3M skilled trades program inspires new generation of Iowa workers
Garfield Bowen, vice president of policy and communication at 3M, works with students from Knoxville High School during a robotics program hosted by 3M, Sept. 26, 2025.
- Des Moines metro cities are working to attract more light industrial companies, citing affordable land and good transportation access.
- Workforce availability is a primary challenge, driven by an aging population and slow population growth outside of major metro areas.
- Ankeny and Waukee are specifically targeting advanced manufacturing and logistics businesses to diversify their local tax bases.
Des Moines metro cities are looking to attract more light industrial companies, and local and regional economic development officials say the suburbs have what’s necessary to be competitive.
The metro offers affordable land and energy, and highway, railroad and airport access to draws for businesses. But there are workforce availability challenges to attracting employers, though officials in Ankeny and Waukee have said they are leveraging local and regional partnerships to their advantage.
Candidates for suburban city councils in this month’s election featured attracting light industry as part of their campaigns. At forums, candidates were asked about balancing competitive property taxes rates against making sure their cities have the money they need. Some said developing light industrial projects could help with that balance.
Dustin Graber, who won an Ankeny’s City Council seat this month, said at a candidate forum the city should increase its commercial and light industrial presence. And Lori Lyon, a winner in the Waukee City Council election, said at a forum there the city should work on attracting medical and light manufacturing employers next.
Advanced manufacturing, logistics, bioscience, business services, and consumable food production fit that light industrial mold, Derek Lord, Ankeny economic development director, and Mike Schrock, Ankeny interim city manager who is the finalist to permanently hold the position, said earlier this year. Those are the business they’d like to attract.
The metro has a light industrial base already, making homes for companies like Dee Zee, Andersen Windows and Doors and Vermeer Corp., according to the Greater Des Moines Partnership.
The lines between light and heavy industry are sometimes blurry.
John Deere Des Moines Works in Ankeny — which produces cotton pickers and sprayers — is an advanced manufacturer but is considered heavy industry because of the materials involved, size of the products being manufactured and outdoor storage that’s needed, Lord said recently.
But light industrial advanced manufacturers can still use “information, automation, computation, software, sensing, and networking” in their production lines, according to the federal government’s definition of advanced manufacturing.
Light industrial employers can bring quality jobs and diversify a local tax base, said Jennifer Brown, Waukee economic development director.
“Waukee is in a strong position — we have available land, flexible zoning, and well-planned infrastructure, which give us an advantage in attracting a wide range of businesses,” Brown said.
Des Moines metro is seeing a boom of interest, needs a boom of workers
Aspects of the Des Moines metro are primed to attract light industry.
Stacie LoVan, senior vice president for economic development at the Greater Des Moines Partnership, said in a statement the region “continues to be a strong location for light industry” because of its affordable cost of living, reputation for public-private collaboration and amenities.
Businesses are taking notice.
LoVan said 131 prospective businesses or projects across all industries have looked at opportunities in the region so far in 2025, which surpassed last year’s interest. She said interest in 2025 “was the highest in years.”
But across the state, manufacturers are concerned a lack of population growth outside its two fastest-growing metros of Des Moines and Iowa City, and an aging workforce, could present workforce challenges.
Metinka Slater, spokesperson for the Greater Des Moines Partnership, said the organization is working to address those challenges by working with communities, schools and employers to “identify skill needs, connect job seekers to training and attract new talent.”
Lord said Ankeny works with regional partners and their workforce development and recruitment programs to support current and future employers.
There are local efforts as well.
Ankeny voters decided Nov. 4 to approve a $130 million bond measure to fund a career and technical education hub and other school district projects. The Hub is planned to offer hundreds of secondary students each day with career, technical and other specialized programming starting in the 2028-29 school year at the Northview Middle School campus off North Ankeny Boulevard.
That will “will grow Ankeny’s pipeline for workforce ready talent coming out of our high schools,” he said.
But to really have more workers available statewide, Lord said Iowa needs to be elevated as a great place to live.
“All the skills training and different programs we have are great, but we also need greater population growth to keep up with demand for employment not just in our region, but across Iowa,” he said.
Investment in new community amenities to attract people across a broad range of talents with a high quality of life is part of that — a “one household at a time” approach to workforce development, Lord said.
And LoVan said continued population growth, along with potential future milestones such as federal interstate designation for a section of Highway 5 and Highway 65, will strengthen the region’s position.
“These designations will open the door for larger-scale industrial and logistics projects that require specific federal and population criteria for consideration,” she said.
Phillip Sitter covers the suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com. Find out more about him online in the Register’s staff directory.