The Iowa Area Development Group (IADG), on behalf of Iowa’s rural electric cooperatives, municipal utilities and independent telecommunication companies, honored eight distinguished Iowa companies with the Iowa Venture Award at a luncheon held in conjunction with the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives’ annual meeting.
Prestage Foods of Iowa is the recipient of the “Outstanding Business of the Year” Iowa Venture Award. Prestage Foods is nearing completion of its $325 million state-of-the-art processing plant near Eagle Grove. The 725,000 sq. ft. facility has been called the most advanced processing facility in the world. It incorporates design features to limit its environmental footprint, and enhance workplace safety and efficiency. The plant will employ nearly 1,000 workers. Of the estimated 600 million pounds of pork processed per year, 45 percent will go to other facilities for further processing; 25 to 30 percent will be sold in the international marketplace; grocery chains, stores, and meat retailers will sell the remainder. Prestage Foods of Iowa was nominated by Prairie Energy Cooperative.
“The Iowa Venture Awards Luncheon provides a forum to celebrate the courage, contribution, innovation, responsibility, and vision of Iowa entrepreneurs,” said IADG President Rand Fisher. “The opportunities provided by Prestage Foods of Iowa goes far beyond the construction and operation of the facility. The impact will extend to farms, other factories and stores, in communities and throughout our state, nation and world.”
Additional Iowa Venture Award recipients include:
Eagle’s Catch - Ellsworth
Martin Marietta – Gilmore City
Nutriom – Panora
Perry Creek Dairy – Merrill
Sullivan Supply, Inc. – Dunlap
Trinity Fabricators, Inc. – New Albin
Waspy’s Truck Stop - Templeton
