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County economic official presents 2025 annual report, flags housing as top hurdle
Summary
Mark presented the Hardin County 2025 economic development annual report describing business retention and expansion work (35 business visits), workforce and housing challenges, agricultural production metrics, Ellsworth Community College impacts and plans for targeted business attraction.
Mark (Unidentified Speaker) presented the county's 2025 economic development annual report and walked the board through retention and expansion efforts, local economic snapshots and outreach activities.
"This is our annual report for 2025," Mark said, summarizing the document's infographics on new businesses, retention work and business surveys. He reported completing 35 business visits this year (compared with 17 the year before) and said most businesses were "stable or increasing" in 2024.
Mark highlighted several local economic indicators: about 333,000 acres of farmland and nearly 840 farms in Hardin County, a strong presence in corn and hog production, and a notable institutional employer impact from Ellsworth Community College. He said Ellsworth contributes roughly $4.5 million in payroll (not including benefits), provides over $1,000,000 in scholarships annually and that an RN class achieved a 100% state board passage rate.
He also described small-business supports: six locally offered workshops during the year, assistance programs such as sign rent and revolving loans, and recent business openings including two part-time accounting offices and an attorney establishing an office (Iowa River Legal). Mark said housing availability remains the biggest hurdle to recruiting and retaining workers, while the county's "loyal workforce" and education system are key assets.
Mark reported that Alliant Energy has elected not to build a new service center in Iowa Falls, leaving a 13-acre, heavy-industrial-zoned parcel available for marketing, and described an incoming targeted marketing campaign being developed with Smart Solutions Group and Turner Marketing to attract firms in three targeted industries.
The board asked one question about assets and hurdles; Mark reiterated housing scarcity as the primary challenge and cited workforce loyalty and education as strengths. No formal action was taken on the report during the meeting.
