The Greater Des Moines Partnership has announced the winners of the 2021 Economic Impact Awards. The Economic Impact Awards recognize Greater Des Moines (DSM) companies that have had a significant influence on the local economy in terms of job creation, capital investment and facility expansion. First presented in 1982, the Economic Impact Awards originated to recognize and honor those companies who had made a significant contribution to the economic vitality of Greater Des Moines. Over the last 39 years, dozens of companies have received the Economic Impact Award.

Locally, the 2021 Economic Impact Award winners are (descriptions taken directly from a press release):

Lely North America
Lely North America, part of the Lely Group, Maasluis, NL, is recognized for ground-breaking innovations in dairy and livestock automation and through its vision of “Creating a Sustainable, Profitable and Enjoyable Future in Farming.” As an international, family-owned business, Lely has been a leader in the dairy industry for more than 25 years and remains the only dairy automation company producing robotic equipment in North America. Both in 2011 and again in 2020, Lely chose to expand and solidify its commitment to the Central Iowa landscape, which can be seen in the new “Lely Park” campus near Pella. This 65-acre campus will serve as Lely’s new North American headquarters and its only manufacturing site outside of Europe. This $23 million dollar expansion is the first of what will be several phases of growth and capitalizes upon the local and statewide support of growing manufacturing companies, excellent workforce availability and central location to the organization’s target market.

Vermeer Corporation
Pella-based Vermeer Corporation is a manufacturer of industrial and agricultural equipment, feeding and fueling communities, managing natural resources and connecting people to the daily necessities of life. On July 19, 2018, an EF3 tornado struck the Pella campus, leveling nearly 400,000 square feet of buildings. Most importantly, no lives were lost in the extreme devastation. Vermeer took the opportunity this crisis presented and began to invest in the resources teams needed to do their work well. First, Shop 48, a facility dedicated to engineering innovation and named with a nod to the company’s founding, was built. Following that, an all-new Eco-Center focused on managing the company’s materials and resources safely and sustainably was built. And in 2021, Plant 7, an all-new, 500,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility, was completed.