Goodyear Receives Venture Award
The Goodyear Tire and Rubber plant in Mt. Pleasant was one of 11 Iowa companies recently honored with the Iowa Venture Award, which recognizes and celebrates Iowa's business leaders and entrepreneurs. The Iowa Venture Awards were presented at the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives' annual meeting in Des Moines.
Access Energy Cooperative nominated Goodyear which completed a million dollar expansion in 2004. The Goodyear plant has been a vital part of the southeast Iowa economy for over 30 years, employing over 200 people at the Mt. Pleasant facility that produces industrial and automotive hoses. The 2004 expansion included an 11,000 sq. ft. addition requiring 20 new employees. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company has been a world leader in tire and rubber products since 1889.
The Iowa Area Development Group (IADG) on behalf of Iowa's electric cooperatives and member municipal systems honored eleven distinguished Iowa companies with the Iowa Venture Award. This is the 18th year that IADG has recognized and celebrated Iowa's business leaders and entrepreneurs. Since 1988 IADG has recognized over 140 successful Iowa companies with the Iowa Venture Award.
"The Iowa Venture Award has a proud history and it has become recognized as one of the state's premier business recognition programs. Iowa Area Development Group and our member electric cooperatives and municipal electric systems are grateful to have the opportunity to honor and recognize Iowa's outstanding companies," said IADG President, Rand M. Fisher. Established in 1985, the Iowa Area Development Group celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2005. "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 have helped generate over $3.5 billion dollars of capital investment and over 35,000 jobs for Iowa.
Iowa Venture Awards were also presented to ten other businesses for their significant contributions in diversifying and developing Iowa's economy.
IADG is the marketing and economic development department for Iowa's rural electric cooperatives and municipal electric utilities.