(L-R) are Bruce Nuzum, CEO, Iowa Area Development Group; Doug Stewart, CEO of PCEA; Ben Cox, president, LDJ Manufacturing Inc.; Xochitl Torres Small, undersecretary for Rural Development; Greg Clark – CFO, LDJ Manufacturing; Teresa Greenfield, USDA state director, Iowa; Chad VanWyk, vice president of operations of LDJ Manufacturing; and Dave Greving, senior vice president of Marion County Bank. (Thunder Creek Equipment photo)

Thunder Creek Equipment and its parent company LDJ Manufacturing Inc. hosted officials from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at its newly expanded manufacturing plant in Pella, Iowa, on Feb. 1, 2023. The company added more than 25,000 sq. ft. of new manufacturing space to handle growth in demand for its products in the construction and agricultural sectors — made possible by a $1.5 million loan through the USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program (REDLG) and the Pella Cooperative Electric Association (PCEA).

The program provides zero percent interest loans to rural utility providers, such as PCEA, that in turn re-lend the money at zero percent interest to businesses within their communities.

Thunder Creek Equipment manufactures a full line of field fueling and service products for the construction and agricultural industries, including trailers and truck-mounted solutions. Attendees included Under Secretary for Rural Development, Xochitl Torres Small; Teresa Greenfield, the USDA state director of Iowa; Doug Stewart, CEO of PCEA; and other representatives from state and area economic development groups.

"It was exciting to see how this new space is already filled with new ideas about how to manufacture," said Torres Small. "This building is now putting employee-driven solutions in place so they can manufacture more efficiently and diversify their processes."

"The new expansion here in our operations symbolizes both the considerable growth and demand for the Thunder Creek product, and the power of businesses and local officials working together to drive real improvement within their communities," said Ben Cox, president, LDJ Manufacturing Inc. "This loan, and this expansion, honors the good work of our employees and the strength of manufacturing in central Iowa and the U.S."

This story also appears on Agricultural Equipment Guide.

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