SIOUX CITY | A manufacturing company with longtime Sioux City roots is requesting tax incentives from the state to assist with a $1.2 million renovation project.Â
Rocklin Manufacturing Co., an industrial electronic equipment manufacturing company at 110 S. Jennings St., plans to request $176,648 in withholding tax credits over a 10-year period through Iowa's Targeted Jobs Program, as well as $41,070 in investment tax credits and $48,996 in sales tax refunds on construction materials.
The Sioux City Council will vote on resolutions of support for the applications Monday. If approved, the applications would go before the Iowa Economic Development Authority Friday.Â
Rocklin Manufacturing currently has three buildings on its factory site, two of which are unusable for normal operations, according to city documents. City documents state the third building is also becoming unsuitable for current and future operation and growth.Â
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If financially feasible, the company plans next year to renovate an 1880s two-story brick building on the premises and demolish its other two buildings, an investment of $1.2 million.
This would double the amount of usable space from 4,000 to 8,000 square feet, which would include larger assembly and production areas, a conference room, more office space, more storage and room for further growth, city documents say. Â
The project would retain eight jobs, all of which qualify for Iowa's Targeted Jobs Program.Â
Rocklin Manufacturing began as a farm machinery manufacturing facility, incorporated in 1934Â by founder Isadore J. Rocklin. During World War II, it supported the war effort by working round-the-clock to produce subassemblies for tanks and trucks.
In the mid-1960s, Rocklin invented and patented the Rocklinizer, a machine that lengthens metal, tool and die life. The company in the mid-1990s invented a product called the MoldMender micro-welder, which repairs plastic injection molds and dies made of steel.Â
Updated versions of both products continue to be the backbone of the manufacturing company's business. It has also formed distribution agreements with European manufacturers.Â
If the renovation project receives approval from the IEDA, the city will also provide financial assistance to the project. City documents say staff are working on formalizing a development agreement that will offer an estimated $63,000 in tax credits over a five-year period.
Recycling contract
In other action Monday, the council will resume discussion on an amendment to its solid waste collection agreement with Gill Hauling Inc., the Jackson, Nebraska-based private company that collects the city's garbage and recycling.
The city plans to amend the agreement to remove glass from curbside recycling and instead have the company pick up glass from a handful of drop-off locations throughout the city. Gill Hauling would then deposit the glass at a centralized location, to be picked up by a Kansas City-based glass recycling company at no cost to the city.
Gill Hauling has requested the city pay an extra $450 per month for the amendment to its services, but city staff maintain that additional payment is not necessitated under the current agreement.Â
A vote on the issue during last week's meeting with one council member absent ended in a virtual 2-2 tie, pushing the vote back to this week.Â
If all is approved, city staff plan to switch over to the drop-off glass recycling program by the beginning of December.Â
Monday's council meeting will be at 4 p.m. Monday in the fifth-floor council chambers at City Hall, 605 Fourth St.