AMES – Today, the Iowa Transportation Commission approved a Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) Immediate Opportunity grant application submitted by Webster County. Up to $1,089,325 will be made available to assist in reconstruction of approximately 2,600 feet of Harvest Avenue south of Iowa 7 and west of Fort Dodge. This project is anticipated to be completed by July 2012.
These improvements are necessary to provide improved access to the site of the proposed CJ Cheiljedang Corp. facility at North Central Ag Industrial Park west of Fort Dodge. Doing business as CJ America, the plant will manufacture Lysine through fermentation technologies, an essential amino acid added to animal feed. CJ Cheiljedang is South Korea’s top food maker. This will be the company’s first production plant to be built in the United States. The headquarters for CJ America is Downers Grove, Ill.
The project will support the creation of 180 new jobs at this facility and $340 million in associated capital investment.
Funding for the grant comes from the county share of the RISE Fund.