Lake Mills bouncing back

Larson and its parent company, Fortune Brands,are still in the process of selling the 500 Larson Ave N manufacturing building in Lake Mills It is listed for sale though JLL Brokerage firm in Des Moines which held showings in November for interested parties to tour the building.

Rob Hillesland

Summit-Tribune

When Larson Manufacturing permanently closed its Lake Mills plant late last year,it was a big blow to the confidence and economy of the community

The work of city leaders in the months since has helped the local business community compensate for the loss

Larson had made financial investments that benefited the Lake Mills area. It also regularly supported city, youth and youth sports activities town celebrations community projects, and Lake Mills Community School District

“The city of Lake Mills and the Lake Mills Chamber Development Corporation have met with companies interested in the building to discuss workforce and other factors important to site selection,” Lake Mills Chamber Development Corporation Executive Director Cassie Johnson said. “There have been several interested parties, but unfortunately no takers yet.”

Johnson said the Lake Mills Chamber Development Corporation and WinnWorth Betco have attended conferences ers across the company’s production lines

“Our primary goal in building the eRV2 was to help people comfortably explore the world around them with less environmental impact,” said Winnebago (brand) President Huw Bower “The user experience was at the heart of this prototype’s development, through the early days of market research and even now as it goes through field testing. The eRV2 embodies our pioneering legacy, representing not only an achievement in design, innovation and sustainability, but also our commitment to continuously evolve with the changing needs of consumers and the world we share.” where they were able to share site information with companies seeking rural manufacturing space.

“Like many communities across the country currently, there are major struggles in workforce and housing that make it difficult for companies to take the leap to expand or move,” Johnson said. “The Lake Mills Chamber Development Corporation, city of Lake Mills, and WinnWorth Betco are continuing to work with companies to get them accurate data on our region, including why the Lake Mills community is a great place to invest and grow a business”

The sale listing of $6 9 million is for up to 154,563 square feet of building space on 15 acres in a Lake Mills industrial zone. Nearby access to U S Highway 69 and Interstate 35 are noted.

A top priority has been finding another manufacturing company to locate at the Lake Mills facility, but other options have not been taken off the table.

“In a perfect world, the company would have sought and lined up a buyer before displacing the established workforce of about 200 people,” Johnson said

“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. We didn’t want our residents out of jobs, and there were many local businesses needing workers, so we teamed up with the Iowa Workforce Development agency in Mason City to host a career fair on site at the Larson Manufac- turing building before they closed their doors”

Turning lemons to lemonade, the local organizations had local and regional businesses attend to share job information with Larson employees who were losing jobs The Lake Mills Chamber Development Corporation maintained a job posting spreadsheet It accumulated more than 150 listings where people could find information on Lake Mills and regional businesses with job openings.

Johnson said the Lake Mills community has done a great job of being business-friendly over many years and noted it has an area workforce that wants to work She cited positive impacts of several Lake Mills businesses

“All States Ag Parts, who started with less than 10 employees when they took over the former Cummins building, now has over 125 employees,” Johnson said.

“Dielectric Manufacturing recently added a second shift at their manufacturing facility where they build components for medical equipment across the globe using advance manufacturing processes”

Johnson also noted Lake Mills is home to Winnebago Cooperative Telecom Association, which she called an “economic develop- ment-focused technology company that has proactively been laying fiber optic since before it was a state initiative.” She cited multiple local businesses that have changed hands in about the past six months, which brings new life into established businesses

“Our local yoga and fitness studio,NAPA automotive parts, wine and spirits store, and motel were all purchased by new owners, and we are excited to see how they grow their businesses in our community,” she said “We also had a new automatic car wash open in November that has so far been successful, even in the cold temperatures”

Lake Mills’ leadership has continued full-speed ahead with efforts to create additional housing to help support workforce growth.

The city is sponsoring a grant application through the Iowa Economic Development Authority for a local developer to create two new downtown apartments

“If the city is awarded that grant, I can see that encouraging more downtown building owners to think creatively about their buildings and how to better utilize the upper stories,” Johnson said. “Lake Mills has also had a handful of new homes built in 2022 and into 2023, which starts a chain reaction of other homes opening for new owners”

The Lake Mills Chamber Development Corporation and Winn-Worth Betco have worked closely with the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at North Iowa Area Community College to support local entrepreneurs Several Lake Mills businesses have completed venture school, with Dave’s Auto Service and Norsemen Trucking winning state awards

Johnson called it an opportunity for local business leaders and experts in their fields to connect with and coach new entrepreneurs Winn-Worth Betco offers scholarships, on a reimbursement basis, for Winnebago or Worth County residents to attend venture school.

“We offer many services to our members and area businesses, including a low interest business loan program. Lake Mills Development Corporation, Winn-Worth Betco, and the city of Lake Mills all offer revolving fund loans to small businesses that are starting up or would like to expand their services or business It is a great tool to help small businesses reach their goals,” Johnson said.

“I do believe our businesses are resilient and that Lake Mills is well-equipped to serve businesses seeking to expand or establish in a new community”

Rob Hillesland is community editor for the Summit-Tribune He can be reached at 641-421-0534, or by email at rob hillesland@globegazette com

Features

The eRV2 is America’s firstall-electric zero-emission motorhome prototype

Both the powertrain and the house systems are powered by electricity, allowing for silent and environmentally responsible travel,and up to seven days of Boon docking, aided in part by 900-watt solar capacity It’s built on a Ford E-Transit chassis which promises a powerful torque and smooth handling

Winnebago partnered with Lithionics Battery to create the most powerful, compact and safe lithium battery system available today It features a 48-volt system with more than 15,000 usable watt-hours, and a unique thin lay-flat design stored beneath the floor to maximize interior space It meets the highest safety standards with UL safety certification.

The eRV2 is sustainably designed to further reduce the impact on the environment. Recycled materials are used extensively throughout the interior, including in the flooring, removable floor mats, mattress system, and trim around the window frames Cab seat coverings are made with renewable plant-based materials Acrylic countertops are made from biodegradable materials

Unique broad color-spectrum lighting allows users to customize the interior lights from white to red, which helps to reduce light pollution.

The eRV2 interior is inspired by modern Japandi principles, a fusion of Japanese and Scandinavian design that creates a clean, calm and multi-functional environment This includes a five-in-one sleep/lounge and two adaptable workspaces with built-in charge points and a high-speed Wi-Fi router

Finally, the eRV2 is connected. The proprietary Winnebago Connect system allows users to easily monitor and control the vehicle’s electrical and energy management systems using a display inside the vehicle or an intuitive app

Gaining notice

The Discovery Channel featured Winnebago Industries’ motorhomes and Grand National Rally in Forest City during an episode of “RV There Yet?” that aired nationally and across much of the world Feb 4

Outside the Winnebago Visitor’s Center in Forest City, the show hosts toured and learned all about Winnebago’s emerging all-electric concept vehicles

Last summer, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, received an early update on the company’s original all-electric concept RV while visiting the John V Hanson Career Center on her 99-county tour Ernst was invited by company officials to try driving it through the parking lot, which she did.

“See you all later; is there a local Dairy Queen?” said Ernst before shifting the eRV into gear for a quiet ride.

“This represents advanced work going on with our company to advance toward electric vehicles,” Winnebago Industries Vice President of Government and Industry Relations Chad Reece said. Winnebago officials noted it was in the research phase. At the time, Ernst was assured the concept vehicle she was driving would have enough juice from a full battery to last two or three days in the field.

Rob Hillesland is community editor for the Summit-Tribune He can be reached at 641421-0534, or by email at rob hillesland@globegazette com