News

Lee County was presented the Iowa Wind County Seal Award by Governor Kim Reynolds and Iowa Economic Development Director Debi Durham. The American Wind Energy Association recognized communities for helping wind build a sustainable, affordable, and prosperous energy future. 

Lee County EDG's President and CEO Dennis Fraise and Economic Development Project Director Dana Millard have been asked to serve on Governor Reynold's recently announced Economic Recovery Advisory Board working group focused on Workforce.

 This working group will be developing recommendations to the Advisory Board related to Iowa's recovery from a workforce perspective.

To help support local small businesses, several Lee County groups came together to provide Buy Lee County Certificates; where individuals could purchase a $30 certificate for $20 and use it at any Lee County business.

This Monday certificates went on sale and by the end of the business day Tuesday they were completely sold out.

The Keokuk and Fort Madison Chamber sold 600 Buy Lee County Certificates within two days.

This program is designed to give incentive to people to shop at the over 240 small businesses in Lee County. Certificates can be used at local restaurants, retail, or services from a Lee County business. A complete list of businesses can be found here.

“We were very excited about the community’s response to the program,” said Dana Millard with Lee County EDG. This was the first round of Buy Lee County Certificates. The groups plan on launching a second round June 15th. “We want to make sure the people who are purchasing the certificates are turning around and spending them to help local businesses and not holding on to them,” explained Millard.

Several studies have shown that money spent at a locally owned business stays in the local economy and continues to strengthen the economic base of the community. There are other benefits to buying local as well.

Small, locally-based businesses make vital contributions to communities and neighborhoods; they account for the largest share of net new jobs generated each year, and provide some of the most stable employment opportunities in a community.

The following is a synopsis of the actions, support or resources the Iowa Economic Development/Iowa Finance Authority (IEDA/IFA) has undertaken or made available in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Information on all resources can also be found at iowabusinessrecovery.com

The Lee County Conagra Brands facility announced today that they are expanding their facilities, investing $31,900,000 and adding approximately 91 jobs. The Lee County facility currently employs approximately 450 individuals.

 To help facilitate this expansion and creation of jobs, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) board has awarded Conagra $1.2 million over five years as part of the High Quality Jobs tax credit program. In order to qualify for this program, the jobs must pay a minimum of $17.09 per hour at the beginning of the project and at least $20.51 once the project is completed. 

12 Plus is an employability class for high school juniors and seniors designed by local industry to explore career fields in the area. They learn skills to prepare for future careers, get introduced to local industry leaders, and solve real-world problems.

One of Lee County EDG's goals is to help Lee County, and SE Iowa, students get hands on career exploration while still in high school. This month we have partnered with Southeastern Community College and The Link to help provide a variety of experiences for students to explore career paths they're interested in.