Mystery company countdown: One month until reveal

The countdown is on for the announcement of the $65 million warehouse and distribution center under construction in Clear Lake’s Industrial Park.  

Chad Schreck, executive director of the North Iowa Corridor EDC, told the Clear Lake City Council Monday night that the company plans to reveal its identity in one month.

Schreck, along with Clear Lake Mayor Nelson Crabb and City Administrator Scott Flory recently visited Windmill Realty officials at one of their business sites similar to the one under construction in Clear Lake.  

“They are excited about how things are progressing in Clear Lake and say this will be their biggest and most advanced site.  They talked about how easy it has been to work with this community and are thankful for the way in which this was handled.”

Schreck said the Fortune 100 company intends to make the facility a “community project,” and is taking steps to implement local design, such as Frank Lloyd Wright elements, into its look.  “They don’t just want to be the big box on the hill,” he said.  

The community will learn about the company’s identity first, said Schreck, and that will likely happen in the third week of February.  

Construction of the 340,000 square foot building is expected to be complete in April, but internal components will take the better part of a year to finish.  

Schreck said the firm will begin to hire its management team following its February announcement.  However, the bulk of its hiring will not occur until late 2015. The business will employ 164 full-time employees with an average annual wage of $39,000.  Operation should begin in early 2016.

More good news

In making his quarterly report to the Council Monday Schreck also noted he has been working with the Clear Lake Bakery in the Industrial Park.  That business recently secured contracts with some national companies, prompting the need for more workforce.  It plans to increase its workforce of 30 by another 15 to 20 persons.