Woodbine Manufacturing Co. and ARCO National Construction's Omaha division broke ground on a 345,200-square-foot build-to-suit manufacturing facility in Woodbine, Iowa, marking a major expansion for the hometown company behind Tommy Gate hydraulic liftgates. The project represents a $58 million capital investment and is expected to create 20 new jobs.
According to Grow Omaha, ARCO National Construction's Omaha division joined Woodbine Manufacturing Co. to celebrate the factory groundbreaking. The new building will include 40,250 square feet of office space and a 2,200-square-foot mezzanine, along with expanded production and support areas intended for Tommy Gate manufacturing operations, per the outlet's reporting.
A Family Business Rooted in Harrison County
Woodbine Manufacturing Co. manufactures Tommy Gate hydraulic liftgates, the same account notes. The company traces its roots back to 1965, when it was established in Woodbine by Delbert “Bus” Brown, according to Tommy Gate. The existing factory in town already stands at more than 200,000 square feet and houses five assembly lines along with developmental engineering and testing departments, the company says, and it remains, in its own words, “one hundred percent family-owned and operated.”
Beyond the Tommy Gate name, the company designs and produces hydraulic liftgates and cargo-handling equipment for commercial vehicles under both the Tommy Gate and Anteo brands, according to KJAN. The Anteo line, made in Italy, was added to the company's offerings in 2018, per Woodbine Manufacturing's own account. Today the company's liftgates reach customers through more than 1,000 distributors worldwide and are sold across five continents, according to Tommy Gate.
State Incentives Tied to Wage Requirements
The expansion comes with state backing attached to specific wage commitments. The 20 positions tied to the project will pay a qualifying wage of $27.75 per hour, Western Iowa Today reported. The same outlet reported that the project is expected to help Woodbine Manufacturing increase production capacity, expand existing product lines and add new products.
Iowa's economic development arm approved tax credits for the project in September. The Iowa Economic Development Authority board awarded $2.18 million in tax credits through the BIG program, according to the state's own announcement from the Economic Development & Finance Authority. Radio Iowa, however, described the award differently, reporting that the board gave the company slightly more than $2 million in tax credits.
Part of a Broader Wave of Iowa Manufacturing Growth
The Woodbine project is one of several manufacturing expansions moving forward across Iowa this year. Statewide, six manufacturing projects approved around the same time were expected to create 346 jobs and generate nearly $246.5 million in new capital investment, Western Iowa Today reported. Among the other projects, Accumold broke ground on a micro-molded components facility expansion in Ankeny with a $33.25 million investment expected to create around 150 new jobs, according to Plant Services, with that roughly 53,000-square-foot building slated for completion in February 2028.
Other recent Iowa expansions highlight just how varied these projects can be in scale and job creation. Plant Services also reported that Electrical Power Products plans to invest $42 million in a Des Moines campus expansion adding roughly 420,000 square feet of fabrication, assembly and wiring space, while Geater Machining and Manufacturing plans a $16 million, 30,000-square-foot addition in Independence expected to create 100 new jobs. Those four manufacturers together represented more than $62 million in investment and more than 300 new jobs, per the same outlet's reporting.
