The Mid-America Economic Development Council presented its annual Economic Development awards at the 2021 Mid-America Competitiveness Conference, held December 1-3 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile.
Award entries were accepted in two markets per category – large division (community population over 50,000) and small division (community population less than 50,000). 

Recognition was presented to:
Entrepreneurial Award
A program that offers a unique approach to enhancing the Entrepreneurial culture in a city or region and/or a unique approach for assisting young companies through the start-up/early stage of a business life cycle.  This award can be a new or relatively new effort in the community.   

• Iowa State University Student Innovation Center
  Ames, Iowa (Large Division)
• Wabash County High School Entrepreneurship Collaborative
  Wabash, Indiana (Small Division)
  
  

Marketing Program
An overall comprehensive marketing program to market a community, county, state, or region to a prospect; an Annual Report or Newsletter; Online Programs, and/or a Specific Program or Event.  The expected outcome should be to inform, promote successes or to elicit a response for more information, and/or generate leads. 

• Greater Green Bay Chamber "Welcome Back, Urban Hub!" video
  Green Bay, Wisconsin (Large Division)
• Clinton County Port Authority EDW2021 Campaign
  Wilmington, Ohio (Small Division)
  
  

Workforce & Talent
Activity and/or innovative program that attracts new talent to an area, strengthens the skills of the existing workforce and/or encourages retention of young/new talent in the area.

• Greater Springfield Partnership - Magnify Career Videos and Career TV
  Springfield, Ohio (Large Division)
• Watertown Development Company - Intern Engagement Initiative
  Watertown, South Dakota (Small Division)
  
  

Overcoming Adversity
Project or best practice that your community, region, or state utilized during a situation of overcoming a challenge – anything from a factory shut-down, to a COVID-19 response plan, or natural disaster.  Entries were judged based on the creativity and impact the project/best practice had on overcoming adversity. 

• WEDC- COVID-19 Guidelines for Safe Reopening and Pandemic Response Best Practices
  State of Wisconsin (Large Division)
• VCDC - Resilience in the Face of Adversity - Response to COVID-19
  Vermillion, South Dakota (Small Division)
  
  

Economic Impact Deal of the Year
Recognizes a project having significant and measurable impact on a City, County and Region. The project must have already broken ground and be in the initial phase of implementation between January 2020 and July 2021. The measurable impact can include capital investment, jobs, supplier network, economic impact or new partnership initiatives that positively improved the community. 

• Ultium Cells in Voltage Valley
  Youngstown, Ohio (Large Division)
  
  

Placemaking
Projects or programs to make the community a better place to live, work, and play by transforming underutilized public spaces into vibrant community places. Placemaking capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspirations and potential that contribute to people’s health, happiness, safety and well-being.  As a place becomes more desirable and welcoming, people will want to spend more time in them. 

• Urban Art as an Economic Driver
  Milwaukee, WI (Large Division)

• Streetsboro Industrial Park
  Streetsboro, Ohio (Small Division)
  
  

Mid-America EDC members are dedicated economic development professionals who share best practices to add value in their organizations and communities.  Mid-America EDC is a multi-state association dedicated to being the leading resource for making contact with site selectors, advancing regional economic development programs, and accessing thought leadership.

For many years, The Mid-America Economic Development Council has sponsored the annual Economic Development Awards competition to recognize and stimulate the creative use of quality marketing by economic development organizations throughout the 13-state Mid-America region in promoting their respective communities.  Award winners will also be recognized in the January issue of Site Selection magazine.

To view more information about this year’s winning award entries, visit https://www.dropbox.com/sh/br1wfu0rpjjc7h7/AAA94ndtv0Y2hFHfaawswF7na?dl=0.
For more information about The Mid-America Economic Development Council, visit www.midamericaedc.org. 

Fort Wayne, IN, November 2021 – Trelleborg Group has, through its business area Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, signed an agreement and finalized the acquisition of the privately owned US-based VB Seals Inc. The company specializes in the distribution of polymer seals such as O-Rings, hydraulic seals, diaphragms, and specialty kitting for original equipment manufacturers in several industries, including agriculture. The acquisition will increase Trelleborg’s presence in the Midwestern United States. The company has its office and warehouse in Ames, Iowa, US. This bolt-on acquisition is part of Trelleborg’s strategy to strengthen its positions in attractive market segments.   
Linda Muroski, President of Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Marketing Americas and Global Healthcare & Medical, says: “VB Seals is a good fit for our culture and business model as it partners closely with customers. The acquisition gives us an improved service platform in an important market and further strengthens our ServicePLUS business model.” 
After guiding his team through its transition to Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, Jim Van Bergen, Owner of VB Seals, plans to retire in 2022. He says: “Trelleborg does not want to come in and tell us how to run the business. They want us to keep doing the things that have made the business what it is today. It gives me peace of mind knowing that there will be stability for the people that work here during the transition and that Trelleborg will stay in the neighborhood.”
VB Seals has serviced customers both domestically and internationally since 1993, and the company’s sales and customer support staff together have more than 100 years of experience in the seal business. The transaction closed on October 8, 2021.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Lauren Brune
Tel: +1 260 415 7278
Email: lauren.brune@trelleborg.com


About Trelleborg Sealing Solutions and Trelleborg Group
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions is one of the world’s leading developers, manufacturers and suppliers of precision seals, bearings and custom-molded polymer components. It focuses on meeting the most demanding needs of aerospace, automotive and general industrial customers. Its network extends to over 25 production facilities and more than 50 Customer Solution Centers globally. The business area accelerates the progress of its customers through outstanding local support, an unrivaled product range including patented products and proprietary materials, a portfolio of established brands, unique process offerings, its ServicePLUS value chain solution and ‘Ease of Doing Business’ philosophy. www.trelleborg.com/seals
Trelleborg is a world leader in engineered polymer solutions that seal, damp and protect critical applications in demanding environments. Its innovative solutions accelerate performance for customers in a sustainable way. The Trelleborg Group has annual sales of about SEK 33 billion (EUR 3.13 billion, USD 3.57 billion) and operations in about 50 countries. The Group comprises three business areas: Trelleborg Industrial Solutions, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions and Trelleborg Wheel Systems. The Trelleborg share has been listed on the Stock Exchange since 1964 and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, Large Cap. www.trelleborg.com ​

Selling and distributing seals goes back a long way in the Van Bergen family. Owner of VB Seals, Jim Van Bergen, says that his grandfather and father started a seals business together in 1948, selling to automotive jobbers in Minnesota and the Dakotas. Over the years, the business grew, and Jim’s dad approached him about opening his own territory in Iowa.
“They gave me a car and catalogs and pointed me toward Iowa. I developed and grew the territory for several years, but decided I wanted to do something different. I went to work for a competitor for a while before I broke out on my own,” Van Bergen notes.
Breaking out on his own was a smart move. The business Van Bergen started from his basement in 1990 has grown and evolved to include a large global footprint with a team of very knowledgeable employees that serves key Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) customers. “We work with our customers’ engineers so that we can get in on the ground floor of what they are doing. And we serve all segments of the OEM industry, everything from medical to agriculture,” says Van Bergen.
Getting to where they are today has been a family effort. Van Bergen’s wife, Alicia, has always been very involved in the business and today oversees payroll, while son-in-law, Rusty Cooper, serves as General Manager. The eldest Van Bergen son, Fred Van Bergen, is the President of VB Seals. While the youngest son, Jon Van Bergen, works as a schoolteacher, and is still involved with shareholder activities.
“Growing up around the business, I didn’t really understand what seals were until I was much older,” Fred Van Bergen remarks. “After my first unofficial job bagging seals in the basement, I eventually moved on to the warehouse where I helped with bagging, boxing, and shipping. There was even a period of time when I left to explore other interests, but the opportunity at the family business ultimately brought me back.”
Aside from working with family, Jim Van Bergen has always placed an emphasis on creating a close-knit environment for his employees. It’s the reason you will be hard-pressed to find a VB Seals staff member who has been there less than 10 years. “During my stint working for other businesses, I noticed that they didn’t treat their associates the way I thought they should be treated. It’s about more than salary,” Van Bergen says. “I want people to feel comfortable when they come to work, and we have always tried to foster a close-knit atmosphere here.”
Not only has Van Bergen always deeply cared for his employees, but he is continually motivated by his customers. “Being in the seals business hasn’t always been easy, but the thing that gets me out of bed each morning is the desire to take care of our customers. If we don’t deliver for them, then they can’t do what they need to do.” In an industry that is largely relational, Van Bergen and his team work hard to grow connections with their customers and provide stability in a business world where it’s normal to see a high rate of staff turnover.
Now Van Bergen is looking forward to retiring in December. He and Alicia plan to travel, enjoy their small farm, and take advantage of time with their grandkids. That’s why Van Bergen chose to sell his business to Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, a world leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of precision seals, bearings, and custom-molded polymer components.
“Trelleborg doesn’t want to come in and tell us how to run our business. They want us to keep doing the things that have gotten us to where we are today,” says Jim. “It gives me peace of mind knowing that there will be stability for the employees after the transition and that Trelleborg will stay in the neighborhood.”