Our Town: A Peosta company plans to double in size in five years

PEOSTA, Iowa (KCRG) - What was once a small agricultural town just outside Dubuque is now a small city with red-hot growth in the industrial park that’s home to several companies.

ProPulse is a good example of what’s going on in Peosta.

“In the last five years, we’ve doubled in size here at ProPulse, and we expect to double in size again in the next five years,” said ProPulse production manager Larry Huinker.

ProPulse is a maker of high pressure and thermoplastic hoses, often seen on power washers and other industrial and agriculture equipment, has seen a business boom.

“We are producing 1.2 million meters a month,” said Huinker.

That’s 745 miles of hose, about the distance from Peosta to Niagara Falls.

Such dramatic growth would be the envy of communities double, even triple its size.

And it’s not the only Peosta company seeing rapid growth.

The Peosta industrial park is home to 21 businesses, including home-grown Mi-T-M Corporation, founded by A.J. Spiegel.

“He’s very driven,” said Peosta Mayor Russ Pfab when asked about Spiegel.

“He has been influential in a lot of other businesses, especially the industrial, the industrial businesses in town in assisting them in getting up and running.”

At the Peosta Industrial Park, Camso Manufacturing, part of Michelin’s American operations, is adding $30 million in new equipment over the next three years thanks, in part to state tax credits.

And back at ProPulse, a state grant is helping push forward plans to develop a fully automated plant that will still require plenty of new workers.

“So we’re looking at robots and things like that to make everybody’s job much easier,” Huinker explained

And another major employer is trying to make better employers for all of the businesses in Peosta.

“We need to be drivers of success,” said the new president of Northeast Iowa Community College, Dr. Herbert Riedel.

Northeast Iowa Community College is not only a two-year higher education institution, its new president says it’s also an economic engine as a major employer, a generator of income from students and staff, and a draw for people considering Peosta their home.

“As the President, it’s important to understand that my role is to bring people together and to draw the best out of everybody whose here.”

And to bring more people to Peosta.

While several businesses are looking to expand, plenty of others are looking to hire, to meet the needs they already have.

At ProPulse, the number of employees has increased from 60 five years ago to 130 today, with plans to double the workforce in another five years.

“So that adds jobs not only on our production floor, but it adds jobs in our offices as well,” Huinker predicted.

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