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Iowa Lakes Corridor seeks continued support, outlines workforce and housing initiatives
Summary
Kurt Stroud, CEO of the Iowa Lakes Corridor, told Dickinson County officials the Corridor is pushing workforce and housing initiatives for Northwest Iowa — including a Build My Future workforce event and grants to incentivize graduates to return — and requested continued county support in the FY26–27 budget cycle.
Kurt Stroud, president and CEO of the Iowa Lakes Corridor, presented the Corridor’s annual update to Dickinson County supervisors, highlighting regional workforce development, housing initiatives and advocacy work intended to support business retention and growth.
Stroud described manufacturing as a key engine for the four-county region (including Dickinson County), cited tours and a Brown Met manufacturing visit as outreach highlights, and outlined programs the Corridor promotes: workforce housing tax credits, Manufacturing4 incentives, Empower Rural Iowa childcare grants and the Homes for Iowa program that engages returning residents in home building. He said the Corridor led a legislative roundtable in Spencer to discuss these topics with state lawmakers.
Stroud outlined two Corridor talent programs: the Homegrown Talent Initiative, which awarded two $6,000 grants (paid over four years) to encourage graduates to return to the region, and the Big Idea Challenge, an entrepreneurship prize pool used to seed small startups. He also announced a Build My Future workforce event aimed at 1,000 students from 12 schools to be held April 23 at the Clay County Regional Event Center, described in more detail by Trevor Smith, Senior Vice President of economic development.
Trevor Smith said Build My Future will be a hands-on event where students can test trade simulators and skills stations; the Corridor is recruiting more than 50 vendors and will include community colleges to highlight training pathways short of a four-year degree. In questions from the board, Corridor staff described partnerships with chambers, the Small Business Development Center and Iowa SourceLink to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Stroud closed by inviting board members to the Corridor’s annual business recognition luncheon and noting the Corridor’s FY26–27 funding request was submitted in a letter to county officials for consideration in the upcoming budget process.
