Ingredion is an ingredients solutions company, turning plant-based materials like grains, fruits, and vegetables into inputs for industries spanning food, beverages, brewing, animal nutrition, and industrial markets. Its manufacturing centers span across the U.S., including two in Iowa. Early last year, the company announced a $50 million investment to expand and modernize one of those facilities in Cedar Rapids, enhancing its production of industrial starches for the paper and packaging industries. The expansion includes a new starch flash dryer and three new buildings, expanding operations by 10,000 square feet and increasing capacity by up to 50 percent. Ingredion broke ground on the facility in August.
The economic impact of these types of investments for states like Iowa cannot be overstated. The Cedar Rapids City Council offered financial incentives to Ingredion and supported tax benefits for the project through the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s High-Quality Jobs Program. The expansion created four new jobs, in addition to the approximately 100 employees already working there, and will generate $5.1 million in taxes over the next ten years. In a comment on LinkedIn, Mark Grenko, a human resources manager at the Cedar Rapids site, reacted, “Our employees are the heart of this operation, and this modernization effort will not only help secure jobs but also provide opportunities for growth and development as we ramp up production of innovative, sustainable industrial starches.”
Meanwhile, Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell reflected, “Cedar Rapids continues to build a favorable development landscape, encouraging companies like Ingredion to reinvest and grow here. This agreement reflects years of City Council policymaking that has created ideal conditions for businesses to establish deep roots, create quality jobs, and strengthen our regional economy.”…