Tipton to Receive First Ever Shovel Ready Certification

Branstad/Reynolds to Attend Iowa’s First-Ever “Shovel Ready” Certification

Already a site of expanding companies, the 85-acre Tipton Business Park is now the first property in the state of Iowa to receive “Shovel Ready Iowa Certification,” and that designation will be recognized by Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds during a 2:00 P.M. ceremony on Monday, April 18 in the heart of Tipton.

A shot in the arm for regional economic development, Shovel Ready Iowa Certification is an independent, third-party certification program designed to reduce risk for local communities and property owners as well as companies researching the seven county Corridor Alliance region for business location or expansion.

Sites that receive this certification must meet or exceed multiple criteria and standards regarding the development potential for commercial or industrial facilities in one of five certification categories: General Manufacturing, Light Industrial, Rural Industrial, Smart Office or Technology Center.

As a certified Shovel-Ready Iowa site in the Rural Industrial category, the Tipton Business Park has proven to Austin Consulting that it can accommodate an expanding industrial operation on a tight timeline. Such a designation is possible because the Tipton Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO) and the City of Tipton have been investing in the infrastructure of the City and the Business Park for many years.

“Good things come in small packages”, said TEDCO President Jeff Meyer. “Iowa’s rural communities have been and will continue to be an important part of our state’s economy, and an excellent example of small town vitality is the city of Tipton.”

Tipton’s Business Park can accommodate a broad range of industrial investment opportunities by offering a flexible operating environment that supports light assembly and services related to industrial activities.

The April 18th ceremony commemorating the state’s first-ever Shovel Ready Iowa Certification will take place on the Courthouse Square next to the Cedar County Courthouse, just a short walk from Tipton’s Business Park.