Secret is out – Muscatine celebrates big accomplishments

MUSCATINE, Iowa – A business leader in this community on Tuesday, March 26, labeled many of the events and features in Muscatine as “the best kept secrets” in the state. Many other Muscatine business leaders added that those “secrets” are finally getting out. People are discovering the river city as big things are coming to […]

MUSCATINE, Iowa – A business leader in this community on Tuesday, March 26, labeled many of the events and features in Muscatine as “the best kept secrets” in the state. Many other Muscatine business leaders added that those “secrets” are finally getting out. People are discovering the river city as big things are coming to the community. And realizing those big things – more businesses, jobs and visitors – will take teamwork and momentum from the community.

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Those were some of the main themes presented during the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s (GMCCI) Annual Meeting and Recognition Night on Tuesday at The Merrill Hotel in downtown Muscatine.  “We have great things happening in Muscatine. We have momentum. If we work together, more great things are coming,” said Dr. Brad Bark, the GMCCI’s president and CEO, said at the meeting, which attracted about 360 guests from the area business community. That meeting largely focused on honoring people from the Muscatine business community, reviewing last year’s big events and accomplishments and looking forward to big events coming in 2024. The night’s keynote speaker – Gage Kent, CEO and chairman of the KENT Corp. –  outlined many of the big plans for the community. Mr. Kent said he hoped the attendees in the crowd used the chamber’s gathering as a “strategic planning meeting” to continue to make improvements to the community. He issued a call to action Tuesday night for the guests to take the following three actions:

• Attract visitors: When people come into a business, tell them about the many things to do in Muscatine. He said some of those great features include the city’s updated riverfront, sports facilities, bike trails and the world-class Merrill Hotel.
• Involve visitors in commerce: When people come into your business to buy a product or a service, tell them about other businesses and features in Muscatine. One of the suggestions Mr. Kent made is to have local book stores feature a section to highlight the works of the many noted local authors.
• Help the GMCCI: Give generously to the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

“You’ve heard the phrase ‘The buck stops here.’ Well, the buck starts here with us. … Be proud and take care of the community,” Mr. Kent said, adding that he hopes people in the community also will support educators, police and politicians who help improve the community. The business leader also urged those in the crowd to help get the secret out about the many features in Muscatine.  In addition to his call to action, Mr. Kent spent much of his speech talking about the relationship between KENT Corp. – which has more than 2,000 employees in 15 countries – and the City of Muscatine. That has been a great relationship that has helped both the city and company, he said. That great relationship, he added, can be seen in KENT’S new $80 million expansion in Muscatine. That in-the-works project focuses on a new 113,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that is being built on 70 acres adjacent to the current Kent Distribution Center, and will produce Kent’s signature cat litter.  The company expects to hire 30 additional employees with the expansion. Wages for the new jobs will be at least $22.08 an hour. The facility is scheduled to be completed next year. “We had a lot of places we could have put this,” but it is going in Muscatine because of the local support for the company, he added. The local support can be seen in low local employee turnover at KENT companies and in their pride in the work and the community, Mr. Kent said. That support for KENT Corp. also has vastly helped the community. He added that some of the ways Muscatine has benefited from Kent include: the company’s contribution to the community is more than $1 million a day through taxes, paychecks and ingredient purchases; $3,500 a day in philanthropic giving to Muscatine organizations; there are 900 Muscatine-based employees with the company; about 16% of the city’s population is comprised of KENT employees and their families; and four of KENT’s operating companies are headquartered in the city. “We’re proud to call Muscatine home. The buck starts here with us,” Mr. Kent said. The KENT Corp. leader also gave a history of the business, which started in 1927. He told the crowd of a recent discovery of a small part of that history. Workers found a rental receipt from company founder Gage Allison Kent, who was Mr. Kent’s grandfather. The receipt shows that the elder Mr. Kent rented an apartment for $36 a month above a cinema in Muscatine. From those humble beginnings, the company has become an economic powerhouse. “KENT continues to grow worldwide and we have our roots right here in Muscatine,” he added. The event’s theme of “Great things happening in Muscatine” was expanded on by Dr. Bark, who also is Muscatine’s mayor. During his presentation on Tuesday, the GMCCI leader outlined many of the accomplishments of 2023 while looking forward to what is and will happen in the community this year. For example, last year Muscatine had three cruise ships visit with a total of 390 boat guests. This year, that city expects visits from 10 the river cruise ships. In addition to tourism numbers increasing, capital investments in Muscatine are on the rise. Dr. Bark said that from 2014 to 2018, there were $443 million in investments. That figure increased by 170% to $1.2 billion from 2018 to 2023. And there is already $423 million in capital investments scheduled for this year and next year. He added that many of the successes of the past – and the big things to come – can be expressed in two words: “team” to highlight the needed teamwork to get projects completed, and “momentum” to get and keep the community moving in the right direction. “Momentum is never an accident. It’s a choice. … We’re definitely moving in the right direction,” Dr. Bark said. Other highlights during Tuesday night’s events included:

• Dr. Bark thanked the annual meeting’s sponsors: KENT Corp., CBI Bank & Trust, Ed Morse Automotive Group, GSTC Logistics Inc.,  Silver Hawk Fabrication, UnityPoint Health Trinity, HNI Corp., MidWestOne Bank, MPW, Musco Lighting, Vision Center P.C., Stanley Consultants, Affordable Metal Manufacturing, Bayer, Bosch,  Reliable Network Solutions, Russell, T.K. Construction, Point Above LLC, Beckey Insurance & Financial Services, Pearl City Chiropractic, Impact Fitness & Nutrition, and Retirement Resource Group.
• Michelle Almandinger was recognized as the new chair of the GMCCI Board of Directors. Also, Joey Krieger was thanked as the outgoing board chair. “There is so much to celebrate in Muscatine. And we are kind of the best kept secrets,” Ms. Almandinger said.
• Silver Hawk Fabrication was named the winner of the inaugural Presidential Award.
• Whitni Pena received the chamber’s Volunteer of the Year Award. “I was wondering why everybody was being so nice to me tonight,” Ms. Pena said as she accepted the award Tuesday night.
• Hilary Henke received the Ambassador of the Year Award.
• Josie Kriener received the Young Professional of the Year Award.