Dickinson County Food Manufacturer Presented Iowa Farm Bureau’s ‘Renew Rural Iowa Entrepreneur Award’
Published
7/28/2015
Milford-Based Company Lauded for Local Employment Opportunities and Community Involvement
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – July 28, 2015 – Land Mark Products is the newest recipient of Iowa Farm Bureau’s Renew Rural Iowa Award for their numerous contributions to Dickinson County and the Iowa Lakes Region – including their renowned Piccadilly Circus Pizza with its famous smiling lion’s head logo - a staple of many rural convenience stores across Iowa and 43 other states.
Land Mark Products of Milford also produces ready-to-eat sandwiches for convenience stores, in addition to their famous pizzas. “We started out as sit-down ma-and-pop pizzerias throughout Iowa, with the foundation of the company based on providing small rural towns a local pizza restaurant,” said Landmark Products President and CEO Jason Farrell. “The business migrated to convenience stores in the 1980s, and from there we got into manufacturing pizza crusts and ready-to-eat sandwiches.”
As the Landmark plant and product line has grown and expanded, production has exploded. According to Farrell, Land Mark produces 5,000 pounds of pizza crust per hour, makes 30,000 sandwiches every eight hours, and produces up to 20,000 frozen pizzas per day. The plant is currently undergoing a third expansion, with hopes of one day entering the grocery store market and potentially exporting their products internationally.
Land Mark Products employs 100 individuals and is recognized as one of the premier employers in the area with deep roots in the community. “We’ve discovered from an economic development standpoint that locally-owned and locally-started companies grow in the community and tend to stay in the community,” said Kiley Miller, development director for the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation. “As the economy ebbs and flows, your locally-owned companies stay and create wealth, and most importantly, they stay involved in the community and invest in the people and the community.”
From an agricultural standpoint, Land Mark is a major buyer of agricultural products to keep up with demand for their pizzas and sandwiches and remain an active member of the community. “I believe this business is very important to the local community not only because they supply jobs, but they support so many different areas of the community, said Dickinson County Farm Bureau President Dan Dreeszen. “We see the Piccadilly and Landmark name supporting numerous local charities and actively supporting the town of Milford.”
Renew Rural Iowa (RRI) is an IFBF initiative supporting new and existing businesses through education, mentoring, and financial resources. The next Renew Rural Iowa Business Success Seminar, “The Journey to Your Vision,” takes place September 3 at the Schmid Innovation Center in Dubuque. For more information, go to www.renewruraliowa.com.