Business License Information (BLIC)
Business Tax Information
FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE
Local
Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Tax
Increment Financing has been utilized in the Urbana area to create a 700+ acre
development serviced by a 100,000 gallon water tower and two wells and sewer
treatment plant. In an innovative
project the Benton County Board of Supervisors, City of Urbana, East Central
Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative and Farmers Mutual Telephone DBS created a 1.2
million dollar pool of funds to finance the construction of
infrastructure. Private developers have
taken the next step to create streets, available lots and a speculative
building.
ECI REC Revolving Loan Fund
In
general, eligible projects could include any community or economic development
projects that benefit the rural area, including loans to businesses and loans
to not-for-profit entities. Examples would be for land, fixed assets, machinery
and equipment, or working capital needs. Loans will be low interest loans not
to exceed 10 years. Loan applications can be picked up at ECI REC office, and
when returned, the application will be turned over to the Loan Review
Committee. ECI REC has access to USDA economic development funds to qualified
applicants.
Farmers Mutual
Farmers
Mutual Telephone Cooperative of Shellsburg provides the communities of
Shellsburg, Urbana, and Alburnett with the latest in telecommunications
technology. As a forward-looking cooperative, Farmers Mutual has invested time
and monies to help promote new businesses, already established businesses, and
emergency organizations in the area. Farmers Mutual is committed to their
communities and will continue to provide any and all support to help further
economic development.
State of Iowa
JOB TRAINING
The Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training Program provides
customized classroom instruction, on-the-job training and other training
activities for employees in newly created jobs. An employer may be reimbursed up to 50 percent of new employees’
wages for on-the-job training. All
training is customized to the company’s special needs. Companies creating new jobs which are
engaged in manufacturing, assembling products, conducting research and
development, or providing interstate services are eligible, but retail, health
and professional service businesses are excluded.
Community colleges finance the program by the sale of
tax-exempt bonds which are repaid by the tax revenue generated by salaries and
capital invested to support the new jobs.
As a result the company profits are not used to repay the bonds.
Iowa has 15 community colleges, three major universities,
and many private colleges and competent professional societies that can provide
business and industry training assistance as the programs are developed.
Kirkwood Community College
Kirkwood Community College is a two year college located on
the southwest side of Cedar Rapids, as well as off campus sites in Belle Plaine
and Vinton. The college offers a
complete list of programs and courses including; pre-professional training,
technical/vocational training, employment preparation and high school
completion courses.
We will work
closely with Kirkwood Community College to determine exactly how many job
training dollars could be made available for your company. Ask us for more details.
LABOR
Iowa is a Right to Work State. Benton County offers you a highly productive, motivated, and
skilled labor force. The Benton County
labor force is an excellent example of the superiority found in the Iowa worker.
Varied work experience and willingness to learn new skills, fair wages for both employers and employees and Benton County's central location between Cedar Rapids and Waterloo assures a prime location for any business or industry.
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Local Labor
Statistic
Benton County
Labor Shed
Our most important resource in Benton County is our people. Workers here offer employers a highly educated labor force. When compared to other states in the nation Iowa consistently ranks in the top three (3) on ACT and SAT scores. The Benton County area is served (within 60 miles) by three state universities, three private four-year colleges and one of the top community colleges nationwide.
Two years ago Skills Advantage was a first in the region employer-led skills initiative. In 2008 the Skills Advantage partnership released a first in the nation research study to reinforce the workforce readiness effort.
Highlights of the Skills Advantage Research Study include:
· An assessment of 400 randomly selected incumbent workers from 48 Corridor companies, conducted over a six-month period in later 2007.
· Each worker completed one of three assessments, measuring the essential job skills of Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information and Locating Information.
· The age of workers studied ranged from 20 to 68 years, with an average of 41 years. Length of time at their employers ranged from 1 to 46 years, with an average of 21 years in the workforce.
Study results showed worker skill certification in the three skills areas at:
· Applied Mathematics, 5 out of possible 7;
· Reading for Information at a level 6 out of 7; and
· Locating Information at level 4 out of possible 6.
EDUCATION
Kirkwood Community College
Kirkwood Community College
is located in Cedar Rapids. The college
is a 300 acre campus which offers programs in pre-professional education,
vocational / technical training, and employment preparation training. A large are in Eastern Iowa is served by
Kirkwood through satellite learning centers via microwave television
classrooms.
Two learning
centers are located in Benton County...Vinton and Belle Plaine.
The
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is
located in Iowa City. The University is
one of 57 members of the select Association of American Universities, and is
one of 57 invited members of the American Associate of Universities. There are approximately 27,000 students and
1,800 faculty members in the University's ten colleges. The university offers a broad range of
degree programs both on and off campus.
Iowa
State University
Iowa State University is
located in Ames. The university’s
engineering, agriculture, and veterinary medicine colleges are well known
throughout the United States.
One-hundred and twenty undergraduate, 89 graduate, and 65 doctorate
degree programs are available.
University
of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern
Iowa is located in Cedar Falls. The
colleges of business and education are both highly regarded on a national
level. This university provides a curriculum
in undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate studies.
Private
Colleges
Coe College and Mt. Mercy
College are located in Cedar Rapids.
These are two four-year institutions with liberal arts and offer degrees
in all major areas of interest.
Business
and Vocational Schools
Within a 60 mile radius you
will find over 40 business and vocational institutions offering a wide variety
of technical training and schooling options.
TRUCKING SERVICE
Benton County’s prime location directly between Cedar Rapids and Waterloo offers reduce supply and distribution costs. When you look at our location compared to other Midwest markets you quickly realize Benton County is ideal when it comes to distance, transportation access, and trucking times.
RAIL SERVICE
Benton County is serviced by Union Pacific Railroad and Iowa Northern Railroad. The communities of Belle Plaine, Blairstown, Luzerne, Mt. Auburn, Norway, Shellsburg, Vinton, Walford, and Watkins are served by rail. If a community does not have rail spur access, Benton County and its communities are willing to apply to the railroad and receive rail spur access in order to encourage development.
DISTANCE TO MAJOR MARKETS
Chicago, Illinois
300
Denver, Colorado 779
Houston, Texas 1,025
Minneapolis,
Minnesota 225
Kansas City,
Missouri 301
St. Louis, Missouri 320
AIR TRANSPORTATION
Belle Plaine
Aviation
200 Airpark Drive, Belle
Plaine, Iowa 52208
319-444-2466
Ÿ Type of runway: concrete
Ÿ Length of runway:
4,000 feet
Ÿ Instrument landing system is available
Ÿ Unicom radio is available
Vinton Veteran’s
Memorial Airport
5551 24th Avenue Drive, Vinton, Iowa 52349
319-472-2662
Ÿ Type of runway:
concrete
Ÿ Length of runway:
4,000 feet
Ÿ Instrument landing system is available
Ÿ Unicom radio is available
Cedar Rapids Municipal
Airport
2121 Wright Bros. Blvd. SW,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404
319-362-8336
Ÿ Type of runway: hard surface
Ÿ Length of runway:
8,600 feet
Ÿ Instrument landing system is available
Ÿ Unicom radio is available
Ÿ Commercial air carriers: American Eagle, Chicago Express, Delta Connections, Northwest
Airlines,
Transworld Airlines, US Air Express, United Airlines
Ÿ Located 30-40 minutes from the Benton County
communities, including Benton Commerce Village by Interstate 380.
Waterloo Municipal Airport
2790 Airport Blvd.,
Waterloo, Iowa 50703
319-291-4483
Ÿ Type of runway: asphalt
Ÿ Length of runway:
5,500-8,400 feet
Ÿ Instrument landing system is available
Ÿ Unicom radio is available
Ÿ Commercial air carriers: American Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Transworld Airlines,
United Airlines
Ÿ Located 30-40 minutes from
the Benton County communities, including Benton Commerce Village by Interstate
380.