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Strawberry Point and Oelwein will see Job Growth
03/20/2008

Two area communities are expected to see job growth. The Iowa Department of Economic Development says innovative companies in Strawberry Point and Oelwein will each receive job creation awards. Development Resources of Iowa plans to double the size of their production facility in Strawberry Point. A ten-thousand square foot addition and new equipment will increase production of livestock curtains used to control the inside environments of livestock buildings. The expansion, which will begin in May, is expected to create thirteen jobs paying an average wage of 13-15 an hour. Development Resources was awarded 60-thousand dollars from the Economic Set-Aside program and Enterprise Zone Tax Benefits to expand and create jobs. Meanwhile, in Oelwein, Sector 5 Technologies is purchasing the former Donaldson plant from the City to serve as its headquarters and manufacturing site for very large, complex components used by the wind power industry. Dale Feauto, former President of Modern Engineering and Piping, is starting the company and scaling up fabrication and assembly of the wind turbine components for Clipper Windpower and other companies. The nearly three million dollar investment is expected to create 99 jobs. The new company was awarded 297-thousand dollars from Community Economic Betterment Account to begin operations in the 161-thousand square foot building. The Iowa Department of Economic Development announced a total of eleven job creation awards Thursday.