MASON CITY – The North Iowa Corridor has amassed a long list of “investors” or what Corridor President and CEO Brent Willett now calls on his newly-designed website “sources of capital.”
Brent Willett was hired to run the North Iowa Corridor in 2011, as Executive Director. He now refers to himself as “President and CEO.”
The North Iowa Corridor has about a $400,000 budget, half of which is from public tax dollars ($105K from the taxpayers in Mason City, $50K from the taxpayers in Clear Lake, and another $50K from the taxpayers in Cerro Gordo County.)
“The Corridor’s unique, multi-jurisdictional public-private structure … aggregates multiple public and private sources of capital, which ensures that the public and private sector Corridor contributors see their dollars stretched and leveraged in a way we’re proud of. The cornerstone of the Corridor’s funding structure is its private investors because without their support, our work would not be possible,” the North Iowa Corridor wrote on its website.
Some say that the “public-private structure” of the Corridor allows it to take public dollars and then hide behind the “private” side of the agency to deny accountability to the taxpayers.
Among those listed as “private investors” are businesses owned by members of the Board of Directors (Larry Elwood Construction, Henkel Construction, Bergland & Cram, Architects, CL Bank & Trust, Kingland, Manufacturers Bank & Trust Co., Opportunity Village, Mercy); Clear Lake Community Schools (taxpayer-funded school district, Superintendent Anita Micich offered no comment for this story); big banks like Bank of America, US Bank and Wells Fargo; North Iowa media outlets Globe Gazette, KIMT and the Clear Lake Mirror; and businesses like The Dimensional Group, Mercy Medical Center, Vi-COR, Boxes Unlimited, Harley of Mason City and others who got big handouts from the taxpayers in North Iowa or whose owners are political allies of Mayor Eric Bookmeyer.
North Iowa Corridor “Investors” as listed on NorthIowaCorridor.com:
Accord Architecture Company
Ag Processing, Inc.
Air Care, Inc.
Alliant Energy
Andrews Prestresssed Concrete
Armour-Eckrich Meats
Atlas Mini-Warehouses
Baker Floral
Bank of America
Benchmark Agribusiness
Bergland & Cram, Architects
Blackmore Nursery, Inc.
Blazek Electric, Inc.
Boxes Unlimited, Inc. (Mark Stanton)
Cargill Kitchen Solutions
Cartersville Elevator
Central Park Dentistry (Dr. Jay Lala)
Cerro Gordo Abstract
CL Tel
CLB & T Insurance and Financial Services, Inc.
Clear Lake Bank & Trust
Clear Lake Community Schools
Clear Lake Mirror Reporter
Clear Lake Veterinary Hospital
Community National Bank
Consolidated Energy
Crescent Park Distribution Centers
Croell Redi-Mix, Inc.
Culligan Water Conditioning Company
Curries-Graham
D & D Printing & Custom Signs
Dean Snyder Construction
Decker Sporting Goods, Inc.
Determan Electric Co.
DeVries & Price, P.C.
Don’s Body Shop
Edgar Financial Group
Edwards-Brandt & Associates, Inc.
Family Dentistry
Farmers State Bank
First Citizens National Bank
First Insurance/1st Insurace
First Gabrielson Agency
Fitzsimmons & Vervaecke Law Firm
Five Star Coop
FRC Components
Ge-Jo’s By The Lake
Glen’s Tire Service
Globe Gazette
Godfather’s Pizza
Golden Grain Energy
Good Shepherd Health Center, Inc.
Graham Tire Co.
Haas Chiropractic Clinic
Harley Davidson, Inc. of Mason City
Heartland Asphalt, Inc.
Heiny McManigal Duffy Stambaugh & Anderson (Jackie Aurthur)
Henkel Construction Co. (Gary Schmit, Corridor Board of Directors and employes City Councilman Alex Kuhn)
Hertz Farm Management, Inc.
Hogan – Hansen, P.C.
Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel
Hy-Vee
Jon Hardinger, DDS
Joseph Behr & Sons
Kaplan University
KIMT – TV
King Construction
Kingland Systems Corporation
Kraft Foods
Larry Elwood Construction, Inc. (Larry Elwood, Corridor Board of Directors)
Larson Contracting
Lehigh Cement Company
Hosmer Toyota Dodge
Major Erickson Funeral Home
Manufacturers Bank & Trust Co.
Mark Lemon Realtor
Marquart Concrete Products
Marshall & Swift
Martin Marietta Aggregates, Inc.
Martin-Brower
Mason City Clinic
Mason City Glass Service
Mason City Overhead Door Company
Mason City Recycling Center
Matthew F. Berry, Attorney At Law
McKiness Excavating, Inc.
McQuaid Agency
Mechanical Air Systems
Mercy Medical Center
Metalcraft, Inc.
Midwest Roofing Co. (Dennis Reidel President, CEO, CFO)
Millhiser-Smith
Minnesota Rubber and Plastics
Monroe Storage
Moorman Clothiers
Nettleton, Hoffman, Hehr, & White
North Iowa Air Service
North Iowa Bus Co
North Iowa Collision Center
North Iowa Community Credit Union
North Iowa Cooperative Elevator
North Iowa Eye Clinic, P.C.
North Iowa Golf LLC
North Iowa Oral Surgery Assoc
Northern Cedar Service Co. Inc.
NSB Bank
OmniTel
Opportunity Village
Pappajohn, Shriver, Eide & Nielsen
Paul R. Pirkl, A.P.
Payne Plumbing & Heating
Petro Blend
Plumb Supply Co.
Potter & Brant PLC
Principal Financial Group
Progressive Rail
Purina Animal Nutrition LLC
Robinson Farm Real Estate
RSM McGladrey
Taylor Insurance
TeamQuest Corporation
The Dental Center of North Iowa
The Dimensional Group
The Other Place
Theiss Shirts, Inc.
Thompson Companies –> Park Inn hotel
Triad Realty
United Building Centers/ProBuild
US Bank
Varied Industries Corporation (VI-COR)
Veenstra & Kimm, Inc.
Waggoner & Wineinger Architects
Ward – Van Slyke Colonial Chapel
Wells Fargo Bank of Iowa
Westview Apartments Corporation
Whiskey Creek Woodfire Grill
WHKS & Co.
Wilcox Furniture
Williams & Associates
Woodford Lumber & Home Co
Woodharbor Doors & Cabinetry
28 thoughts on “Corridor’s investors include: Clear Lake Schools, big banks, big employers, friends of politicians”
Comments such as those following this article is one reason businesses don’t move to Mason City. There is such a grudge against success by some citizens. I was told once that “it is well known that [insert name of successful person] makes too much money”. Go to work, be friendly and diligent. You may be surprised how well you do once you try to be a person that learns than a know it all.
Businesses don’t move here because the wage-payers don’t want to compete for workers. Keeping new business and industry out means Kraft, for example, can hire Manpower to bring in workers; Kraft never has to hire anyone. When Kraft wants you out, they tell Manpower to tell you to hit the trail. See how that works?
@The Beer mug-Unfortunately, Kraft is not the only one who plays that game. Most of the plants and businesses in the area use “temps” now because they have no obligation to them because they really work for the temp agency and even with the premium they pay to the temp agency (used to be $3 p./hr. they still save a ton of money. They don’t have to pay unemployment insurance, workmans comp, paid holidays or vacation and sick days. The ones who get screwed on this are the workers. He works for $9.00 and the company pays a $3 premium to the temp agency.
I wish they’d pass a federal law against TIF and all the other incentives cities give to attract businesses so as to level the playing field for small rural areas that cannot compete with large, rich cities.
Oh you damn well.
Not the point and you know it. It’s all about ass holes really.
Congrats to the honest on the list..It goes deeper I damn well know it.
Wow no you criticize those who give money to try to bring in new businesses. What exactly should those businesses do, turn their head, gripe, complain, not write out a check. I congratulate those that gave money. They understand that it takes money to try to recruit new industry. Many if those companies have given for the last twenty years. You may not like the results but I ask if they don’t provide the money just who will. I damn well no it won’t be Peter or Max.
I don’t understand. why do we have to pay to get a new business to locate here? really please explain.
$400,000 incentive for Marshall’s to come here. Build a box, sell chinese-made crap off a shelf and pay people 8 bucks an hour. Sounds amazing to me. Do they want no one to ever go to their precious downtown?
Read Tim Latham’s opinion in the paper. It was on the floor at Hardee’s so I picked it up. Poorly written hogwash by a sold out man who is a fringe player. I dropped the paper back under the booth onto the floor and washed my hands in the ladie’s room.
This list is a who’s who of takers that leech of the good old boy system in cerro gordo. Metalcraft takes a million. Harley takes hundred thousand plus more. Dimensional is a taker. Lala is a taker, a big taker. Scott Moorman, huge taker. Then the big banks. All rip-off artists. Common knowledge right there. Mercy biggest thief. Vicor smells up the town. You cant fix this, the ship is sunk.
Still can’t believe Lala hasn’t been sued for the gun play in one of his homes that resulted in a young mans death. I’d say Lala should pay that boys family $200,000 at least. He makes so much one of his employees stole $80,000 before he even noticed it.
Big money in dentistry when you are well liked by the patients.
Well there goes the election. Too many non believers in democracy and equality.
These are the gangsters in Mason City and out weigh any common man who will not vote.
Too bad. It’s all about voting now.
All one has to do is take a quick trip into Minnesota or a few other cities in Iowa to see that construction projects are booming, all the while economic development is at best below average in North Iowa.
Why?
Looks to me like a good list of businesses who experience some level of success, some more so than others of course. These forward thinking businesses and or the people whom operate them likely understand that having more businesses in North Iowa will benefit them as well. I am sure there are several of these businesses that do business with one another and reciprocate just the same.
Tom Jolas was the master at the public private giveaways. He used eminent domain to steal property from MC owners and give it to Shopko.
…because poor shopko needed the money more than the little people.
Hey Matt who is the fat guy in the hawaiian shirt flipping you off? Is he a dentist?
I think he is and if he is I wouldn’t want those filthy fingers in my mouth or my familie’s mouths I can tell you that. Pretty unstable behavior from someone charged with people’s health.
It is Dr. Lala (a dentist downtown)
How can a public school district make financial contributions to a private company?
Not a big surprise to see Adam Gold’s daddy’s company on this list. That kid had everything given to him after he came back from partying in L.A. His lipstick is all over Eric’s red-hared be-hind.
who is Adam Gold?
A North Iowa playboy, country clubber. Drives a pretty sweet BMW.
What business does his daddy own?
Dimensional Group
Did he manage the country club at one time?
Gold is a big horses a** and he is running that business into the ground.
Heard ran the country club into the ground also. He sidekick is Caryle Dahlen’s brother in law. Incompetient idiots everywhere you look in that crowd
Why don’t you contribute? Maybe they’ll send you financial reports if you’re an insider.