Ames/Nevada Corridor is a Great Choice
February 8, 2019 | More than a college town
The Ames/Nevada corridor is where our family chose to relocate in 1995 after a nine-year ‘out-of-Iowa experience’ in St. Louis. Wow! What a great choice we made. A small rural town of about 7,000—combined with great local amenities, great schools, and great local and county leadership, all nestled so close to Ames and ISU—has been wonderful.
This past year another great decision by the leaders of Ames and Nevada was employed. After enjoying the leadership of LaVon Schiltz at the Nevada Economic Development Council (NEDC) for the past 25+ years, NEDC leadership had to find her successor. After lengthy deliberations and thinking outside the box, the decision was made to contract with the Ames Economic Development Commission (AEDC). That agreement, finalized on April 1, 2018, brought the expertise of John Hall, a Nevada resident and AEDC employee to serve as the new NEDC director.
Great things have happened in a short time. Adding AEDC resources for Nevada has included developing workforce retention and enhancement strategies, conducting an annual business retention and expansion survey, increased marketing services and additional administrative staff to serve our local businesses.
Ames and Nevada working together just makes sense for so many reasons with less than eight miles separating the two municipalities. Since April, two major Nevada business expansions have prospered tremendously from the relationship. Burke Corporation/Hormel and Mid-States Millwright and Builders/Mid-States Millwright Manufacturers decided to stay in Nevada and Story County because of the new NEDC/AEDC partnership, keeping jobs, expanding jobs and keeping great employers in the area.
In addition, in early November 2018, the DuPont Industrial Biosciences plant located in Nevada announced it had been sold to VERBIO North America Corporation—relieving the local economy and landscape of an idle infrastructure waiting for action. The partnership has proved to be highly effective, resourceful and a great decision for Ames/Nevada corridor businesses and residents. This year’s ABI annual conference this June is in Ames. I look forward to sharing our part of heaven with you!