Business
Advantages
Transportation
Oustanding access to major Midwest
markets. Your business can get to Chicago, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Omaha
within 5 hours. |
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LOIS Information Link
 Yes! I'm Interested In
Expanding or Relocating my business to Buchanan County.
Available Buildings
Available Sites |
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- Highways
Our proximity to US
highways and interstates makes major metropolitan areas a short haul. Buchanan
County is located in northeast Iowa and is served by Interstate 380, four lane
US Highway 20 that connect us to Interstate 80 and Interstate 90.
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- Rail
Rail service is
provided by Canadian National and Iowa Northern Rail. A rail yard is located 30
miles away in Waterloo to connect to Union Pacific.
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- Air
The Independence
Municipal Airport offers a 5,500-foot paved runway with 24-hour service. The
Waterloo Airport is just a 30-minute drive, and is served by Northwest
Airlines. The Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids is only 45 minutes away and
is served by US Air Express, American Airlines, Allegiant Air, Delta Airlines,
Northwest Airlines, and United Airlines.
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Being truly global means being able to
extend your reach. Buchanan County provides that opportunity with excellent
air, rail, and highway infrastructures.
Workforce
 Over
25 diverse and successful manufacturing plants have established themselves in
Buchanan County. Hard-working residents are invaluable to the achievement of
corporate goals and driving each company's success.
A recent state labor
study identified the following:
- Employees are willing to commute over 25
miles in one direction
- Approximately 170,000 people within 40 miles
are in the labor force
- There is minimal turnover
- Residents have an outstanding work ethic
In addition, because of the welcoming
atmosphere and the knowledge of raising a family in a safe, diverse
environment, employees are more likely to stay in the area over the long
term.
Historical Unemployment Rates
| 2005 |
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4.6% |
| 2006 |
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4.5% |
| 2007 |
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4.3% |
Educational Attainment Data for
Buchanan County Residents 18-64
(Source: U. S. Census Bureau)
87%
High School Graduates
46% Post-Secondary Education
See the commuter
concentration
Laborshed Report
According to a recent
state labor study, Buchanan County has approximately 170,000 people as a
potential workforce. Over 25 diverse and successful manufacturing plants have
established themselves in Buchanan County. Hard-working residents are
invaluable to the achievement of corporate goals and driving each company's
success.
Our existing employers will attest to the following:
- Employees are willing to commute over 20
miles in one direction
- They have few attendance problems
- There is minimal turnover
Education
Along with our excellent early
education and K-12 systems, we are located in the hub of higher education.
Within a 60-mile radius of Buchanan County you will find two state
universities, three technical schools and several private colleges.
The University of Iowa,
University of Northern Iowa and
Upper Iowa University are
within a one hour drive time. Our pre-K through 12 schools in Buchanan County
have a long-standing tradition of excellence.
Hawkeye
Community College has a technical training center
located in Independence, IA and also administers the Iowa
New Jobs Training Program. These funds support new or
expanding industry within Buchanan County by providing
funds to be utilized in all areas of training. In addition
to these grants, companies participating in this program
can receive more that $1,000 tax credit for each new employee.
These tax credits can be carried forward 10 years. Having
high standards leads to positive results, and the long-term
possibilities for education in the Buchanan County area
is outstanding.
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