CNI Award Group Photo
CNI Ag Independent Retailers Honored with Iowa Venture Award
Monday | December 5, 2022

The Iowa Area Development Group (IADG) and its Rural Electric Cooperative partners honored seven distinguished Iowa companies with the Iowa Venture Award at a luncheon held in conjunction with the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives’ annual meeting. Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority, joined IADG as the presenter of the awards.

CNI Ag Independent Retailers (CNI)

Nominated by Midland Power Cooperative

CNI is the newest occupant of the Southview Industrial Park in Iowa Falls. They purchased the 24,000-square-foot speculative building for the new facility. CNI is a national distributor of crop protection products, including seed, seed treatments and micronutrients, serving its 400 independent retailers across 1,200 locations in 44 states. The Iowa Falls distribution center is the first in Iowa and will allow for continued growth in the Midwest. This location will also house a bulk packaging facility, office and meeting space.

The speculative building was built as a partnership between Iowa Falls Area Development Corporation, Midland Power, Corn Belt Power and the City of Iowa Falls. It was built to market the city to prospective businesses like CNI.

“The Iowa Venture Award provides an opportunity to recognize and thank companies that are innovating, creating jobs, and investing in Iowa,” said IADG President/CEO Bruce Nuzum. “IADG and its partners are proud to recognize CNI for their new location in Iowa Falls and contributions they are making in the community, state of Iowa and beyond.”

Additional Iowa Venture Award recipients include:
Godbersen Metal Works – Spencer
Hen Haven – Clearfield
KWF, LLC – Griswold
Marker 126 – Duncombe
SFM, Fairfield – Fairfield
Shell Rock Soy Processing – Shell Rock - “Outstanding Business of the Year”

About the Iowa Venture Award

This marks the 34th year that IADG has presented Iowa Venture Awards to individuals and organizations, both large and small, in recognition of their significant contributions to Iowa's economy through entrepreneurial leadership, innovation, and the creation of job opportunities. Together they are helping to sustain and grow Iowa’s economy. The Iowa Venture Award Hall of Fame showcasing these 287 companies can be found at www.IADG.com/HallOfFame.

About Iowa Area Development Group (IADG)

IADG is the business and community development leader for Iowa’s rural electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, and independent telecommunication companies. Since 1985, the partnerships and economic development efforts of IADG and their sponsors have assisted with more than 2,450 projects, generating over $13.9 billion of capital investment and over 57,500 new or retained jobs for Iowa.