Warren County Well-Represented with ‘Book of Lists'

The Des Moines Business Record annually prints the ‘Book of Lists’, which serves as a coffee table fixture around the Metro while conveying information on a number of leading organizations, businesses, people, and communities.  Everyone likes to see themselves on one or more of the “lists”.

The full 2014 ‘Book of Lists’ can be found here, but Warren County is represented in a number of different places.  Here are a few notable mentions:

Ø  The Des Moines Metro Opera in Indianola named among the top 50 nonprofit organizations.

Ø  YMCA of Greater Des Moines is the #1 health and fitness organization in Central Iowa, with 1,460 employees in 12 locations, including Indianola.

Ø  UnityPoint Clinic in Norwalk named among the top providers of family medicine.

Ø  WesleyLife, of which The Village in Indianola has association, recognized as the #1 retirement community in Central Iowa, 287 beds and 94% occupancy rate, 144 FTEs.

Ø  Good Samaritan Society in Indianola is the #9 retirement community, with 131 beds and 85% occupancy rate, 92 FTEs.

Ø  Vintage Hills retirement community in Indianola is the #17 retirement community, with 46 beds and 70 percent occupancy rate, 10 FTEs.

Ø  Countryside (now Warrior Run) and Echo Valley, both in Norwalk, listed among the top golf courses.

Ø  The Indianola, Norwalk, Carlisle Chambers of Commerce listed among the region’s chambers (508 total members).

Ø  Norwalk resident Tucker Anderson is CEO of Ultimate Nursing Services, the #20 largest non-governmental employer, with 725 full-time employees.

Ø  Hubbell Realty named among the oldest businesses.

Ø  Noble Ford of Indianola is the #2 minority owned business, with Nick Nichols as owner.

Ø  Darr Land Consultants, owner Bob Darr of Warren County, is the #21 business consultant.

Ø  SVPA Architects (led by Indianola resident Steve Gray) named #13 office interior firm.

Ø  Noble Ford of Indianola is #14 on the Auto Dealers for number of employees, with 60.

Ø  Watters Autoland of Indianola is ranked #17 on the Auto Dealers list for number of employees, with 24.

Ø  Harvest Innovations of Indianola is #8 on Agribusiness list, with 69 employees.

Ø  MidAmerican Energy is the #3 manufacturer (energy generation), with 953 full time employees.

Ø  Simpson College is in the top 10 among colleges and universities.

Ø  Des Moines Area Community College is ranked #4 college / university, with 7,735 full time students.

Ø  Legacy Business Park in Norwalk among the top business / office parks in Central Iowa.

Ø  Indianola YMCA is the #20 construction project.

Ø  Legacy Landing of Norwalk is the #24 construction project.

Ø  DCI Group in Indianola among leading construction firms with $65 million in construction projects in 2012.  A few notable projects were Indianola Schools, Department of Administrative Services, and Principal Financial.

Ø  Hubbell Realty is the #2 developer, among them projects in Norwalk and Carlisle.

Ø  Knapp Properties is the #5 developer, with land throughout northern Warren County).

Ø  Three-Sixty Group is #19 developer, with Summercrest Hills being a notable project).

Ø  SVPA is the #6 architecture firm.

Ø  Snyder & Associates (led by David Moeller of Indianola) is the #3 land scape architect.

Ø  Ted Lare Design Build of Cumming is the #6 landscape architect.

Ø  Baker Electric, the company of Norwalk resident Britt Baker, is the #2 mechanical and electrical contract company.

Ø  Snyder & Associates is the #1 engineering firm.

Ø  Veenstra & Kimm, which does a lot of work in Warren County including for the City of Cumming, is the #1 engineering firm.

Ø  McClure Engineering (which does a lot of Warren County projects) is the #6 engineering firm.

Ø  Terrus Real Estate which includes Norwalk native Bill Wright, is the #2 commercial real estate firm.

Ø  Peoples Company, owned by Norwalk native Steve Bruere, is the #3 commercial real estate firm.

Ø  Colby Interests, which is developing a lot of land in northern Warren County, is the #14 commercial real estate firm.

Ø  Three-Sixty Group is the #14 commercial real estate firm.

Ø  Hubbell Realty is #2 commercial property management firm.

Ø  Knapp Properties is #6 commercial property management firm.

Ø  Terrus Real Estate is the #3 commercial property management firm.

Ø  Hubbell Homes is the #1 homebuilder.

Ø  Darwin Smith (and now Exit Realty), led by Jon Niemeyer in Norwalk, has the #7 residential real estate firm in the metro.

Ø  Peoples Company is the #7 residential real estate firm.

Ø  RE/MAX of Indianola among the top residential real estate firms

Though I likely missed someone, as you can see there is a lot of representation by Warren County in this year’s ‘Book of Lists’, showcasing yet again the strength and clout of the 'Southern Gateway' into the Des Moines Metro area.