasurer • RetiredRandy Lansing, Secretary • City of Garner

Board Members • EntitySharon Hankins • City of CorwithTodd Foss • Prairie EnergyLaura Zwiefel • Hancock Co. Memorial Health SystemsKen Blank • City of KlemmeDennis Busta • Manufacturers Bank and TrustJim Hasty • Iowa Mold ToolingRandy Yeakel • Comm 1 CommunicationsJay Hiscocks • State Farm InsuranceDave Boehnke • Farmer-Pioneer Seeds SalesScott Folkers • Winnebago IndustriesRyan Arndorfer • City of Britt

Executive DirectorJill Kramer

Advisory BoardMike Bahnsen - GEDC PresidentDavid Fox - BIDCO President David Kingland - Retired, Past PresidentBlake Norman - Hancock County District Attorney

“HCED is an asset to the county and benefits our local businesses and residents. As our county grows and prospers, they are a great partner to work alongside with to develop and achieve goals. Many success stories in our county can be tied back to HCED. I highly recommend HCED and their staff to anyone looking to do business in Hancock County.” Chad Lunning, Asst. Vice President,

Reliance State Bank

“The HCEDC team have been great to work with as we’ve developed Greenfield Nitrogen.  From the time we presented our initial vision of building a local source of nitrogen for farmers in Iowa, the team has guided us on a number of issues, including transportation and site preparation.  The team’s insights and strategies have been especially helpful as we complete the final phase of the project and prepare to break ground this year.” Linda Thrasher, Co-Founder,

Greenfield Nitrogen LLC

“Working with entrepreneurs requires a team approach to ensure they are receiving the right information and resources when they need them. Jill Kramer with the Hancock County Economic Development has truly excelled at connecting entrepreneurs with organizations like the NIACC Pappajohn Center and SBDC, regional financial institutions, as well as the many state resources available to entrepreneurs. It’s teamwork like this that helps to keep our entrepreneurs competitive and innovative both regionally and nationally.”

Tim Putnam, Director,NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center

“HANCOCK COUNTY - QUALITY WORKERS ENJOYING QUALITY OF LIFE”

2018 INVESTORS• 3M• Alliant Energy• Athletico Physical Therapy• Black Hills Energy• Dave Boehnke - Pioneer Seed Rep• Britt Veterinary Clinic• COMM 1• Christensen Farms• City of Britt• City of Corwith• City of Garner• City of Kanawha• City of Klemme• Clear Lake Bank & Trust• Concord Care Center• Cornbelt Power• DK Arndt, P.C.• Dean Snyder Construction• Diemer Realty• Family Eye Care• Farm Bureau• Farmers Trust & Savings Bank• Neil Fell• First Citizens National Bank• First State Bank • Scott and Dana Folkers• Forest City Economic Development Corp.• Garner Chiropractic• Garner Inn & Suites• Garner Vet Clinic• Gifts Sew Sweet• Hancock Co. Community Foundation

Hancock County Economic Development Corporation650 West 3rd Street • Garner, Iowa 50438www.hancockcountyiowa.com • www.gotjobs.work

Jill Kramer, Executive DirectorPh: 641.923.9921 • Cell: 641.430.4023

Email: director@hancockcountyiowa.com

• Hancock County Health System• Hankins Trucking• Hawkeye Pride• Henkel Construction• Holland Contracting• Hueneman Farms LC• Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc.• Iowa Northern Railway• Iowa State Bank• Jasperson Insurance & Real Estate• John K. and Luise Hanson Foundation• Kramer Hardware• Randy and Luann Lansing• Larson Contracting• Marting Mfg. of Iowa, Inc.• Michael Foods• Miller & Sons Golf Cars• Original Saw• Plas-Tech Tooling• Prairie Energy• Pritchard Auto• Reliance State Bank• Smidley Mfg. Inc.• Sparboe• State Farm Ins - Jay Hiscocks• Stellar Industries• Storey Kenworthy• The Leader• Titonka Savings Bank• Weiland Farms• Winnebago Industries• Yohn Co.

2018A GLIMPSE OF HANCOCK COUNTY ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT CORPORATION in

In 2018, HCEDC provided four scholarships for the Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center’s , Launch and Grow Your Business program. This ten-week course assists the start-up and current entrepreneur in developing a business concept and evaluating it through each step of the business planning process. This is a course designed to teach participants how to research, develop, and write detailed business plans, which can be used to create and grow successful businesses. Participants work on their own business ideas or ventures throughout the course moving their ventures to reality or new levels of growth. Scholarship awards went to Melissa & John Holland from Forest City and Christa & Mark Hanson from Kanawaha.

• Institute for Decision Making: James Hoelscher, Senior Program Manager, UNI Institute for Decision Making

Discussing issues facing rural Iowa businesses and communities and how they can better respond to current challenges.

• Dale Carnegie Training: Erin Benko

Uncovering leadership blind spots and discovering the pathway to motivating employees.

• Environmental Successes & Financial Results: Iowa Waste Exchange

Confidential consultation and regulations and help business and industry, schools, hospitals, and communities save disposal costs and protect the environment by reducing, reusing, and recycling materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill.

• TIF 101: Robert Josten, Dorsey & Whitney Law Firm

Updates in legislative issues regarding Tax Increment Financing for local government and community leaders.

• Iowa Downtown Resource Center Informational Meeting: Jim Thompson, Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center (IDRC)

How to use specific tools to make downtowns more viable.

Trainings and Seminars

Britt - Sal and Esmeralda Padilla received the HCEDC revolving loan award to help them with their purchase of an existing business, the Heartland Diner in Britt, Iowa. They have renamed the business Sal’s Tex Mex Diner and will continue to operate the diner with some new menu items.

Photo courtesy of Mary Pieper, The Summit-Tribune

Sal’s Tex Mex Diner

2018 Hancock County Loan Awards

(Garner)

Shells By Design, located in Los Angeles, California, has purchased the building previously occupied by Aspen Hills Cookie Company, located in the Touchstone Energy Park in Garner, Iowa. This organization primarily operates in the Desserts, Ready-to-mix business/industry within the Food and Kindred Products sector. Currently, the plan is to start production in April 2019 and employ 10 to 18 people.

The Iowa Finance Authority Board of Directors approved a $360,000 low-interest loan to the City of Garner for the construction of twelve new workforce rental townhomes. The award was made through the Workforce Housing Loan program, which provides financial assistance in the form of low-cost repayable loans to cities and counties. The developer Crown Point Builders will be starting Phase I of 12 units in the spring of 2020.

(Garner)

Prairie Energy put up a new building in the Touchstone Energy Park in Garner. This 160’ x 80’ building sits on 2.5 acres and will house one member services employee and five operations employees. This building replaces the previous Prairie Energy building on West 3rd Street, which was purchased by Stellar Industries.

Prairie Energy Building

Shells By Design

New Businesses

New Housing Comes to Hancock County

Launch and Grow Scholarships

HANCOCK COUNTY COMMUNITY PROFILE

Sources: JobsEQ®, http://www.chmuraecon.com/jobseq

The Hancock County Economic Development Intern Program provides networking opportunities for interns and exposes them to the high quality of life available in Hancock County. In 2018, HCEDC had 26 interns enrolled in the program. It also enhances their skills in their move from collegeto work life.

2018 Internship Program Events:Success Through Your Professionalism-Brenda Clark Hamilton

Importance of Community Participation-Randy Hiscocks

DIning Etiquette-Brenda Bormann

Social Media Session: Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media/LinkedIn-Valerie Zahorski-Schmidt

Regional Internship Networking-Bill Withers

Finances and Your Future-Clear Lake Bank & Trust

*This program is funded by the HCEDC and its investing partners and in part by a grant from the Hancock County Foundation

$97,600Median Home Value$57,840Median Household Income 44.5Median Age

HANCOCK COUNTY COST OF LIVING INDEX: 14.7% lower than U.S. averageThe Cost of Living Index estimates the relative price levels for consumer goods and services. When applied to wages and salaries, the result is a measure of relative purchasing power. The cost of living is 14.7% lower in Hancock County, Iowa than the U.S. average.

2018 HCEDC Internship Program

- 2018 HCEDC Events -

1st Annual Golf OutingOver $5,000

raised.

HCEDC Annual DinnerOver 200 business

leaders in attendance.

“The HCED intern program was of great value to me. Through this program I was able to meet and connect with professionals that are within my area of interest, other students from around the area, and others who had great advice when it came to the job search process. It also helped me to strengthen my own professional development skills.”

Alexis Bodzioch,Public Relations Major, Wartburg College

“Stellar Industries has enjoyed the benefit of hiring internsfor many years; it is a great give and take experience for the intern and for Stellar.  The Hancock County Intern Program enhances the learning experience for the intern by giving them training that allows them to improve as professionals and not just in the discipline in which they are interning.  It has become a valuable part of the Stellar intern program.”

Sean S. Moran, Sales & Marketing Manager, Stellar Industries, Inc.

WHICH IS LOWER THANTHE NATIONAL RATE OF 3.9%2.0%UNEMPLOYMENT

RATE:

TOP 5 OCCUPATION GROUPS

Transportation & Material Moving2766 workers

Office andAdministrative Support3728 workers

Management4 662 workersInstallation, Maintenance, & Repair5442 workers

1 2,179 workersProduction

2018 Career Fair52+ businesses &

450 students attended.

Candy Canes and CocktailsMore than 100 people

in attendance.

Photo credit to Rebecca Peter, The Leader

To continue its successful economic development efforts, Hancock County Economic Development and key community leaders have developed a three-year Action/Work plan. Although there are many strategies and action items, they all focus on reaching the following specific three-year initiatives:

Initiatives

Be a support network for Hancock County entrepreneurs.6

Increase the interest (measured by contacts, visitations, etc.) amongst strategic targeted companies in Hancock County.

5

Market and utilize the Hancock County Revolving Loan Fund in order to incentivize economic development projects in the county.

7

Retain and expand the existing business base in Hancock County.1

Establish and reinforce the image of Hancock County as a “pro-growth” location within the North Central Iowa Region.

3Market the inventory of “shovel-ready” industrial and commercial sites/acres in Hancock County.4

Assist with employee attraction and retention for companies and communities that are struggling to attract talented employees with the critical skills that are needed to fill workforce needs.

2

2019-2021 ACTION PLAN

Hancock County Economic Development Board of Directors, in partnership with area business and community leaders, will guide the three-year initiative. The Director and Board of Directors will remain accountable for program implementation, management oversight and disbursement of funds.

Investors will receive timely communications, updates on program successes, and invitations to key program events and will be recognized as an important partner of HCEDC.

Oversight and Governance

Tactics for Success

We envision Hancock County in 2021 as a community that makes things happen, where existing businesses grow, where corporations, entrepreneurs and small businesses flourish, and where new significant companies have found a new home.

In addition, we envision Hancock County’s competitive position in 2021 as greatly enhanced, where we have become a “community of choice” for current and prospective residents, companies, investors, and where our workforce is gainfully employed.

We are convinced the best way to achieve these goals and our vision is to implement this new, bold plan of action.

Retain, Support, and Expand Existing Industries and Entrepreneurial Growth

Workforce Retention, Recruitment, and Development

Deliver a High-Quality, Results-Driven Service System to InvestorsBusiness Attraction and Marketing