Economic Development

The Iowa Venture Awards, presented by the Iowa Area Development Group, spotlight entrepreneurs and organizations for their leadership, capital investment and the job opportunities they create. The following businesses were honored on Dec. 7 at a luncheon held as a part of the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives’ annual meeting.

For more than 80 years, electric co-ops have maintained reliable and affordable electric service, provided stable career opportunities and paid taxes, which have vast ripple effects throughout the regions we serve. 

Cooperatives are more than businesses; they are pillars of empowerment, resilience and sustainable development that are shaping Iowa’s local economies.

At the heart of the principles that guide Iowa’s electric cooperatives is the desire to improve the lives of the people and communities they serve. Learn how electric co-ops support growth of rural Iowa hospitals and clinics.

At the end of 2022, CoBank – one of the largest private providers of credit to the U.S. rural economy – released its 2023 Year Ahead report, “Forces that will Shape the U.S. Rural Economy.” The report examines several key factors that will shape agriculture and market sectors that serve rural communities throughout the U.S.

The Iowa Area Development Group and its electric cooperative, municipal utility and independent telecommunication company partners annually recognize growing companies with an Iowa Venture Award. The following companies were honored at a luncheon during the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives’ annual meeting on Dec. 1.

Following the cooperative principle of “Concern for Community,” Iowa rural utilities have supported hometown grocery stores across the state. The following are a few inspiring examples of how rural communities have rallied to keep their grocery stores a vital part of their towns and region.

Bruce Nuzum was recently named president of the organization following Rand Fisher’s retirement in January. We sat down with Nuzum to learn more about him, including his vision for IADG and rural economic development efforts in Iowa.