First, they readily found a building with expansive square footage right on the town square. In addition, there were capital sources to complete the office build-out and enterprise business class fiber Internet connectivity with built-in Internet backbone dual-redundancy.
They also found a population pool of around 20, within a miles radius, and had a minute proximity to their existing Des Moines Forge and employee base. But maybe even more important was the quality of the people who call this area home.
As a matter of fact, the intense training begins in high school, moves through the community college courses, and ends with four months of free training at the Jefferson Forge Academy. Students then have the opportunity to apply for a paid six-month apprenticeship at the Jefferson Forge, or to anywhere else they desire because the education they receive has no strings attached.
Not only is this fast-track training that positions graduates for good-paying jobs with little debt available to students with the drive to succeed, Pillar and Corteva Agriscience have established 25 Rural Forge Scholarships at DMACC.
Kroeger attributes Pillar Technologies success to recruiting and retaining the best talent, and their Jefferson Forge has added a new source of diverse talent to their team. The educated and industrious workforce of Iowa paired with the lower cost of living has certainly caught the eye, and the capital, of Silicon Valley.
