Supervisors approve Beck’s plans

The Jasper County Board of Supervisors granted approval to a corn seed retail and distribution center planned for Colfax at its Tuesday meeting.

The approval is for an application for Beck’s Hybrid to receive benefits from the High Quality Jobs Program, a $20,000 forgivable loan to the company, a second zero percent interest, five-year $20,000 loan to be used for initial development and a five-year property tax abatement in exchange for the $15 million economic investment.

“This resolution allows us to go to the state, there is a meeting on Friday for state incentives, this is simply a match program for the state incentives,” Jasper County Economic Development Company Director Chaz Allen said.

Beck’s will receive a 75 percent abatement the first year, 60 percent in year two, 45 percent the third year, 30 percent the fourth year and 15 percent the fifth year. Following the abatement, the county will begin receiving tax revenue from the center.

“One thing I really like about this is in six years we will start getting money back to the treasury for this,” Supervisor Denny Carpenter said.

Beck’s plans to create 50 new full-time positions at what Allen calls “good pay rates” starting after three years at more than $17 per hour. The company has three years to get fully staffed with both sales employees that travel but are based out of the Colfax center and those who work in the center.

“They are going full speed. They want to get this approved Friday at the state, buy the ground in June, begin the process and move in by July of 2016,” Allen said.

Beck’s hope is that the location will serve as a seed distribution center as well as a resource for farmers to learn and make decision from Beck’s Practical Farm Research program. Beck’s PRF studies are designed with the farmer in mind and highlight how different management practices and new technologies perform in field environments.

“We’re truly excited to plan out roots deeper in Iowa and work more closely with Iowa farmers,” Beck’s Hybrid President Scott Beck said. “This growth opportunity will allow us to better serve farmers need by providing them with more local distribution, access to premier agronomic research and services and offer them the broadest choices of seed and traits available in agriculture.”

Currently, Beck’s has Iowa locations in Mt. Pleasant and Marshalltown. It is a family company based out of Indiana.

In other business:

• The Supervisors approved the hiring of Peter Blink as an Assistant County Attorney at a rate of $76,349 per year beginning June 1.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com