Spring/Summer 2022 Chamber Publication

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

A SPENCER

CHAMBER PUBLICATION

FEATURE ARTICLE

BUILDING QUALITY IGL CONSTRUCTION

S P E N C E R

DISCOVER SPENCER We firmly believe that a successful moving experience will create a positive living environment for those transitioning into our community. The Chamber will assist perspective and new employees and their family as they relocate to Spencer. Our goal is to assist employers in recruiting and retaining employees; and to help the employee and their family forge lasting connections with the community.

THE CHAMBER OFFERS: A personalized, guided tour of Spencer

Introduction to service clubs, churches, and volunteer opportunities

Assist with employment for accompanying spouse

New resident event network

Connections with local schools

Inclusion on emailed events list

Assistance in locating childcare

On-going resource for future questions as the employee settles into Spencer

Assistance in locating quality housing

Welcome packet

LOOKING TO RELOCATE? If you are looking to relocate to Spencer and would like more information about Discover Spencer, please call the Chamber at 712-262-5680. We’d be happy to assist you!

ADDRESS 1805 Highway Blvd., Spencer IA 51301 • OFFICE PHONE 712.262.5680 TWITTER @explorespencer • WEB spenceriowachamber.org • FACEBOOK @spencerchamber

GET TO KNOW OUR CHAMBER INVESTORS

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INSIDE

S P E N C E R

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4 THRIVE Building Quality IGL Construction

14 INVEST

Continued Growth Veridian Fire Protective Gear

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20 ENJOY

Hobby-To-Business Vermeer Glass Art

A Note from the Mayor Spencer has a unique and vibrant downtown full of retail shops and offices. Spencer is served by two industrial parks. The City of Spencer works together with our partners in the business community and nonprofit organizations to create a progressive economic development atmosphere. Whether you would like to start a new business or expand an existing business, the City of Spencer will provide you with the information you need.

The community of Spencer also provides the amenities that provide for a positive quality of life. The city’s parks and recreational venues allow for a variety of activities including: canoeing and kayaking, biking and running trails, golfing, playgrounds, aquatic center, campground, and more. The arts are alive and well in Spencer with Spencer Community Theatre, Arts on Grand and the Clay County Heritage Center. Quality of life continues with a nationally recognized middle school, Iowa Lakes Community College, and two elementary parochial schools.

Whether you are visiting our community or looking for a place to build a business or raise a family, the City of Spencer welcomes you!

Mayor Steve Bomgaars

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THRIVE

IGL Construction builds quality, affordable housing in Spencer area

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pencer, like many other communities, has a pressing need when it comes to affordable, quality housing.

Luckily for this Northwest Iowa community, IGL Construction, located right here in Spencer, delivers both. Started in 2014, the construction company boasts two housing developments, Gateway by IGL in Spencer and the final build out of Pelican Ridge in Arnolds Park. The former has 23 slab-on-grade homes on seven acres, while the latter has seen 13 move-in ready homes and 5 custom design homes built in the development. There have been several custom builds too.

But all of that is just the beginning. IGL’s latest project, Westfield by IGL, will be located just west of Spencer in the former Jacobsen Trailer Park. There, the company plans to build 57 homes by 2024.

IGL will focus on its bread and butter at Westfield – building homes that are both affordable and beautiful.

Kellie Beneke, who along with Todd Krukow and the Nelson Family started IGL in 2014, said the focus has always been on quality when building homes.

“There’s such a need for quality, energy efficient and low maintenance new homes,” Beneke said. “You know, people are busy these days with their kids, or you may be an empty nester trying to find time to do things that you want to do. So, the

last thing you want to do is spend a ton of time working on your house. That’s really what we found our buyers are most impressed with. You can buy a new home at an affordable price and not have to worry about it for several years.”

Building affordable homes in Spencer IGL has found its price range in today’s market typically falls in the range of $195,000 to $248,000. According to realtor.com, the median listing home price in Spencer as of late last year was $152,500. Considering IGL’s homes are new construction, the affordable tag certainly fits.

Families and individuals who buy homes from IGL typically benefit from many programs that put an emphasis on affordability and quality.

“We work with all of the local banks here in town and we let the lenders do their thing,” Beneke said. “We build houses and they loan money.”

Spencer also has a generous property tax abatement on new residential construction.

“The first $75,000 of valuation is not taxed for five years,” Beneke explained.

“So that’s a really big incentive for buying new construction homes.”

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A focus on quality first Even with the incentives and programs that can help people afford IGL’s homes, the company is still most proud of how it has consistently been able to put quality first.

In a housing market like Spencer’s, IGL Construction’s focus on quality helps its homes standout – and sell quickly. That’s typically how good homes go in today’s market, Beneke said.

“For the price that we’re able to build at, we get a lot of comments back about the quality of our homes,” she said. “We use higher-end products.

We’re very particular. We pay attention to the fine details.”

“We feel like if a quality home comes on the market, it’s gone fairly quick”, she said.

That quality has led to tremendous customer satisfaction.

“We have a lot of people who have bought our homes come back to us and say, ‘Oh, we want to add on’ or ‘We have a friend who is looking at buying a house or moving to the area. Would you consider building a home for them?’” Krukow said. “I think that’s one of the things that we’re most proud of is the quality and our customer satisfaction.”

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What’s a quality home look like in Spencer? For IGL, it’s one that has all of the major items crossed off the list and in great working order for years to come.

But there is some style to it. That’s what is attractive to many buyers, especially younger ones.

“The new, modern, clean look is something that our younger generation is looking for, as well,” Josh Nelson said. “We hope the design of these homes will attract them.”

Here at the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation, we want to see our region thrive. Covering Clay, Dickinson, Buena Vista and Emmet Counties, the Corridor assists businesses, communities, and individuals to support the growth of the region. We do this through partnering with our local chambers, cities, and counties on business retention & expansion programming, business attraction efforts, entrepreneurial & small business support, and workforce & community development.

We know that the Corridor region has many amenities to enjoy and is a wonderful place to live, work, and do business. The Corridor staff is here to help you get a taste of life in NW Iowa and Spencer. Whether you’re looking to relocate, expand, own your own business, or learn more about the opportunities in the Corridor Region, we’d love to get to know you!

To learn more, visit our website at www.lakescorridor.com

or contact us at info@lakescorridor.com or 712-264-3474.

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Creating a neighborhood community At Westfield, like some of its other developments, IGL envisions building a neighborhood that is not only a good first home for those typically young, first-time homebuyers, but also single-parent households and even folks looking to downsize as they enter their retirement years.

“There’s going to be a clubhouse,” Krukow said, adding that IGL will begin on that this summer. There is also space for a playground and even a pool, if that is something the owners in the neighborhood desire.

That’s a vision IGL believes encompasses a wide range of ages.

Visit our Website

iglconstruction.com

“We feel like there’s a place for both young and old at Westfield,” Candie Nelson said.

“We think it will be a cohesive mix of people that move into this neighborhood and really get to know their neighbors and enjoy each other.”

Keeping it local Building that community within a community is one of the ways IGL approaches its developments. That’s both a community-minded decision, but a smart business move, as well.

“It does make it easier for us to replicate,” Krukow said. “It saves money in the long run because the framers, plumbers, electricians, drywallers – everybody knows when we set up the floor plan together. They take their measurements and they know what they’re doing. That’s one of the things that helps us start a project and complete a project in a shorter timeframe than say a custom home, because we’re able to replicate. We’re also able to take advantage of volume discounts.”

And when it comes to working with those subcontractors, you can bet that IGL keeps it local.

While IGL oversees all of the projects from beginning to end, there are many others involved in the projects – an estimated sixty-plus local workers throughout the build process.

Then, of course, there’s the Spencer Chamber of Commerce, which is always just a phone call away.

“The Chamber has always been knowledgeable and a wonderful resource to share the opportunities we have in our community,” Beneke said. “We appreciate their continued support of our local businesses and the bridge they create to close the gap for continued growth and success in Spencer.”

With its local partners working alongside, and a vision for affordability and quality, Spencer is lucky to have a company like IGL Construction leading the way in housing development.

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Proudly working to build your safe, sustainable, and beautiful communities.

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CELEBRATING AMERICA’S FARM FAMILIES Tasting Room Hours: Wednesdays & Thursdays 4-9 Fridays 2-10 • Saturdays 12-10 2304 HWY BLVD, SPENCER, IA (712)580-3530 www.cfdistillery.com

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Hwy 71 South • Spencer, IA • 712-262-8700 Check us out on facebook

104 East Eighth Street, SPENCER, IA 51301 STORE: (712) 262-8693 MARKET: (712) 262-8760 MONDAY - SATURDAY: 8:00AM - 9:00PM (CLOSED SUNDAYS)

Catering, McCreary’s at The Dock, Food Truck & Concessions

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1900 N Grand Avenue in Spencer Located at Iowa Lakes Community College Spencer Campus 712-240-0298 • mccrearyscreativecatering.com

spencerofficesupplies.com SPRING/SUMMER 2022 THRIVE SPENCER MAGAZINE

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Iowa’s Medical & Surgical Eye Specialists!

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2004 Highway Boulevard Spencer, IA 51301

(833) 703-2566

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wolfeeyeclinic.com

SPENC ER’S F U LL SERV IC E GRO C ERY ST O RE

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Supporting economic development within the structure of historic preservation Main Street 101 W. 5th • Spencer, Iowa 51301 www.spencermainstreet.com

FLORAL • PHARMACY • WINE & SPIRITS BAKERY • DELI • ASIAN • KITCHEN

819 Grand Ave • Spencer, IA 51301 712-262-2443 • hyvee.com

When you’re ready to buy or sell…

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2712 Hwy Blvd • Spencer IA 51301 712 • 264 • 5394 • f8creative.com SPRING/SUMMER 2022 THRIVE SPENCER MAGAZINE

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INVEST

Veridian continues to grow in Spencer

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eridian Limited has been in Spencer since 1997 – and some people still don’t even know the company is here.

“It’s not uncommon at all for me to meet people in the community or to hear stories from people that are like, ‘What? We didn’t even know Veridian was out there,’” said Veridian President Bill Van Lent. “Obviously, I’m very proud of the business, as the owner, but I’m also very proud of the people that make up Veridian in northwest Iowa.”

While Veridian may have a low profile, the impact the company makes deserves attention.

Veridian makes protective fire gear for firefighters in the US and internationally. Its Spencer manufacturing facility, located at 3710 W. Milwaukee Street, is the company’s flagship facility. There are also manufacturing locations in Des Moines and Quitman, Arkansas.

Among the three locations, Veridian has about 125 employees, with about 60 in Spencer.

“That is our landmark facility,” Van Lent said of the Spencer location. “That’s where we started and that’s (responsible for) the real growth in our company. That’s also where a lot of our more sophisticated and more complex products are manufactured.”

Veridian moves to Spencer Veridian hasn’t always been in Spencer. The company was founded in Kentucky in 1992 as a joint venture between a manufacturer there and an Iowa-based international sales company.

In 1997, the partnership fell apart and Van Lent bought the company.

“My background is in the financial services, investments and capital markets arena,” Van Lent said. “Having spent a number of years in that industry, I was always intrigued and interested in manufacturing, particularly US-based manufacturing.”

He found an opportunity with Veridian.

President Bill Van Lent

“It was very small at the time,” Van Lent said.

“It only had about six employees total. I saw a real opportunity for this to be a growth business.

At the time, the company was only selling its products to other countries that used US-style firefighting gear. Van Lent changed that. Now, about 70-75% of the company’s sales volume comes from the US. With that shift, Veridian began to rapidly outgrow its Kentucky location.

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Van Lent, who would commute from his home in West Des Moines to Kentucky, began searching for a location in that state.

But then one of his Iowa contacts, Rand Fisher with the Iowa Area Development Group, told him that Aalfs Manufacturing, a maker of denim garments, had moved out of Spencer. Not only was the building a good fit, but also the employees that needed jobs had the right skills.

“It just worked out with a kind of serendipity that I was able to move the business much closer to my home in West Des Moines and that we had fantastic facilities, as well as really skilled people that had experience in cut-and-sew in the Spencer area,” Van Lent said.

Growth year after year Veridian has grown virtually every year since 1997 and has in many of those years grown over 100% compared to the previous year.

While part of that is the market – there are about 1.3 million firefighters in the US with about 300,000 being full-time – the other part that Van Lent credits is its employees.

Van Lent said the quality of the workforce and the general work ethic that comes with folks in Northwest Iowa plays a huge role.

“We have really dedicated and hardworking people that are very creative,” he said. “I think all factory-type work takes a certain amount of skill and capability, but in this case, it takes a very specific skill set and training to be able to contribute quality into the construction of the garments.”

Van Lent added company is part of nity and is grateful community and the Commerce.

that he’s proud his the Spencer commufor support from the Spencer Chamber of

In addition to assisting Veridian specifically, Van Lent said the Chamber puts on great networking events, which he added encourage collaboration among Spencer businesses.

Visit our Website

veridian.net

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“I know there are a lot of outstanding businesses up in northwest Iowa, particularly in the Spencer area, and we’re just proud to be one of them.”

Discover Hidden Talents Create Experiences Make Memories CLASS OPTIONS Themed Classes - Twice Monthly Private Group - 4 or more creators Drop-in During Regular Hours.

OPEN Tuesday - Friday: 10 am - 4 pm Saturday: 9 am - 3 pm.

CONTACT US AT 302 Grand Ave • Spencer Iowa 712-580-4906 vermeerglass@outlook.com www.vermeerglassart.com @VermeerGlassArt

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1320 4th Ave., Spencer, IA • 712-580-7280 • www.spencermunigolf.com SPRING/SUMMER 2022 THRIVE SPENCER MAGAZINE

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What’s Going On April 22-24, 29-30 and May 1 – Spencer Community Theatre 62nd Mainstage Season April 28 – Brew & Bites - Spencer Main Street May 14 – Downtown Downstairs Tour – Spencer Main Street June 10-12 – Flagfest – Over 15,000 in attendance July 28-30 – Downtown Crazy Days September 10-18 – Clay County Fair September 19-24 – Downtown Restaurant Week

Spencer Stats • Population 11,325 • Major retail hub for communities within a 50-mile radius of Spencer • Named one of the top 10 best small towns in the U.S.A. • Ranked No. 4 ‘Top 10 Affordable Small Towns Where You’d Actually Want To Live’ • Two Historic Districts • Spencer is home to the second-largest tourist activity in the state of Iowa, the Clay County Fair, which runs for 9 days and attracts over 300,000 visitors!

Nationally Ranked • Spencer Hospital celebrates 7th year as one of the Top 20 Rural Hospitals nationally • Northwest Bank awarded 2022 Top Workplaces USA • Spencer Middle School named National Blue Ribbon School in 2021

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ENJOY

A space for creating, sharing the passion for art

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ermeer Glass Art is a true hobby-to-business story. What started in the basement is now drawing people from the area into Spencer to view, purchase and create glass art.

Located at 302 Grand Avenue, Vermeer Glass Art opened in November 2020 and is home to the creative works of Jim and Julie Vermeer, owners and artists. Inside the studio, you will find a wide array of pieces on display and for sale, including decorative art pieces, wall art, plates, bowls, serving platters – all made from fused glass, the Vermeers’ chosen medium.

Private Group Creating

The Vermeers started practicing making art by fusing glass years ago before the idea of a studio ever entered their minds.

“This is one of those stories where it starts in the basement and then it goes to a studio in the garage and then eventually our studio gallery in Spencer,” Jim said.

Up until December 2021, Jim was the Vice President of Business Development for Corn Belt Power Cooperative. Julie retired from her job as a registered nurse a little over a year ago.

Discovering glass art Jim was the one who years ago discovered glass art.

“I went to a trade show in Anaheim,” Jim said. “I saw an individual making Disney figurines in the torch and that really intrigued me. I came back from that trade show and was talking to Julie about it.”

Fused glass, the style of glass art the Vermeers practice, is sometimes called kiln-formed glass. When fusing glass, the artist creates their art pieces by melting the glass in a kiln and fusing together two or more pieces.

Before the studio, the Vermeers would create art during the winter. Then, throughout the summer, they would go to juried art shows.

“We’d do about 13 shows throughout the summer,” Jim said. “That’s how we would sell our work for over 17 years.

Julie recommended he take a class to learn more, so he did. That was the start of their glass art endeavor.

“I made marbles, beads and sculptures like hummingbirds and angels and I enjoyed doing that,” Jim said. “But then I tried fusing and got hooked on it. I said to Julie, ‘You ought to try it,” and so she got hooked on it. We’ve now been working with glass for over 23 years.”

302 Grand Ave

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Visit our Website

vermeerglassart.com

Returning to Spencer The Vermeers enjoyed attending art shows and selling their glass, but the work of the shows became harder as the years went by. They decided they would eventually open a studio and gallery during their retirement years.

They also decided it was time to move (back) to Spencer.

“We used to live in Spencer for 19 years, actually,” Jim said. “We moved away over 23 years ago and now we’re back.”

Jim said with several friends still in town, they missed the church they attended and the close proximity to the lakes were all factors in drawing him and Julie back to town and starting their studio here.

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Julie working on the Tree of Life.

Class participants get to learn different techniques and work on projects running from ornaments to bowls. The Spencer Chamber was an invaluable resource. “For a new business, it’s all about helping to market us and get the word out to the public,” Jim said. “The Chamber allows us to post on the Community Calendar our themed classes. Plus, they are just a great resource to answer questions. They are like the Easy Button.”

Now open, the Vermeers’ studio is a space not only for their art but also for others who want to learn about fused glass and how to create their own glass work.

The Vermeers also host private parties for groups of four or more. Since those classes and events began, Vermeer Glass Art has brought in over 600 creators from towns throughout the region. If there are no scheduled private parties or classes, people are invited to drop-in and create during regular hours.

“Last January, we started themed classes two or three times every month and we change the theme each month,” Julie said.

It’s clear that in just over a year, the Vermeers’ hobby-to-business story has made quite the impact for Spencer and the region.

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Building a community that is...

Healthier Together.

Spencer Hospital Features: • • • • • • • • • •

A high-tech, multi-specialty Surgery Center A world-class Cancer Center Two Dialysis Centers State-of-the-art Diagnostic Imaging 24-hour Wellness Center Surgical & Orthopedics Robotics A gorgeous Birth Center A comfortable Infusion Center Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center Advanced Wound Care Center

and much more to meet all of your healthcare needs.

Northwest Iowa Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists

Specialty care for all ear, nose and throat problems in NW Iowa 920 Grand Ave - Spencer | (712) 262-8120

Northwest Iowa Bone, Joint & Sport Surgeons A Department of Spencer Hospital 1200 First Ave E, Suite C - Spencer | (712) 262-7511

AMGS Advanced Gynecology & Surgery A Department of Spencer Hospital 116 E 11th St, #206 - Spencer | (712) 264-3510

Avera Medical Group Spencer

A Department of Spencer Hospital 116 E 11th St, #101 - Spencer | (712) 264-3500

1200 First Ave East Spencer, Iowa 51301 (712) 264-6198 SpencerHospital.org

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