MARSHALLTOWN’S HIGH-TECH, HOME-GROWN BUSINESS MECHDYNE CORP EARNS IOWA FARM BUREAU’S ENTREPRENEUR OF MONTH AWARD

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA – March 31, 2011 – Mechdyne Corporation may have an Iowa home, but the company has a global reach when it comes to offering customized visualization systems, software and services. Based in Marshalltown, Mechdyne Corporation is the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s (IFBF) Renew Rural Iowa Entrepreneur of the Month award winner.

Mechdyne Corporation, which began as a company specializing in virtual reality systems, is now the world's largest company dedicated to the consulting for and development of turnkey advanced audio visual, immersive 3D, networked and collaborative visualization solutions.

“It’s home-grown talent, but very high-tech stuff,” said Angie Nelson, IFBF regional manager. “It (Mechdyne) brings fantastic workers to the region. It brings a lot of resources to the region and helps our economies grow.”

The company has offices in Marshalltown, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Houston, Canada, the Middle East and the United Kingdom and has clients around the world. But, while the company can meet the requirements of a customer in Saudi Arabia, it doesn’t overlook the needs of the local community.

“We’ve worked closely with East Marshall High School,” explained Jim Gruening, Mechdyne vice president of operations. “We provided a virtual reality table (used by the Mayo Clinic), and they’ve been able to take that technology and put a program in place for high school students to get their feet wet with 3D and virtual prototyping.”

Renew Rural Iowa is an IFBF initiative that supports new and existing businesses in Iowa’s small towns through business education, mentoring and financial resources. The program supports and participates in a variety of economic development organizations and events throughout the year, including the SMART Economic Development Conference to be held at the Polk County Convention Center in Des Moines on May 5. To learn more about Renew Rural Iowa, go to www.renewruraliowa.com.

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