CEO Guide to Site Selection

Iowa

Strong Foundations for Growth

Iowa continues to see strong growth in advanced manufacturing, financial services and biosciences. Recent landmark projects
include P&G’s $150 million expansion at its Iowa City Oral-B facility and Robinson’s $75 million manufacturing center in Altoona. Meanwhile, new initiatives like the Major Economic Growth Attraction (MEGA) program and the Manufacturing 4.0 initiative are helping spur innovation, while competitive tax reforms, including a new 3.8 percent flat tax, are enhancing the state’s appeal.

“We’ve transformed the way our state interacts with citizens, businesses and entrepreneurs— shrinking and aligning government so that our tax cuts are sustainable. We consolidated agencies, eliminated 1,200 burdensome regulations, remade legacy systems, centralized programs and leveraged technology.”
Kim Reynolds
Governor

TAXES

0 %

top corporate income tax

# 0

on the Tax Foundation’s State Tax Competitiveness Index

EDUCATION

0 %

of adults 25 years of age and older graduated high school

0 %

of adults age 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

0 %

RIGHT TO WORK STATE

Yes

QUALITY OF LIFE

# 0

POPULATION GROWTH

0 %

increase between 2020 and 2024

KEY INCENTIVES

High Quality Jobs Program: Offers up to 20 years of property tax exemptions and other tax credits for qualified companies that create jobs paying the qualifying wage threshold.

Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training Program
(260E): Offers withholding tax credits of up to $2,370 per employee for customized workforce training for companies creating at least 25 jobs.

EDCs

Iowa Economic Development & Finance Authority
iowaeda.com

Iowa Area Development Group
iadg.com

Des Moines Partnership
dsmpartnership.com

Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance
cedarrapids.org

BIG DEALS

  • Ingredion announced in August 2025 a $50 million expansion at its facility in Cedar Rapids.
  • Robinson announced in August 2025 a $76 million facility in Altoona that will create 100 jobs.
  • P&G announced in September 2025 a $150 million investment and 100 new jobs at an expansion of its Oral-B facility in Iowa City.
  • JBS Foods announced in September 2025 a $100 million investment to transform a facility into the largest bacon and sausage plant in the U.S.
  • American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company is preparing to move its headquarters to Des Moines in early 2026.

BIG COMPANIES

Two Fortune 500 company HQs in the state.

Roundtable

Strategic Planning Workshop

1:00 - 5:00 pm

Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process

Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:

  1. Lack of systematic approach (70%)
  2. Laundry lists without prioritization (68%)
  3. Decisions based on personalities rather than facts and information (65%)

 

Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns.  They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning.  Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process.  This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented.  If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form.  The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

New York, NY: ​​​Chief Executive's Corporate Citizenship Awards 2017

Women in Leadership Seminar and Peer Discussion

2:00 - 5:00 pm

Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations. 

Limited space available.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $495 will be added to your total.

Golf Outing

10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS

General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.

The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $295 will be added to your total.