Area Dev

Mount Pleasant Shows Significant Growth in Census

Mount Pleasant Shows Significant Growth in 2020 Census


FOR RELEASE ON AUGUST 20, 2021

 

MOUNT PLEASANT, IA – Henry County, and more specifically Mount Pleasant, was one of the big winners in the recently announced 2020 Census Data.  The census numbers show Henry County experienced a 1.7 percent growth, with the city of Mount Pleasant seeing a 7 percent increase.

“It’s so exciting to be one of the 30 counties in Iowa that are growing. Especially considering we are one of the very few rural counties to grow”, said Kristi Perry, Executive Vice President of the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance.

Mount Pleasant was one of the highest ranked cities above 5,000 which is outside of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Mount Pleasant grew from 8,668 people in 2010 to 9,274 in the 2020 census. Much of that growth is directly attributed to the growth at Iowa Wesleyan University.

“Iowa Wesleyan University has experienced steady and strategic enrollment growth for the past five years.  Between 2015 and 2020, we experienced an enrollment headcount increase of more than 56%.  We are delighted to see how this growth has impacted the census numbers for our community,” said Chris Plunkett, Iowa Wesleyan University President.  “Once again, we are expecting record-breaking enrollment for our new fall 2021 students and total University headcount.  We will continue to do our part to help support the growth of the rural communities in Southeast Iowa.”

Another important factor in the growth of Mount Pleasant is the private/public partnerships designed to improve housing stock. Back in 2014, a Housing Needs Assessment gave Mount Pleasant the direction needed to address their shortfall.  Projects such as Ashford Park, Threshers Meadows, Bell Subdivision, and Robin Run are just a few examples of new single-family housing. In addition to that, projects like Heather Branch Estates and a strong interest in downtown upper story housing make Mount Pleasant a very appealing community.

Salem and New London were other communities in Henry County showing a positive population growth in this census. As for the state, nearly 3.2 million people now live in Iowa, a 4.7 percent increase from 2010.

The Mount Pleasant Area Development Commission is part of the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance which also includes the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Mount Pleasant and Henry County Tourism.

 

Mid-Am Building Supply Inc. to Construct New Facility in Mount Pleasant

Mid-Am Building Supply Inc. to Construct New Facility in Mount Pleasant

May 27, 2021

MOUNT PLEASANT— The Mount Pleasant City Council has approved a high-quality jobs application and the sale of land in the Crossroads Industrial Park for Mid-Am Building Supply to complete an $8.6 million expansion in Mount Pleasant, IA.

“This is just the type of project we need in Mount Pleasant. Mid-Am Building Supply will relocate their current staff to a new and expanded location which solidifies their commitment to our community for years to come”, said Kristi Perry, Executive Vice President of the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance.

Operating in Mount Pleasant since 1984, Mid-Am Building Supply, Inc. is a “two-step” building material distributor that sells building materials to lumber yards and big box stores. With five warehouses in four states, the company distributes products across the Midwest that include shingles, doors, insulation, siding, windows, decking, door locks, fasteners and other building products.

“Over the last 37 years it has been extremely exciting to watch the Mid-Am Mount Pleasant business and team of employees grow within the community.  We would like to thank the State of Iowa and the City of Mt. Pleasant, who have been working with us to finalize their support of this exciting new project.  We are looking forward to many years of continued success in Mount Pleasant”, said Joe Knaebel, Chairman of the Board of Mid-Am Building Supply.

Due to significant growth, the company plans to construct a new 130,000 sq. ft. facility in the Crossroads Industrial Park at 2201 E. Bluegrass Road. They will relocate its current operations, which will allow for an expansion in distribution and door manufacturing. Representing a capital investment of just over $8.6 million, the project was awarded tax benefits through the Iowa Economic Development Authority High Quality Jobs program. It is expected to create eight jobs and retain 46 current employees. In addition to the state incentives, Mid-Am Building Supply will take advantage of the local tax abatement program designed to encourage growth and expansion in our community.

The Mount Pleasant Area Development Commission exists to improve the quality of life for Henry County residents through economic growth.

Recognizing the Mount Pleasant High School CTE Program

Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance to Recognize Mount Pleasant High School CTE Program

October 8, 2020

Earlier this year, Governor Kim Reynolds announced 14 recipients of the Future Ready Iowa Employer Innovation Fund, a matching grant that helps employers provide postsecondary training and education opportunities for their employees. The Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance was honored to receive a grant to purchase a new CNC Machine for the Career and Technical Education Department at Mount Pleasant High School.

On Thursday, October 8 at 3:30 pm at the High School, the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance will unveil the new CNC machine and will also present the CTE Department with a $2,000 check to further career exploration in trade industries at Mount Pleasant High School. Some of the CTE programs offered include culinary, photography and graphic design, business and finance, information technology, manufacturing, construction, building trades, and automotive.

“Entering a trade offers personal fulfillment, high salary potential, and job stability” said Kristi Ray, Executive Vice President of the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance. “We need students to study those trades now more than ever before”.

After presenting the check to the CTE instructors, the community will have the opportunity to see the new Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine that arrived at the school over the summer. This $20,000 project was funded with $10,000 from the state grant, $5,000 from the school district and the remaining $5,000 was generous contributions from Cornerstone Building Products, Hearth & Home Technologies, Jabil, Lomont Molding, and Steffensmeier Welding.

The Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance exists to improve the quality of life for Henry County residents through economic growth. The Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance includes the Mount Pleasant Area Development Commission, the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Mount Pleasant and Henry County Tourism.

Census Information is Key to Henry County

Census Information is Key to Henry County

Why is the Census important to Mount Pleasant? It is a snapshot of America that determines how congressional seats are apportioned, how state and federal dollars are distributed, where businesses choose to ship products and where they build new stores. To do all that properly, the count needs to be accurate.

  • Over $400 billion per year is allocated throughout the nation with help from census data, including programs such as public health, education and infrastructure. State and local funds are often distributed based on population, meaning that every person is important when advocating for funding. The strength of census statistics and data also helps inform many public policy proposals at all levels of government.
  • The number of congressional districts in a state may shift based on increases or decreases in population over the previous decade, which affects congressional representation and state electoral votes. This reapportionment of seats in the House of Representatives and resulting change in electoral votes helps dictate the geographic shift in political power within the United States.
  • Restaurants such as Jimmy Johns, Dominos and Starbucks all have population requirements before they will come into a community. If we grow in population, we have a much better chance of getting new restaurants in town.
  • The City of Mount Pleasant receives $125.00 per person from the State of Iowa in Road Use Tax every year for a period of 10 years.  Every person over our current population of 8,688 (2010 census) is $125.00 more we have to spend on our streets.

By now, you should have received a survey in the mail asking you to be counted in the Census. PLEASE, complete that form and make sure that everyone in your household gets counted. If you have questions about this process, please contact Kristi Ray at the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance at 319-385-3101 or email kristi@mpiowa.org.

The Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance exists to improve the quality of life for Henry County residents through economic growth. The Chamber consists of 360 businesses, organizations and individual members.

Mount Pleasant Selected for Employer Innovation Grant

MOUNT PLEASANT – On Tuesday, Governor Reynolds announced 14 recipients of the Future Ready Iowa Employer Innovation Fund, a matching grant that helps employers provide postsecondary training and education opportunities for their employees. The Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance has been awarded one of those grants for $10,000.

“Through the Employer Innovation Fund, Future Ready Iowa is working to spur innovation among employers and communities,” said Gov. Reynolds. “We have thousands of open jobs and rewarding careers and that is why we launched Future Ready Iowa. The Employer Innovation Fund is just one way we can help remove the barriers to postsecondary training and education and help Iowans achieve their goals.”

To meet identified employer needs in the area, this project will fund the purchase a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine to be placed in the Mount Pleasant High School as well as cover the cost of training instructors. The school district and the local business community have partnered together to teach students and parents about the advanced technology involved in manufacturing jobs within their community. Local manufacturers will serve as project advisors and will help teach more than 175 students how to use the CNC machine each semester. As this is a matching grant, the business community will contribute $5,000 to this project, the schools will contribute $5,000 and the state grant will complete the $10,000 match.

“We are very honored to receive the Employer Innovation Fund grant. We look forward to working with Colby Newman and other teachers in the Career and Technical Education department to train students on this exciting piece of equipment” said Kristi Ray, Executive Vice President of the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance.

The Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance exists to improve the quality of life for Henry County residents through economic growth. The Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance includes the Mount Pleasant Area Development Commission, the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Mount Pleasant and Henry County Tourism.

 

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