By DOUG SCHMITZ
Iowa Correspondent

URBANDALE, Iowa — When Gov. Chet Culver toured the new Iowa Soybean Assoc. (ISA) office building last month, he also signed Senate File 342, legislation that ensures the building’s progress would continue to completion this fall.

“This project fits well into our focus on infrastructure as we’re working to stimulate economic development,” he said. “This building is a great visual.

“With the passing of this bill, we’re encouraging a project that illustrates what we’re also trying to do around the state with the public infrastructure. Projects like this are critically important during this economic downtime. This is how we will literally work our way to recovery.”

The bill, signed on April 24 – the day after the 2009 legislative session closed – was Culver’s pledge to continue supporting agriculture and the future of renewable energy. Currently under construction in Ankeny, the $7.4 million facility is located in the town’s Prairie Trails Development and has received significant support from Denny Albaugh of DRA Development Co. in Ankeny and Harry Stine of Stine Seed Co. of Adel.

“The ISA has outgrown its current space and explored a lot of options, including existing buildings, new lease space and building our own,” said Kirk Leeds, ISA CEO. “With the gift of land by Harry Stine and Dennis Albaugh, the board decided the time was right to build our own building.”

According to Leeds, the overall mission of the building is to become the ISA’s long-term home when it officially moves in this September. “With the additional space and the addition of a water lab to serve our environmental programs, we are looking forward to the moving in,” he said.

Last summer, a task force of the ISA board was appointed to explore various building and rental options, with the board eventually voting to move forward with the project and subsequently breaking ground, Leeds added.

“In addition to using soy-based insulation and soy-backed carpet, the unique feature of the building is the grain bin foyer,” he said. “We are also excited that we are installing a geothermal heating/cooling system.”

With the checkoff portion of ISA operations governed under Chapter 185 of the Iowa Code, Leeds said the ISA had the legal right to construct a building using checkoff dollars. But he said there was a question about whether the ISA could borrow money to construct.

“The bill signed by Governor Culver was a technical build to make sure that the ISA has such authority,” he said.

Leeds added that he anticipated the ISA would self-fund about 80 percent of the project and borrow the remainder. With the bill now signed, John Heisdorffer, ISA president, said the association is glad to see the project continue.

“It’s great to be here in this new building, which will be an asset for all that is going on with the association, including its work on environmental issues and its On-Farm Network research,” he said.
Over the weekend, Culver said he was also involved in conversations regarding expanding the Amtrak system, with its high-speed trains possibly using biodiesel. “We could be in the middle of that, and your industry can be on the ground floor of fueling it,” he told members of the ISA board and staff.
Leeds and representatives of Weitz Corp. of Des Moines, which has been the project’s general contractor, led Culver on a tour of the new facility.

“We’re excited about our new location near Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC),” Leeds said. “We hope it will allow us to work with the college’s food program and water management programs, including offering internships that will get young people involved with rural Iowa.”

Heisdorffer said the bill supported the ISA’s move into a state-of-the-art facility that would help them to better serve Iowa’s farmers.
“(It) will accommodate our organization’s growth and changing needs as we work to feed and fuel the world in a sustainable manner,” he said.

The ISA is making tentative plans to have an open house and reception Dec. 10.

“The ISA hosts customers from around the world throughout the year,” Leeds said. “Our new home will give us a great facility to welcome these important visitors.”