Iowa Lakes Community College

2010 Kossuth County Business Survey

To receive a full copy of the survey results, including explanations, contact KCEDC at 515-295-7979, or download it here.

1. Types of Businesses in Kossuth County
Agriculture
12%
Retail Trade
15%
Construction
4%
Finance, Ins. & Real Estate
21%
Manufacturing
13%
Services
12%
Transportation
2%
Health Care
5%
Wholesale Trade
1%
Education
4%
Communication
5%
Other
7%

 

2. Multiple Locations of Business
Multiple Locations
 
Within County
0%
Within State
65%
Within US
29%
Outside US
6%

 

3. Types of Employees
Current Full Time
66%
  Part Time
18%
  Seasonal
16%
Projections Full Time
66%
  Part Time
18%
  Seasonal
16%

 

4. Increase in Employees in the Past Five Years
Due to: Entered New Markets
11%
  Expanded Share in Existing Markets
35%
  Renovation/Expansion
22%
  Addition of Product/Service
13%
  Other
19%

 

5. Decrease in Employees in the Past Five Years
Due to: Declining Sales
17%
  Labor Saving Technology
15%
  Improved Efficiency
39%
  Other
29%

 

6. Sale of Products and Services
In this County
31%
In the Rest of the State
28%
In the Rest of the US
23%
Outside the US (International)
18%

 

7. Compared to Last Year,
Business has Experienced
Growth
42%
Decline
13%
Same/No Change
45%

 

8. Result of This Growth
Entered New Markets
13%
Expanded Share
48%
Renovation/Expansion
7%
Addition of Product
6%
Other
26%

 

9. Modernization/Expansion Plans
in the Nest Five Years
Plan to
34%
No Plan to
44%
Unsure
22%

 

10. Own/Lease Sufficient Property
for Expansion
Have Sufficient Property
56%
Do not Have Sufficient Property
27%
Unsure
17%

 

11. Impact of Modernization/Expansion
No Change
45%
Add Employees
14%
Reduce Employees
3%
Unsure
38%

 

12. Considering Closing,
Relocation, or Neither
Closing
2%
Relocation
1%
Neither
97%

 

13. Change in Business Plan
No Change
53%
Change Goods/Services
8%
Add Product
17%
Change Technologies
16%
Other
6%

 

14. Overall Opinion of Kossuth County
Excellent
31%
Good
55%
Fair
9%
Poor
1%
No Opinion
4%

 

15. Perceptions of the Area Workforce
In Percentage
 Availability
 
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
No Opinion
Unskilled (custodial, lab., etc.)
6
29
43
12
10
Semi-skilled (mach./trans. op)
3
32
32
18
15
Skilled (craft, tech, or other)
8
39
26
17
10
Office (clerks, recept., etc.)
3
25
51
13
8
Managers, Admin., Supers
8
35
29
15
13
Professionals (lwyr, eng., etc.)
12
24
28
19
17
Quality
 
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
No Opinion
Unskilled (custodial, lab., etc.)
2
24
39
17
18
Semi-skilled (mach./trans. op)
2
19
37
16
26
Skilled (craft, tech, or other)
6
21
36
13
24
Office (clerks, recept., etc.)
2
13
44
27
14
Managers, Admin., Supers
7
22
36
15
20
Professionals (lwyr, eng., etc.)
5
12
38
27
18

 

16. Best Opportunity for Future Economic Development
Importance (In Percentage)
 
1
MOST
2
3
4
5
LEAST
Agriculture/Agribusiness
74
13
12
0
1
Tour, Recr. & Hwy
36
38
17
6
3
Retirement
38
38
21
1
2
Attract Mfg Firms
54
26
15
3
2
Reduce Retail Lkg
50
26
18
3
3

 

17. Support for Economic Development
 
Strongly
Pro-Growth
Somewhat
Pro-Growth
Somewhat
No-Growth
Strongly
No-Growth
Self
66%
31%
2%
1%
County
44%
50%
4%
2%

 

 

 


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Kossuth County Economic Development Corporation
106 South Dodge Street, Suite 210, Algona, Iowa 50511
515-295-7979 | Fax: 515-295-8873
kcedc@kossuthia.com

All text and original graphics copyright © 2010
Kossuth County Economic Development Corporation