CHARLES CITY MANUFACTURING COMPANY AWARDED IOWA FARM BUREAU’S RENEW RURAL IOWA ENTREPRENEUR OF THE MONTH AWARD

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA – September 23, 2010 –A family-owned manufacturing company from Charles City with a stellar track record for community loyalty wins the September Renew Rural Iowa entrepreneur of the month award. L&J Industries, Inc., has been building community trust and winning international clients for 45 years.

The company, founded in 1965 by James Garden, manufactures Free-Flow Floor Supports, which are marketed to dealers and distributors of grain bins. They provide 18 full-time jobs for the local community and many families in Floyd County depend on the continued success of L&J Industries.

Jim Frisbie, Floyd County Farm Bureau president and longtime farmer, nominated L&J for the Renew Rural Iowa entrepreneur of the month award. “They’ve been a really good, steady employer of people in this community and that means a lot, even to folks who don’t farm. Of course, they do a great service to agriculture with their dependable, quality work; my grandparents and parents always came to L&J to get equipment repaired and I know what great work they do; in fact, they ship to Winnipeg, Canada, even to Australia,” said Frisbie.

L&J manufactures more than 200,000 oor supports a year and is a large steel purchaser. In fact, increased sales in the last few years have led to the expansion of additional robotic welders and other lean manufacturing equipment to the production facility. “Staying cutting edge meant embracing new technology and new possibilities. Meeting new challenges is part of embracing the future and that’s what our clients and our employees expect,” said L&J second generation owner, Chris Garden. “Keeping this business going is important to our community and to my family and I’m the second generation family owner; I know my children are interested in becoming the third generation of Gardens to help run this business.”

Farm Bureau’s Renew Rural Iowa program helps new and existing rural businesses grow and develop to achieve their best financial success. For more information about Renew Rural Iowa or upcoming VentureNet Iowa business mentoring seminars, call 800-254-9670 or log on to the Renew Rural Iowa website at www.renewruraliowa.com.

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