Our Services: Success Stories

The company:

In November 2000, SMI Joist began building their facility in Iowa Falls, Iowa. Today the company employs 170 people at the Iowa Falls location.

The Iowa Falls facility makes steel joists used as roof and floor supports for building construction. Major customer groups are steel fabricators, pre-engineered building companies and national retail accounts, including Home Depot, Wal-Mart and Menards.

The joist plant in Iowa Falls is one of five joist producing facilities for SMI Joist. SMI Joist is part of the Steel Group of Commercial Metals Corporation headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Site requirements:

The company had been looking to expand into the upper Midwest. An SMI representative happened to stop by the Alliant Energy booth at the FabTech trade show in Chicago.

He explained the company’s expansion goals and Alliant Energy’s economic development experts began working as their site location consultants.

The Alliant Energy team found a number of potential buildings and sites within three states to explore.

Site solution:

Through a several-month process, Alliant Energy helped SMI Joist narrow down the possibilities and evaluate the proposals that seven community finalists submitted.

In the end, the former Fibred Foods Plant in Iowa Falls came out ahead.

The original building had 48,750 square feet, but before operations could begin, an additional 24,000 square feet was added, bringing the total square footage to 72,750.

Recommendation:

SMI Joist has been very pleased with their decision to locate in Iowa Falls. It has provided them an opportunity to get closer to some of their major customers and a major market place.

“The Iowa Falls area has provided a well-educated and strong work force. The success we have enjoyed here is because of a substantial sales base that was already established and the quality of labor available,” said Stan McKown, general manager with SMI.

“In addition, our relationship with Alliant Energy has been a very good experience,” McKown said. “SMI Joist has really enjoyed Alliant Energy’s help in getting the business up and running, from the involvement with the site selection to assisting in getting the facility online and aiding in the construction of the facility when called upon.”