3 Ames Companies Expand With Iowa Economic Development Authority's Help

Three Ames companies received $1.8 million in loans and tax benefits from the Iowa Economic Development Authority for expansions that will bring at least 75 new jobs to Ames.

3M, GeoMatters and GlobalVetLink were among nine Iowa companies to receive awards in January, according to a release from the Ames Economic Development Authority.

3M received $1.2 million in tax benefits that will be used to install new manufacturing equipment. The company plans a $24 million capital investment that will create 75 jobs.

GeoMatters, which launched in 2009 to develop construction and geo materials testing technology, received a $100,000 loan to develop its patented lightweight pipe, which could bring new jobs in the future.

And finally GlobalVetLINK, a company that specializes in electronic health records, received a $500,000 loan to develop and commercialize a Herd Health Monitoring Solution, according the the release from the economic development corporation.

Ron Hallenbeck, vice president of the economic development corporation and the Ames Chamber of Commerce, said in a prepared statement that he's excited about these companies' growth and Ames' thriving business climate.

“These awards indicate that companies find Iowa and specifically Ames to be an attractive place to create jobs and flourish,” Hallenbeck said.