Iowa

Iowa officials approve $1.1 million for Italian auto parts maker in Akeny

Published

1 year ago

May 15, 2023

Iowa officials approve .1 million for Italian auto parts maker in Akeny

State officials agreed Friday to give an Italian auto parts maker $1.1 million in incentives for its new Ankeny complex, boosting total public investment to nearly $4 million.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority board approved a $200,000 forgivable loan and $930,000 in tax credits and rebates for SPAL USA, which makes fans and fluid pumps for vehicles. The company, which already operates a warehouse and sales office in Ankeny, will build a new U.S. headquarters and factory in the Des Moines suburb.

The IEDA’s vote follows the Ankeny City Council’s May 1 decision to provide about $2.7 million in local incentives for the company. SPAL USA, a subsidiary of Correggio, Italy-based SPAL Automotive, plans to hire 39 new employees, bringing its total local headcount to 75. In their contract with the state, SPAL USA officials promised to pay at least $33.31 an hour to 15 of those new workers.

Pandemic disruptions show need for U.S. manufacturing

The company currently ships fans from Italy to the Ankeny warehouse. Tom Phillips, a former SPAL USA president who is consulting with the company on the expansion, said Friday that SPAL Automotive leaders had eyed a U.S. factory for “quite seriously” for seven years.

He said the company finally pulled the trigger on the project as many manufacturers struggled to ship products across international borders in the last few years. Amid a trade war during President Donald Trump’s administration, SPAL Automotive built a factory in China to supply manufacturers in that country.

Then, as Asian factories remained closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers and manufacturers couldn’t get enough parts and products from other countries. The experience has motivated some U.S. companies to keep domestic factories open or add operations in the United States.

Phillips said the international supply difficulties convinced SPAL Automotive executives that they would have customers in the United States for products made in the country. He said the factory needs to produce about 1 million fans a year for executives to consider the investment successful.

“We had to make sure that production isn’t all moving to Asia or production isn’t all moving to South America,” Phillips said Friday. “Fortunately, for us, with the reshoring from the pandemic, it really just made sense. We needed to be here. There’s too much risk in the supply chain. It’s been just a really challenging last four years or so, and I don’t see it changing any time in the near future.”

New facilities expected to expand even more

SPAL USA, which employs 36 workers at its 1731 Oralabor Road location, will move current employees to the new site when builders finish construction. Phillips said SPAL USA will then look to sell that property.

Set to open in 2025, the new building, with about 215,000 square feet of floor space, will be more than five times the size of the current one and, according to the IEDA, will cost the company about $34 million. SPAL USA officials aim to eventually expand the factory, bringing the total space to about 350,000 square feet.

Phillips said the expansion will help fulfill orders under a new contract with an unnamed “major U.S. auto manufacturer.” But officials also hope to build fans in Ankeny for other products, such as construction machines, farm implements and power sports vehicles.

“To be successful,” Phillips said, “we have to expand.”

SPAL USA’s central Iowa roots date to the 1980s, when local business titan John Ruan Sr. formed Iowa Export-Import to encourage international trade in the state. After an Iowa Export-Import representative convinced SPAL Automotive to sell its parts to U.S. car companies, Ruan’s business became the manufacturer’s U.S. distributor.

SPAL Automotive ultimately put its own stake in the ground, opening the Ankeny warehouse and sales center in 2004.

“What we’re doing as a community and the climate we’ve created for business growth is working,” Ankeny Economic Development Director Derek Lord told the Des Moines Register after the City Council’s vote.

Tyler Jett is an investigative reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at tjett@registermedia.com, 515-284-8215, or on Twitter at @LetsJett. He also accepts encrypted messages at tjett@proton.me.

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Iowa

Who the ranked Iowa high school football teams face in Week 7

Published

4 hours ago

October 11, 2024

Press Room

Who the ranked Iowa high school football teams face in Week 7

Williamsburg’s Grant Hocker looks to throw for a 2-point conversion against Cedar Rapids Xavier earlier this season. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.

Here’s who all 71 Iowa high school football teams ranked in this week’s Gazette poll face in Week 7 games Friday night.

Class 3A gets the spotlight this week as its top two teams face top-seven opponents. No. 1 Algona visits No. 7 Humboldt, while second-ranked Williamsburg hosts a Solon team eager to bounce back from last week’s loss to Benton Community that dropped it from the top spot.

There is intrigue in the 8-Player top five as well, where three of the top five teams face fellow unbeaten foes. That includes No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s taking on No. 10 Woodbine and No. 2 Algona Garrigan hosting Ruthven GTRA.

Class 5A

No. 1 West Des Moines Valley (5-1) vs. Waterloo West (5-1)

No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling (5-1) at Urbandale (3-3)

No. 3 Bettendorf (6-0) at Davenport Central (2-4)

No. 4 Pleasant Valley (5-1) vs. Muscatine (2-4)

No. 5 Ankeny Centennial (4-2) vs. Des Moines Roosevelt (1-5)

No. 6 Linn-Mar (5-1) vs. Davenport West (0-6)

No. 7 Johnston (4-2) vs. Council Bluffs Lincoln (4-2)

No. 8 Iowa City Liberty (5-1) vs. Ankeny (3-3)

No. 9 Waukee (4-2) at Southeast Polk (3-3)

No. 10 Sioux City East (4-2) vs. Des Moines Lincoln (1-5)

Class 4A

No. 1 Lewis Central (6-0) at Winterset (4-2)

No. 2 Pella (6-0) at Des Moines Hoover (0-6), Thursday

No. 3 North Polk (6-0) at No. 10 Indianola (4-2)

No. 4 Gilbert (6-0) vs. Bondurant-Farrar (1-5)

No. 5 Decorah (6-0) at Marion (2-4)

No. 6 Adel ADM (5-1) at Ballard (3-3)

No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier (4-2) at Oskaloosa (1-5)

No. 8 North Scott (4-2) at Clear Creek Amana (4-2)

No. 9 Newton (4-2) vs. Carlisle (0-6)

No. 10 Indianola (4-2) vs. No. 3 North Polk (6-0)

No. 10 Western Dubuque (4-2) at Waterloo East (2-4)

Class 3A

No. 1 Algona (6-0) at No. 7 Humboldt (5-1)

No. 2 Williamsburg (5-1) vs. No. 5 Solon (5-1)

No. 3 Dubuque Wahlert (6-0) at West Delaware (4-2)

No. 4 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (6-0) vs. Carroll (4-2)

No. 5 Mount Vernon (5-1) vs. Fort Madison (0-6)

No. 5 Solon (5-1) at No. 2 Williamsburg (5-1)

No. 7 Humboldt (5-1) vs. No. 1 Algona (6-0)

No. 8 Sioux City Heelan (4-2) at Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (1-5)

No. 9 Independence (4-2) at Maquoketa (1-5)

No. 10 Nevada (5-1) at Harlan (3-3)

Class 2A

No. 1 West Lyon (6-0) at Sheldon (2-4)

No. 2 Monroe PCM (6-0) at West Marshall (5-1)

No. 3 Spirit Lake (5-1) at Garner GHV (1-5)

No. 4 Van Meter (5-1) vs. Centerville (4-2)

No. 5 Carroll Kuemper (5-1) vs. Saydel (1-5)

No. 6 North Fayette Valley (5-1) vs. Oelwein (0-6) — canceled, Oelwein to forfeit

No. 7 Northeast (6-0) at Tipton (2-4)

No. 8 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (4-2) vs. No. 10 Western Christian (4-2)

No. 9 Roland-Story (4-2) vs. Des Moines Christian (4-2)

No. 10 Western Christian (4-2) at No. 8 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (4-2)

Class 1A

No. 1 Grundy Center (6-0) at Alburnett (4-2)

No. 2 Wilton (6-0) at West Branch (2-4)

No. 3 Dike-New Hartford (5-1) vs. Aplington-Parkersburg (2-4)

No. 4 Emmetsburg (6-0) vs. Eagle Grove (0-6)

No. 5 Iowa City Regina (6-0) at Dyersville Beckman (4-2)

No. 6 Ida Grove OABCIG (5-1) vs. No. 10 Hinton (5-1)

No. 7 South Hardin (5-1) at Hudson (5-1)

No. 8 Treynor (5-1) vs. Shenandoah (3-3)

No. 9 Sigourney-Keota (5-1) at Colfax-Mingo (1-5)

No. 10 Hinton (5-1) at No. 6 Ida Grove OABCIG (5-1)

Class A

No. 1 West Hancock (6-0) at Lake Mills (4-2)

No. 2 Guthrie Center ACGC (6-0) vs. Mount Ayr (5-1)

No. 3 Saint Ansgar (5-1) at West Fork (1-5)

No. 4 Lisbon (6-0) vs. Danville (4-2)

No. 5 Earlham (5-1) at Oakland Riverside (4-2)

No. 6 Tri-Center (5-1) vs. No. 8 Woodbury Central (5-1)

No. 7 Le Mars Gehlen (5-1) at South O’Brien (0-6)

No. 8 Woodbury Central (5-1) at No. 6 Tri-Center (5-1)

No. 9 North Linn (6-0) vs. Maquoketa Valley (5-1)

No. 10 Madrid (4-2) at North Mahaska (3-3)

8-Player

No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (6-0) vs. No. 10 Woodbine (6-0)

No. 2 Algona Garrigan (6-0) vs. Ruthven GTRA (6-0)

No. 3 Don Bosco (6-0) vs. Turkey Valley (3-3)

No. 4 Audubon (6-0) vs. Collins-Maxwell (4-2)

No. 5 Lenox (6-0) vs. Southeast Warren (6-0)

No. 6 Iowa Valley (6-0) vs. HLV (1-6)

No. 7 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (5-1) at Clarksville (5-2)

No. 8 Anita CAM (5-1) at Fremont-Mills (5-1)

No. 9 Bedford (5-1) vs. Lamoni (4-2)

No. 10 Woodbine (6-0) at No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (6-0)

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com

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Iowa

Iowa State women’s basketball star Emily Ryan discusses eating disorder in video

Published

12 hours ago

October 10, 2024

Press Room

Iowa State women’s basketball star Emily Ryan discusses eating disorder in video

Iowa State women’s basketball star Emily Ryan released a video Thursday in which she discusses her battle with an eating disorder.

Ryan, a senior from Claflin, Kansas, has been one of the Big 12 Conference’s best point guards for the past few seasons. She was a first-team all-conference pick in 2022, and a second-team selection in 2023.

“By sharing my story, I hope to build awareness and provide hope to everyone else fighting an invisible battle,” Ryan said in the video.

Ryan said her sense of self-worth was dependent on Iowa State’s success and her individual performance. That led to increased time spent in the weight room in an effort to get stronger and faster. When Ryan didn’t see the results that she desired, she began to focus on her diet.

Ryan said the Iowa State medical staff expressed their concern about Ryan’s eating habits and what it was doing to her body. Ryan said she was in “complete denial” about having an eating disorder, but her health continued to worsen.

Ryan missed the first nine games of the 2023-24 season due to the eating disorder. When she returned, she said, “off the court I was really struggling. By the end of the season, I was physically and mentally hanging on by a thread.”

During the offseason, Ryan spent 88 days at a treatment center in Denver.

“It took a long time but I finally came to the understanding that being sick wasn’t my fault, and eating disorders are real, complex illnesses,” she said.

How to get help

For resources on disordered eating, call the National Eating Disorders Helpline at 800-931-2237 or text NEDA to 741741.

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Iowa

Latest Iowa high school volleyball rankings reveal regional pairings

Published

22 hours ago

October 10, 2024

Press Room

Latest Iowa high school volleyball rankings reveal regional pairings

It was an important date around the state for volleyball teams in Iowa, as the latest rankings were released and regional pairings in all five classes were revealed.

The two come into play once regionals reach the championship round, as the higher-ranked team will serve as the host for those games.

All five No. 1 squads remained the same, as Ankeny Centennial (Class 5A), Cedar Rapids Xavier (4A), Mount Vernon (3A), Denver (2A) and Ankeny Christian (1A) held serve.

New teams to the Top-15 include Iowa City West in 5A, Ballard in 4A, Wapsie Valley in 2A and Stanton in 1A. The entire 3A poll remained the same while Sidney made one of the biggest climbs, moving to ninth from 12th in 1A.

Regional play for 1A and 2A begins Oct. 21 with 3A, 4A and 5A starting Oct. 22. The state tournament is scheduled for Nov. 4-7 in Coralville from the Xtream Arena. Complete regional pairings can be found on Bound.

Class 5A

1. Ankeny Centennial; 2. Pleasant Valley; 3. Ankeny; 4. West Des Moines Dowling; 5. Indianola; 6. Waukee Northwest; 7. Cedar Falls; 8. Cedar Rapids Prairie; 9. Waukee; 10. Iowa City Liberty; 11. West Des Moines Valley; 12. Sioux City East; 13. Iowa City West; 14. Iowa City High; 15. Linn-Mar.

Class 4A

1. Cedar Rapids Xavier; 2. Sioux City Bishop Heelan; 3. North Scott; 4. Clear Creek-Amana; 5. Lewis Central; 6. Pella; 7. Glenwood; 8. Carlisle; 9. Marion; 10. Adel-ADM; 11. Norwalk; 12. Sergeant Bluff-Luton; 13. MOC-Floyd Valley; 14. Ballard; 15. Grinnell.

Class 3A

1. Mount Vernon; 2. Western Christian; 3. West Delaware; 4. Dubuque Wahlert; 5. Davenport Assumption; 6. Sioux Center; 7. Carroll Kuemper; 8. Mid-Prairie; 9. Cherokee; 10. Wilton; 11. Solon; 12. Anamosa; 13. Roland-Story; 14. Clarinda; 15. Nevada.

Class 2A

1. Denver; 2. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont; 3. Dyersville Beckman; 4. Dike-New Hartford; 5. Aplington-Parkersburg; 6. South Hardin; 7. Boyden-Hull; 8. Pella Christian; 9. Iowa City Regina; 10. Hinton; 11. Grundy Center; 12. Sumner-Fredericksburg; 13. Wapsie Valley; 14. West Burlington; 15. Shenandoah.

Class 1A

1. Ankeny Christian; 2. Holy Trinity; 3. Saint Ansgar; 4. Riverside; 5. BCLUW; 6. Janesville; 7. North Tama; 8. Don Bosco; 9. Sidney; 10. River Valley; 11. Akron-Westfield; 12. Stanton; 13. Fremont-Mills; 14. Southwest Valley; 15. Gladbrook-Reinbeck.

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