Target Industries
Ottumwa, Iowa has a strong tradition of manufacturing. A recent study identified several target industries that can benefit from the area’s competitive advantages, including the city’s central location, outstanding utility capacity, and available, competitively-priced land, which includes Helgerson Flats, an 82-acre parcel, and Iowa's 23rd certified site.
Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress focuses on assisting with the recruitment and expansion efforts for the industries listed below, but is open to any project where concept meets capactiy:
- Food & Beverage Processing
- Automotive Supply Chain
- Machinery Manufacturing
- Warehouse & Distribution
Area businesses have access to a skilled and educated workforce with a Midwestern work ethic. Indian Hills Community College features an array of degree programs in line with the needs of target industries, such as commercial driver training, welding, industrial electronics technology, automotive technology, auto collision repair, etc. And, as one of the top-ranked facilities in the nation, the Ottumwa Job Corps Center trains its students in construction, facilities maintenance, healthcare, information technology, transportation, and material handling & distribution operations.
Food & Beverage Processing
The state of Iowa has long supported a robust food and beverage manufacturing sector. More than 30 percent of the top food manufacturers have facilities in the state. It’s no wonder the state is the primary producer of eggs, corn and pork in the country. It also has the highest concentration of food scientists in the U.S.
Major companies like JBS and Keurig Dr Pepper chose Ottumwa for their operations and found that it’s a fine place to grow.
Machinery Manufacturing
Iowa has a solid ecosystem to support machinery manufacturing. The state has the fifth highest concentration of industrial machinery mechanics in the country. It already employs 15.7 percent of those in agricultural implement manufacturing and 12.3 percent of those in construction machinery manufacturing.
Ottumwa is home to a John Deere manufacturing facility that employs over 800 people. In addition, Indian Hills Community College is readily accessible for training and features programs in industrial electronics technology, robotics technology and electromechanical technology.
Automotive Supply Chain
Iowa is ranked eleventh in the country for automotive components production and 72,000 of its residents are employed by the automotive industry. Companies like Alcoa, the world’s leading producer of aluminum, and RV manufacturer Winnebago Industries have a growing presence in the state.
These factors, along with Ottumwa’s excellent proximity to automotive manufacturers, coalesce to build a strong foundation for continued growth in the automotive supply chain sector.
Warehousing & Distribution
Iowa has a favorable geographic location and highway system for the warehousing and distribution industry. There are 4,632 transportation and warehousing establishments in Iowa, which employ 54,480 people.
Large metro areas such as Chicago, Minneapolis, and St. Louis are within only 500 miles of Ottumwa, putting companies that locate here within easy reach of 23 percent of the nation’s population. The city also has two industrial sites served by rail and a regional airport.
