Looking for the right opportunity to grow your career?
Iowa’s cutting-edge companies could be key to unlocking your potential. Advanced manufacturing, bioscience and the insurance and finance industries are just a few of the industries that flourish here, thanks to programs and investments that set the state apart. Working within Iowa’s leading industries give you the chance to make a global impact.
Iowa is also the place to build (and expand!) your dream business. Whether you envision opening a brick-and-mortar shop in a revitalized Main Street storefront or developing a tech platform poised to disrupt the status quo, you’ll find resources to accelerate your ambitions here.
Inspiring and rewarding innovation is in our roots. Iowa programs like the industry-led Manufacturing 4.0 initiative improve access to smart technology, data-driven operations and process automation enhancements. We’re all about creating jobs and boosting the production of Iowa-made food products, medical devices, construction machinery, aerospace electronics and more.
As Iowa’s largest industry, advanced manufacturing accounts for 17.5% of our GDP, contributing more than $35 billion annually to the state’s economy.
Bioscience is also booming here. Iowa’s blend of business-friendly government policies, worldclass research institutions and private-sector advancements have cemented the state as a leader. Startups and respected industry anchors are introducing new solutions that address important issues like renewable fuel production, animal and human health and crop resiliency. Although less visible than Iowa’s fields of agricultural opportunity, insurance and finance industries are fertile ground for actuarial professionals, human resources experts, marketers and more. Iowa is home to nearly 7,400 finance and insurance companies and a talented workforce of nearly 95,000. The state’s insurance ecosystem has also become a hub for insurance technology. Established as the world’s first in 2015, Iowa’s Global Insurance Accelerator has helped entrepreneurs launch and expand their ideas.
Iowa is the #1 state for insurance as a percentage of GDP.
Iowa’s long-standing commitment to K-12 educational excellence is well-known. The state’s three public universities developed pioneering research programs and seeded a startup culture around educational technology (EdTech), which has raised more than $22 million in investments since 2010.
The Iowa EdTech Collaborative is a network of internationally known education companies, successful EdTech startups, academic and education stakeholders and economic development leaders.
FINANCE AND INSURANCE
Principal
When Deanna Strable-Soethout rang the Nasdaq opening bell on her first day as Principal’s President and CEO, she was marking a milestone for the Fortune 500 Company. Thanks to a culture of mentorship, Deanna advanced her career from intern to become the first female to hold the top leadership role. Her story is singular but represents Principal’s focus on growing talent among its nearly 20,000 team members.
Principal is a global financial investment management and insurance company headquartered in Des Moines. Its worldwide workforce spans offices in Santiago, Chile, Singapore, the U.K. and the U.A.E. Here in Iowa, Principal is more than a major employer. The company has also made significant local impacts in its 146-year history. The revitalized Principal Riverwalk, Principal Park and The Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines all add vibrancy to the community. As investors in the Global Insurance Accelerator, Principal is further enriching the state’s insurtech ecosystem and sparking innovation.
VGM Insurance
Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Waterloo, VGM Insurance serves niche industries that include post-acute healthcare as well as golf and hospitality markets. With a focus on building partnerships and lasting relationships, team members consider insurance more than a piece of paper.
The employee-owned company helps orthotic and prosthetic providers find coverage to meet the mission of helping people regain independence and find comfort with a new limb. Customized coverage for physical therapy providers keeps medical professionals focused on helping patients recover from injuries. The company offers tailored coverage for medical manufacturers and distributors who want to work with an insurance provider that understands the nuances of
their business.
Sammons Financial
Leading companies like Sammons Financial Group are elevating the next generation of workforce by participating in Iowa’s Insure Your Future intern program. Seasoned insurance industry leaders also see potential here. When John Melvin moved to Iowa to become Sammons’ Chief Investment Officer, it was because he recognized the assets embedded in Iowa’s insurance ecosystem and quality of life.
“If there is one industry in the financial world that’s really hot, it’s insurance, and particularly the life and annuity space,” John said. “There’s a lot of attention currently from private equity firms trying to get involved. Outside of New York, Des Moines is the epicenter.”
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
HNI Corporation
HNI is a leading global company that designs, manufactures and sells workplace furnishings and residential building products. Founded in 1947 in Muscatine, the company goes beyond building great desks, chairs, file cabinets and fireplaces.
In HNI Corporation’s powerful member-owner environment, everyone has an opportunity to share ideas that strengthen the business. Stock ownership, profit sharing and other compensation systems reward both individual and collective performance.
The corporation’s manufacturing and supply chain expertise consistently translates to the highest quality outputs, provided with the fastest and most dependable turnaround in its industries. The range of HNI products has grown to meet the needs of customers ranging from local entrepreneurs to large, multinational organizations. All while taking sustainability seriously. Newsweek magazine named HNI6 among the “Top 100 Most Responsible Companies in America.”
Collins Aerospace
Collins Aerospace specializes in aerostructures, avionics, interiors and systems that serve customers across the commercial, regional, business aviation and military sectors. Careers in Cedar Rapids contribute to crafting intelligent solutions to make modern flight possible for millions of travelers and service members.
At Collins, a security clearance can open even more opportunities to make an impact. The innovative employer welcomes veterans, inviting those who have served our country to continue supporting men and women in uniform through a civilian career with plenty of advancement potential. From electricians and cyber engineers to project managers and procurement specialists, the company offers roles that leverage skills to improve our national security.
Sukup Manufacturing Co.
The world’s largest family-owned and operated manufacturer of grain storage, drying and handling equipment started with a simple solution. Frustrated by losing grain to spoilage, young farmer Eugene Sukup began experimenting with hardware store tools to dry and store shelled corn more effectively. A year later, he patented the Stirway® stirring machine and established Sukup Manufacturing Co. with his wife Mary.
The company now includes more than 600 people, making it one of the largest employers in North Central Iowa. Sukup products are sold throughout the U.S. and Canada and in more than 80 other countries.
A spinoff, Sukup Innovations, is driving advancements in agricultural automation and innovative solutions for the future. Its startup collaboration space Maple Studios offers entrepreneurs access to experienced engineers, testing environments, marketing and distribution expertise in both Davenport and West Des Moines.
BIOSCIENCE
Kemin Industries
Curiosity compelled R.W. and Mary Nelson to launch a bioscience business in Iowa in 1961. Originally envisioned to serve the unmet needs of farmers, Kemin Industries is now a global ingredient manufacturer. The Des Moines-based company produces more than 500 specialty ingredients for human health, food safety and protection of the planet’s food supply chain. Serving customers in more than 120 countries, Kemin is committed to the quality, safety and efficacy of food, feed and health-related products to feed a growing population.
With operations in 90 countries, more than 15 manufacturing facilities and 3,000 employees worldwide, Kemin’s global impact starts in Iowa. In 2017, the company invested more than $30 million to open a new headquarters building in Des Moines, near the wool barn where its first products were developed. A 2021 campus addition included solar panels to align with Kemin’s sustainability goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
VIDA
Groundbreaking companies like VIDA in Iowa City are forged from academic partnerships. Launched from the University of Iowa’s BioVentures Center and created through research at the university’s College of Engineering, VIDA’s solution is helping biopharma sponsors save millions in drug development costs.
VIDA uses clinical imaging intelligence to accelerate the approval and adoption of life-saving therapies for patients. The company is helping clinicians answer questions like, “Can we find and treat COPD earlier?” and inviting researchers to modernize with the powerful combination of robust data and quantitative AI.
VIDA’s services are enabled by the VIDA Intelligence Platform, an AI-powered system that streamlines imaging in clinical trials. It facilitates high-quality, reliable imaging data from sites around the globe. The company’s vast library of biomarkers measure precision changes in airways, vasculature, tissues and lung function. These measures have been extensively validated in over 200 studies for patients with diseases such as COPD, emphysema, COVID, cancer, asthma and interstitial lung disease.
Chevron Renewable Energy Group
Chevron Renewable Energy Group (Chevron REG) is a global company operating in 180 countries. Its key location in Ames supports commercial-scale biorefineries across the state and helps lead the company toward its long-term vision to cleaner fuels.
Ames is also home to Iowa State University (ISU), which is the cornerstone of a nationally recognized cluster of biotech and agrisciences companies in central Iowa. ISU’s scientific capabilities and the talent developed in the school’s exceptional engineering and agrisciences programs are an advantage for Chevron REG’s operations.
The chemicals company is a job creator and source of economic development. Named a “best place to work for disability inclusion,” Chevron REG maintains a 100% rating on the Disability Equality Index. Careers across 18 categories span upstream, midstream and downstream needs. Sophisticated production processes ensure Chevron REG delivers high-quality products. In Newton, recently available roles such as associate plant operator and instrumentation and electrical technician offer opportunities on the front lines of tackling today’s energy challenges.
SMALL BUSINESS/ENTREPRENEURS
Thyme & Spice
Sustainability is infused into Thyme & Spice Company, a small, family-owned specialty business in downtown Burlington. Owners Travis and Ashlyn Long serve customers seeking quality ingredients and environmentally friendly options, which influences how they grow their inventory. Sustainability is also at the heart of how the husband-and-wife duo created enriching lives in a state that rewards entrepreneurs’ great ideas.
The Longs entered the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s 2024 ‘Open 4 Business’ pitch competition to give their community more of the refillable choices they craved. Winning grant funds provided capital to add bulk olive oils and vinegars alongside their offerings of more than 350 individual spices, herbs and botanicals from around the globe, as well as other small-batch products.
“It was really fun to have the community rally behind us,” Ashlyn said. “We geek out about food, and it was nice to see that other people were just as excited about [us adding refillable oils and vinegars] as we are. We hear all the time from people who used to travel for hours and even go out of state to find a place like us. Now they can just come downtown.”
Repaint Studios
Sparks flew and the 2024 InnoVenture Iowa pitch competition crowd cheered as Repaint Studios founder Billie Asmus accepted an oversized $100,000 check to grow her company. The award marked a full-circle moment for a founder who started her business in 2021 from her home in Iowa Falls.
Frustrated by the throw-away trays she was tossing as a furniture refinisher, Billie envisioned a reusable, eco-friendly paint tray product. The next month, she filed a provisional patent. To kickstart manufacturing, Repaint Trays received a loan to invest in molds through the Iowa Center for Economic Success, an economic development organization that empowers Iowans to launch, manage and grow small businesses.
After narrowly missing the opportunity to compete in the InnoVenture top three in 2023, Billie asked for feedback. What she heard helped her cast a vision to scale the idea and achieve more.
When she went to Lowe’s global pitch competition, she received the highest purchase order for their paint department in that global competition.
Victory XR
In Davenport, VictoryXR is building the school of the future from the building where CEO Steve Grubbs learned to read. He chose to headquarter the pioneering EdTech startup out of the decommissioned Davenport public school he attended as a child. Steve gets a kick out of collaborating on virtual reality projects with people across the globe from his office in the former teacher’s lounge.
“We deployed our very first product just south of Davenport, so it’s a uniquely Iowa story,” Steve said. “Now we are the global leader in Metaverse education.”
The Metaversity concept, which creates “digital twin” models of campuses and classrooms, is quickly gaining traction as a dynamic approach to online learning. Enrolled students don a headset and use handheld controllers to participate in immersive coursework with credentialed teachers. Colleges and K-12 schools worldwide are using these tools to connect learners with experiences and experts.
