(July 30, 2021) - The Ames Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Commission is pleased to announce Ames will maintain its Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) status.

The United States Office of Management and Budget issued a proposal in January 2021 that would have eliminated more than 140 MSA communities across the United States, including Ames.

“The MSA designation is critical to the greater Ames area for a number of reasons," said Dan Culhane, President & CEO of the Ames Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Commission. "When it comes to economic development projects, often, consultants and site selectors look to MSA communities first. Ames has also made a number of distinguished “best of” lists as a result of being in the MSA data sets. Additionally, larger communities, like Ames, benefit from direct federal entitlement payments and ultimately less competition for federal dollars and grants. This is a direct result of Ames being categorized as a metro area by the federal government"

Culhane worked closely with the Iowa delegation in Washington D.C. to prevent the proposed changes from implementation. “We acted quickly with Ames Mayor John Haila and City Manager Steve Schainker, along with peer communities across the U.S. that also would have been impacted negatively by the change, when we learned of the proposed elimination of a number of MSA’s. I am extremely grateful to Representative Randy Feenstra and Representative Ashley Hinson for their leadership to support U.S. House legislation that denied this change, that would have directly impacted major cities (Ames and Dubuque) in their respective districts. We received similar support from Representatives Cindy Axne and Marionette Miller-Meeks, the other two members of the U.S. House of Representatives representing Iowa. Companion legislation in the United States Senate denying the change was similarly supported by both Senator Charles Grassley and Senator Joni Ernst, who mobilized resources from their offices to lend their voices and votes as well. I could not be more pleased with how responsive the entire Iowa federal delegation was on this matter," said Culhane. The Office of Management and Budget announced earlier this month they would not be making any changes to the MSA definition.
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“Keeping the MSA designation is tremendous victory for our community," said Culhane. "I am greatly relieved that no change took place and look forward to the continued growth we will see as a result of maintaining this status."
For more information on the Ames Metropolitan Statistical Area, please visit AmesEDC.com or call 515.232.2310.

(July 26, 2021) - The Ames Chamber of Commerce is excited to share that Sarah Dvorsky has been promoted to Ames Main Street Director.

In her new role, Dvorsky will be guiding and directing all Ames Main Street initiatives related to events and business relations, including committee and volunteer efforts. She will also oversee event strategy, planning and execution for all Chamber of Commerce events and event series.

“I have had the privilege of seeing both the Ames Chamber of Commerce and Ames Main Street grow so much over the past few years and I am excited and grateful to take on a larger role within the organization,” said Dvorsky.

Dvorsky has been with the Ames Chamber of Commerce since March of 2019. She has supported a number of projects and events as the the Events Coordinator for both the Ames Chamber of Commerce and Ames Main Street throughout that time.

“We are thrilled for Sarah to be making this transition,” said Dan Culhane, President and Chief Executive Officer. “She has continuously proven her commitment to the bettering of the Ames community, and this is the perfect next step for her."
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Dvorsky will step into this promotion on Monday, July 26, and can be contacted at sarahd@ameschamber.com

July 16, 2021 (Ames, IA) - The Nevada Economic Development Council (NEDC) is pleased to announce ALMACO will be expanding their operations in Nevada. 
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ALMACO currently manufactures leading precision agriculture machinery that is used in global research programs and seed production. ALMACO's growth stems from their continued investment in the development and commercialization of products designed to increase crop production yields and automate the processes used in seed breeding and production worldwide.

"ALMACO is thrilled about the growth opportunities in front of us as we participate in our mission of helping feed the world through our products and services," said Patrick Clem, President & CEO of ALMACO. "We are in the midst of executing a handful of major new product developments that are in sync with the cutting edge, ag-technologies of the future."

The expansion includes a $850,000 capital investment that ALMACO will use to invest in machinery, equipment, research and development at their facility in Nevada.

"It's always great to see the expansion of a home grown company," said Mayor Brett Baker, City of Nevada. "ALMACO is Story County's oldest business and it's incredible to see them continuing to grow and thrive in the 21st century!"
ALMACO expects to create 60 jobs, of which 34 will be incented at a qualifying wage of $27.07 per hour.

"These developments will require growth in all areas of our business including personnel, capital equipment, and building infrastructure. As the oldest business in Story County we are grateful for the continued support from the local and state economic development teams and happy to be investing back into the community," said Clem.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority awarded the project a $125,000 forgivable loan and tax benefits through the HQJ program.

"On behalf of the NEDC board, we feel very fortunate to have Almaco in our community," said Michelle Cassabaum, President, Nevada Economic Development Council. "They have a long history of investment and involvement in Nevada. Our organization is very excited about the impact of their new job growth and believe this project will be significant to the economic development and vitality of our community." 

For more information, please contact John Hall, Executive Director, Nevada Economic Development Council at 515.232.2310 or at john@ameschamber.com.

Nevada, Iowa (June 23) – ALMACO announced today that employees have achieved over two million hours of work without a lost-time incident at their United States headquarters. The team of 180 employees have not experienced a work-related injury or illness that has required time away from work in nearly six years.

Employee diligence and a shared sense of responsibility proved to be incredibly successful in maintaining a strong safety culture. Recognizing and mitigating safety concerns is widely known as the responsibility of every individual joining the team.

“ALMACO employees have adopted a safety culture where everyone is responsible for the safety of not only themselves but that of their co-workers,” said Mark Smith, ALMACO Vice President of Manufacturing. “Bi-weekly safety training, an employee-led safety mitigation team, and early adoption of technology such as the Lytx vehicle safety system, has helped maintain our strong dedication to a safe and healthy workplace.”

ALMACO is one of only eight companies in Iowa that have been accepted into OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). This accreditation singles out businesses as a model for worksite safety and health.

“We are proud of the ability of our workforce to place a high value on safety and achieve this milestone,” said Patrick Clem, ALMACO CEO. “But what matters the most is that our employees are able to safely return home to their families each and every day. We’re a family-owned business and we care about our employees like they are family too.”
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ALMACO was founded in 1884 and is the leading innovator of custom seed research equipment today, which includes planting, harvesting, seed processing, and other specialty agriculture solutions. Seed research is crucial to the future of the world and each seed holds opportunity for advanced quality, nutrient density, and yield potential. For food, fuel, and fiber, ALMACO partners with ag research teams around the world to develop specialty equipment to make it all possible. Whether building planting, harvesting, seed processing, or other specialty ag solutions, ALMACO uses cutting edge technology and modern business practices to turn an idea into reality. ALMACO headquarters in based in Nevada, Iowa and also have service and sales offices in Brazil and Argentina. More information can be found at www.almaco.com.