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Commission backs Eastern Iowa Productions/EMS expansion, owner says jobs likely
Summary
The Planning Commission recommended council approval May 5 for a two‑phase expansion of Eastern Iowa Productions LLC/EMS on Stoner and Herky, approving a 12,000‑sq ft addition and a proposed 25,000‑sq ft new building; the owner said the expansion could add roughly five to six jobs for sanitizer production and a few more as operations grow.
The North Liberty Planning Commission voted May 5 to forward a preliminary site plan for Eastern Iowa Productions LLC (operating as EMS) to city council with a recommendation for approval.
Staff described the project as a two‑phase industrial expansion on a 5.52‑acre site in the I‑1 light industrial area at Stoner and Herky. The proposal includes a roughly 12,000‑square‑foot addition to an existing building, plus a new approximately 25,000‑square‑foot building to the south, additional parking, a new loading dock and an expanded detention basin to accommodate added impervious surface. Staff noted a facade requirement that masonry be used on 25% of the street‑facing elevation and recommended the commission find the plan consistent with approval standards.
Dan, who identified himself as the owner/operator of EMS, described the company’s North Liberty operations: EMS blends cleaning products locally, operates manufacturing in other Iowa locations and recently purchased Beecher Brands (a sanitizer/hand soap maker based in Lisbon). He said EMS has about 25 employees in North Liberty and expects to add staff as production is moved and scaled. "When we take the manufacturing of the hand sanitizer and hand soap business... that's a FDA type of plant. So we're anticipating five to six more employees on just that," Dan said. He added that EMS has already hired a few additional workers as space constraints prompted expansion plans.
Commissioners had no substantive objections on the preliminary site plan. A motion to forward the plan to city council with a recommendation for approval passed by roll call.
The item will be scheduled for city council consideration; staff said the project will proceed through building permit review and detailed site engineering after council action.
