CCADC Accreditation: A National Seal of Approval for Floyd County's Economic Future

For nearly 30 years, Tim Fox has played a leading role in all matters pertinent to economic development in Floyd County, IA. As CEO of Charles City Area Development Corporation (CCADC), Fox has helped recruit new companies to the region, assisted existing businesses in growing, and overseen various projects “from the ground up,” as he put it.

So suffice it to say that in Floyd County and Charles City, Fox’s reputation, and that of CCADC by proxy, precedes him. However, firm existing credentials didn’t stop Fox from pursuing Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) status from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

“It was important to seek accreditation in verifying that we are providing services at a highly competent level, managing stakeholder expectations reliably, and demonstrating overall proficiencies in the practice of economic development,” Fox said. “AEDO accreditation requires that we master fiscal, organizational, human resources, community outreach, board of directors training and ethical considerations.”

AEDO Accreditation: Process & Benefits

Achieving AEDO accreditation involves a rigorous process featuring comprehensive peer reviews, extensive documentation, on-site evaluations, and more to ensure organizations adhere to best practices in governance, strategy, and community engagement. In short, an applying organization better have its ducks in a row.

To be sure, elements of the application process proved challenging, but as Fox navigated it for the first time in September of 2021, it turned out to be confirmation that CCADC was organized and running smoothly.

“The experience proved quite enjoyable,” Fox said. “The documentation factor can seem daunting at first, but what you soon realize is that if your agency is being operated equitably and efficiently, it has already mastered the bulk of verification indices. The on-site evaluation was particularly instructive, in that the community is being evaluated in concert with developmental agency scrutiny.”

Fox takes particular pride in CCADC’s accreditation due to its size. Aside from Fox, CCADC employs just one other person: administrative specialist Christy Laube. Furthermore, among corresponding AEDO county/province populations, Floyd County ranks as the smallest, at about 15,000 residents. For comparison, Iowa’s other accredited organization serves Lee County, which has a population of approximately 32,300.

Economic Outlook in Charles City & Floyd County

Fox has good reason to be optimistic about the current economic outlook in Charles City and Floyd County. For starters, Charles City will be the location of an expanded facility of pharmaceutical giant Cambrex, representing a capital investment of nearly $150 million, which will create over 100 new high-wage, high-skill jobs.

Cambrex specializes in the manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and pharmaceutical intermediates. Their expansion will heighten production capacity by 40%, rendering it the largest API manufacturer in the United States.

In addition, CCADC’s long-term strategic plan, spanning job creation, wage increases and improvements in quality of life, is bearing fruit across the board.

“Our main mission is creation and retention of high-quality jobs, and our investments have paid off,” Fox said. “In 2024, Floyd County’s average manufacturing wage eclipsed the remainder of north-central Iowa by fully 20%. Floyd County workers earned, on average, $12,363 more per annum, or $5.94 an hour, than in cohort counties.”

“As CCADC has matured as an organization, its work plan has grown to include such matters as housing and childcare and has met with substantive successes.”

Part of what’s worked for Fox and CCADC has been an approach that doesn’t always favor huge projects at the expense of local industries. Maintaining a level playing field helps Fox foster diverse regional economic development.

“Looking out for everyone has served our community well and imposed structure in decision-making processes,” he said. “CCADC strives to fully explain decision-making protocols as is conceivable. It is our goal to be the economic development policymaking clearinghouse in greater Floyd County.”

For more information on economic development in north-central Iowa, contact Winn-Worth Betco.