Known to produce one-fourteenth of the nation’s food supply, Iowa is the largest producer of corn, pork and eggs in the United States and second in soybeans and red meat production. In fact, Iowa's strength in animal production has grown as a result of the quality of Iowa feed and feed ingredients. International companies in the industry areas of beef, dairy, poultry (turkey and egg), food ingredients, food processing and packaging, meat, and feed; national agricultural associations; and global animal health and research companies; all have headquarters and locations in Iowa.
Iowa is the nation’s premier leader in the renewable energy industry. Iowa's strong agricultural foundation and its legacy of manufacturing excellence has positioned the state to excel in the following industries: wind energy, renewable fuels — ethanol & biodiesel, biomass, and other next generation technologies.
Iowa ranks 1st in the nation in the production of ethanol
Iowa ranks 1st in the nation in the production of biodiesel
Iowa ranks 2nd in the nation in wind generation output
Advanced manufacturing is Iowa’s largest industry contributing nearly $30 billion annually to the state’s economy. With over 6,400 manufacturing establishments employing over 222,500 Iowans, representing almost 14 percent of the workforce; Iowa continues to supply cutting-edge, innovative products in a myriad of industry sectors. Iowa’s top-performing industry divisions hold a preeminent position in the United States. Industrial metal processing, automation precision machinery, environment control systems, digital and electronic devices and power generation equipment are highly specialized, surpassing the national trend. Other key industries include:
• Industrial chemicals
• Construction components
• Commercial and industrial motor vehicles
• Food and food ingredients
• Medical drugs and devices
Read more about Iowa's varied advanced manufacturing industry.
Iowa is in the middle of the United States. Sitting in the center of an eight-state market of nearly one million businesses and thirty-five million people, Iowa's Midwest location offers a distinct advantage to businesses with both domestic and international markets and suppliers. There are 4,105 transportation and warehousing establishments in Iowa with $5 billion in sales, employing 56,775 people.
Rural Iowa is proving to be an excellent place to start, relocate or expand a business. Iowa is working closely with companies to create hubs of IT innovation in Iowa’s communities. In recent years, Iowa has attracted new investments from IT companies, including the locations of IBM, Google, Facebook and Microsoft data centers. The technology industry employs over 76,000 workers and accounts for $10.696 billion (8.8%) of the state’s GDP.
Iowa is now home to a growing number of enterprise businesses that are taking advantage of the strong communications services offered by Iowa’s independent telecommunications companies. These services, made possible by the Aureon statewide fiber-optic network, enable businesses to stay connected from virtually anywhere — even the most remote rural areas.
Additional Resources
Access a wide range of Iowa Industry Reports