Progress Industries to move into former KinderCare building

The Progress Industries Foundation will be moving to a more central part of Newton following a purchase of the former KinderCare building located on North Third Avenue West.

President of The Jasper Community Foundation Dan Skokan announced Wednesday its property at 202 N. Third Ave. W. will be used to consolidate Progress Industries corporate offices.

Progress Industries is a nonprofit organization that provides services and support for people with physical and intellectual disabilities in central Iowa. Progress Industries is currently located at 1017 E. Seventh St. N. in Newton.

The 8,400-square-foot building was built in 2000 and includes 25 parking spaces, a commercial kitchen, three offices, seven large rooms with many restrooms and several exits.

KinderCare’s lease ended May 2015 and the building remained vacant until it was sold to Progress Industries this month at $395,000.

President and CEO of Progress industries Sandy Ham said this is a great opportunity to refresh who Progress Industries is and how it delivers services.

“We want to make this building very accessible and be a part of the community on a daily basis in downtown,” Ham said.

Ham said the organization employees 330 individuals and 180 of them work in Jasper County. Of those employees, 35 are expected to work out of the new location.

Ham said its current location is sometimes difficult for people to find and access.

“We would really like to work on our signage and visibility,” Ham said. “Progress is very prominent in this community and we are very grateful for this sizable gift from the Jasper Community Foundation.”

Skokan said he received multiple interested buyers but the decision to choose Progress Industries was an easy one. Skokan served as Progress Industries President and CEO for 11 years and retired in 2014.

Skokan said he and his board felt Progress Industries offers so much to the community as they strive to improve the quality of life of the people they serve.

Skokan said to make the move possible, the foundation will make a sizeable gift to the Progress Industries Foundation to assist with remodeling the facility.

Ham said the current Progress Industries building will be put up for sale once the relocation progress begins. Ham said they are expected to close on the new building by May 31.

Progress Industries Communications Director Melissa Butler said the organization will have the opportunity to receive natural support through its new location, which is expected to open at the end of the year.

“We just want to live, work and socialize, and we are really excited about the different partnerships that could be created from this,” Butler said.

The purpose of the Jasper Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life of people residing in Jasper County and consists of a Board of Directors. The foundation’s awards grants totaling in $100,000 to deserving community nonprofit organizations.

“Progress Industries and their staff have touched so many lives over the decades and is such an asset for our community,” Skokan said. “The mission and goals of our nonprofit organizations complement each other well.”

Contact Kayla Langmaid at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or klangmaid@newtondailynews.com