The Iowa Area Development Group (IADG) on behalf of Iowa’s rural electric cooperatives and member municipal electric systems has honored ten distinguished Iowa companies with the Iowa Venture Award.   IADG celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the Iowa Venture Award at ceremonies in Des Moines. The business and community development group has recognized and honored over 160 of Iowa’s finest business leaders and companies.

The 2007 “Outstanding Business of the Year” Venture Award was presented to Menard, Inc. located near Shelby.   Menard, Inc., headquartered in Eau-Claire, Wisconsin, built a major commercial and residential door manufacturing and distribution facility near Shelby in Pottawattamie County along Interstate 80. Menard, Inc. has begun manufacturing at the state-of-the-art development complex consisting of over 730,000 sq.ft. in multiple buildings at the site. The Shelby operation expects to employ over 300 people with the facility servicing over 100 of Menard’s retail stores in the Midwest. Multiple governmental entities, utilities and development partners came together to secure this important project for western Iowa.  Menard, Inc. was nominated for the award by Nishnabotna Valley Rural Electric Cooperative.
 
 “The Iowa Venture Award has a rich and prestigious history.  Since 1988, IADG has recognized Iowa’s leading companies that have helped sustain and grow the Iowa economy.       
Iowa Area Development Group and our member electric cooperatives and municipal electric systems are grateful to have the opportunity to honor and recognize these outstanding Iowa companies,” said IADG President, Rand M. Fisher. “Each year as we honor business leaders and entrepreneurs with the Iowa Venture Award we also thank these accomplished companies for their commitment to Iowa through capital investment and job creation,” added Fisher. Since 1985 the Powerful Partnerships and economic development efforts of IADG and their sponsoring utilities have helped generate over $5.5 billion dollars of capital investment and over 37,000 jobs for Iowa.   
                                        
The “Value-Added Agriculture” Venture Award recognizes significant contributions and leadership in promoting and developing Iowa agriculture. This year the award recognized Iowa Corn Processors located in Glidden. Iowa Corn Processors is a full service corn dry milling operation that produces a full line of products including grits, meals, and flours for the food industry. The Glidden facility was built in 1999.   A major investment in recent upgrades and expansion of their facility include oil expulsion milling of corn, which is a process that further refines their products and capabilities for the food industry.  Iowa Corn Processors was nominated for the award by Glidden Rural Electric Cooperative.  
  
Iowa Venture Awards were also presented to eight other businesses for their significant contributions in diversifying and developing Iowa’s economy. The 2007 Venture Award winners include: Fluoro-Seal International L.P., Mount Pleasant; Heartland Express Inc., North Liberty; IML Containers Iowa, Inc., Le Mars; Iowa Base Inc., Ionia; Olderog Wholesale Tire, Inc., Holland; Times-Citizen Communications, Inc., Iowa Falls; US Bio Albert City, Albert City; and VeraSun Energy, Hartley. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey assisted IADG in presenting the Iowa Venture Awards. 

IADG is the business and community development leader for Iowa’s rural electric cooperatives and member municipal electric utilities.   The 2007 Iowa Venture Awards ceremony was held at the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives’ annual meeting in Des Moines.