Gov Terry Branstad (right) was the guest of Power Lift owner and CEO Jeff Conner (left) when he toured the Power Lift manufacturing facility in Jefferson Feb. 18. Branstad each year visits all 99 counties in Iowa; the Jefferson visit was part of that effort. Branstad toured Van Diest Supply Company in Webster City prior to his Jefferson stop. He planned to finish the day with a visit to the Pella Corporation facility in Carroll.
Power Lift has 65 employees total, 58 of whom work at the Jefferson facility. The remaining seven employees are sales representative in other states. Power Lift is a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty strength training equipment for athletes from high to professional, as well as the US Navy Seals, the US Army Rangers, and Olympic training facilities. The Indianapolis Colts, the Green Bay Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins all use strength training equipment built in Jefferson.
Conner and Branstad were trailed on their tour of the 70,000 square-foot facility by about a dozen elected officials, community representatives, and members of the media. The tour ended in the company showroom. There Branstad made comments and answered questions.
Branstad said Power Lift is an example of a “home-grown, family business that has grown.”
Conner told the governor that he and his staff spend the great majority of their time serving customers and have little time to search for markets and financing needed to expand the business. Branstad talked about ways the Iowa Economic Development Authority can help Power Lift expand its marketing efforts. “I compliment you on being customer-focused. Probably having satisfied, happy customers and word of mouth is the best way to grow your business,” Branstad said.
Many of the company’s sales are made in the showroom in Jefferson, with prospective customers from outside Iowa flying to Des Moines and driving to Jefferson. County supervisor Guy Richardson asked the governor what people in outlying areas can do to help promote the proposed renovation project at the Des Moines airport.
Branstad said the airport renovation is very important because so many Iowa companies rely on the airport to bring in customers. “The more we can grow the ridership, the more we encourage people to use the airport, the more likely we are to get the support for the project,” Branstad said.
Branstad was asked whether Greene County is one of only a few counties in the state with expanding economies. “You’ve got a lot of things going on… Greene County’s not a big county, but it’s a county that’s got a lot of activity going on and I think that’s a really good thing,” Branstad said. “You all should be very proud of your county. There’s a lot of momentum right now in Greene County. We want to do what we can at the state level to encourage and support that.”
