Iowa Soybean Association Moves to New Building
ANKENY, Iowa - The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) has moved into its new building in Ankeny, Iowa. ISA was located in Urbandale in a leased space, but as the organization has grown, more adequate space was required for staff and ISA’s many, expanding programs.
Dennis Albaugh of DRA Development Company and Harry Stine of Stine Seed joined together to donate a three-acre property, valued at $1.2 million, available in the Prairie Trail development in Ankeny. The building size is approximately 30,000 square feet and will allow for 15 to 20 percent growth within the organization.
ISA CEO Kirk Leeds said while the challenges of soybean farmers continue to grow and become more complex, so do the demands on programs and services that ISA provides.
“Given this growth, the ISA board formed a task force to take a look at our short-term and long-term office space requirements,” Leeds says. “During this review, ISA was approached by industry friends who ultimately offered to donate three acres of land in a new development in Ankeny to house our new offices. With the gift of land by Dennis Albaugh and Harry Stine, the board decided it was an offer they couldn’t refuse. It just makes good business sense to invest in a building we were able to self-finance, as opposed to paying thousands of dollars every year to a landlord.”
The building contains soy-based construction products, such as soy insulation for all walls and soy backing for the carpet, and a highly efficient geothermal heating and cooling system. Native prairie grass, which is lower maintenance than sod, will cover the back of the property, and two bio-retention sites were installed to reduce water runoff from the parking lot and building.
Other unique features include a water testing lab for ISA’s Environmental programs and an in-house sound studio to record audio and video productions.
ISA President Delbert Christensen from Audubon is looking forward to not only the space, but also the technology in the building.
We now have the ability to hold board meetings and board functions in our own building,” Christensen says. “I’m interested to see how the water lab will work and the results we’ll obtain from that. Also, the sound studio will be advantageous for publicity and getting the word out there about ISA.”
One of the most noticeable features is the incorporation of a grain bin into the design of the building. Inside this atrium includes a three-dimensional sculptural mural of a farm scene by Des Moines artist Tom Moberg.
“We thought an entry way that looks like a grain bin is a visual way to tell our visitors and passers-by who we are and who we work for,” Leeds says.
The new building is being paid by both checkoff and non checkoff dollars.
ISA is now located at 1255 SW Prairie Trail Parkway in Ankeny.
Dennis Albaugh of DRA Development Company and Harry Stine of Stine Seed joined together to donate a three-acre property, valued at $1.2 million, available in the Prairie Trail development in Ankeny. The building size is approximately 30,000 square feet and will allow for 15 to 20 percent growth within the organization.
ISA CEO Kirk Leeds said while the challenges of soybean farmers continue to grow and become more complex, so do the demands on programs and services that ISA provides.
“Given this growth, the ISA board formed a task force to take a look at our short-term and long-term office space requirements,” Leeds says. “During this review, ISA was approached by industry friends who ultimately offered to donate three acres of land in a new development in Ankeny to house our new offices. With the gift of land by Dennis Albaugh and Harry Stine, the board decided it was an offer they couldn’t refuse. It just makes good business sense to invest in a building we were able to self-finance, as opposed to paying thousands of dollars every year to a landlord.”
The building contains soy-based construction products, such as soy insulation for all walls and soy backing for the carpet, and a highly efficient geothermal heating and cooling system. Native prairie grass, which is lower maintenance than sod, will cover the back of the property, and two bio-retention sites were installed to reduce water runoff from the parking lot and building.
Other unique features include a water testing lab for ISA’s Environmental programs and an in-house sound studio to record audio and video productions.
ISA President Delbert Christensen from Audubon is looking forward to not only the space, but also the technology in the building.
We now have the ability to hold board meetings and board functions in our own building,” Christensen says. “I’m interested to see how the water lab will work and the results we’ll obtain from that. Also, the sound studio will be advantageous for publicity and getting the word out there about ISA.”
One of the most noticeable features is the incorporation of a grain bin into the design of the building. Inside this atrium includes a three-dimensional sculptural mural of a farm scene by Des Moines artist Tom Moberg.
“We thought an entry way that looks like a grain bin is a visual way to tell our visitors and passers-by who we are and who we work for,” Leeds says.
The new building is being paid by both checkoff and non checkoff dollars.
ISA is now located at 1255 SW Prairie Trail Parkway in Ankeny.
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Funded by the soybean checkoff