E C O N O M I C
D E V E L O P M E N T
A DEVELOPING DESTINATION A Great Place to Do Business
Oelwein is a community on the move. In recent years the city has experienced a wave of new businesses coming to town while retaining those already in operation. While Oelwein flourished with the railroad industry back in the day, it has managed to change with the times once most rail businesses moved elsewhere in the 1980s. Oelwein is located with supreme access in all directions. Oelwein, part of Fayette County, Iowa, is in the middle of the Upper Midwest at the intersection of state Highway 3 and 150, with interstate access to the west and south of Oelwein. The city has barge access to the east via the Mississippi River. And for those traveling via plane, the Oelwein Municipal Airport is a general service airport. Domestic airports are close by in Waterloo, Iowa, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Dubuque, Iowa, with international airports in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota, Des Moines, Iowa, and Chicago, Illinois. Also available is rail service, provided to Oelwein via the D & W Railroad, which is operated by Iowa Northern Railway. With multiple modes of transportation available, owning, starting or relocating a business to Oelwein makes perfect sense, as the area’s more than 350 businesses already know. The city of Oelwein, along with its community partners, the Oelwein Chamber and Area Development, Fayette County Economic Development, and the many business partners, offers numerous tools and resources for new businesses and economic development opportunities, all while focusing on retaining its already strong business climate. These partnerships provide direct access to state incentives and technical resources, such as tax abatement, utility discounts, revolving loan funds and tax increment financing. Better yet, the city doesn’t charge any registration or business license fees. And if the recent news reports are any indicator, companies are taking advantage of Oelwein’s commitment to business. The city recently welcomed an expansion to a battery plant that brought nearly 300 new jobs with it. The battery manufacturer has operated a distribution center for nearly a decade in Oelwein. 14 Oelwein, Iowa
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