A panel of local business and industry leaders spoke to an audience of 50 attendees at the third annual Algona Business and Community Forum on Thursday, April 16 at the Tietz Entrepreneurial Center.
The panel was facilitated by John Bilsten, General Manager of Algona Municipal Utilities. It included:
- Aaron Pearce, President and CEO of Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Group
- Dar Elbert, CEO of Kossuth Regional Health Center
- Nick Gilliland, Midwest General Manager of Smithfield Foods and
- Betsy Barglof, Business Manager of Kinetic Technologies
Discussion included workforce challenges, company changes and ideas for the continued growth of the Algona and Kossuth County area. Topics ranged from supporting small businesses and encouraging people to enter the trades to affordable daycare and increasing housing options.
Betsy and her husband Mark Barglof started Kinetic Technologies in Algona four and a half years ago. The company offers industrial automation and robotic welding with a staff of approximately 15 engineers and builders. Their workforce, which includes local recruits and individuals from around the nation, lives a variety of places. Some live in Algona, others around Kossuth County and a few from larger communities, such as Mason City.
“Without a doubt…the issue facing our employees is housing,” Barglof said.
Algona draws in many workers from outside of the community. According to 2023 US Census data, 65% of persons employed within the City of Algona live outside of city limits.
For companies like Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Group, working with employees outside of the area is a labor strategy. Utilizing remote workers in numerous locations makes sense in the insurance industry and helps provide clients with the appropriate expertise.
After two and a half years in his role with Pharmacists Mutual, Pearce has found Algona to be well-positioned and well-led as a community, with both the resources and the talent in place to grow and thrive. Supporting businesses that offer the experiences, products and services the population needs and wants should be priority, Pearce said. He suggested extending business hours and increasing the number of people working the trades to meet the needs of local consumers and mentioned the recent expansion of Top Dog Brewing as a positive example.
“We are encouraging that and want to see more of it,” Pearce said.
Kossuth Regional Health Center also continues to draw a diverse workforce from a wide range of communities. In addition to housing, daycare, and small business support, Elbert also discussed the importance of education to the health care field and the meaningful partnerships that KRHC continues to have with the local high schools and Iowa Lakes Community College.
“These are really critical things for us. It creates the relationships that allow us to grow in the future,” Elbert said. “Education is a key driver of our success.”
When Gilliland returned to Algona after serving in the military, he found a home in the hog business. At Smithfield Foods and in his role as a board member of the Donald Tietz Charitable Foundation, Gilliland seeks ways to keep the community vibrant and growing.
“I really have a lot to give back to this community, because it has given me so much,” Gilliland said.
He sees housing, affordable daycare and creating a diverse and competitive business atmosphere as priorities for community development and a path to helping draw families to the area.
“That’s important to us…to have small business, and it strengths our community,” he said.
The forum is a collaborative initiative hosted by the City of Algona, Algona Area Economic Development Corporation, Algona Municipal Utilities, Algona Area Chamber of Commerce, Kossuth/Palo Alto County Economic Development and the Tietz Entrepreneurial Center.