Rock Valley, IA (Northwestiowanow.com) — The Iowa Economic Development Authority has voted to provide a Northwest Iowa company with 11.6 million dollars in tax breaks so that they can use that capital to expand operations.

Kooima Company LLC of Rock Valley specializes in laser cutting metal tubes and sheets, tube bending, metal shaping, machining and welding. It was started as a family company in 1988 and purchased by two steel distribution companies in 2019. They currently employ 125 in a 300 thousand square foot plant and warehouse.

With the incentives approved by the state last week they intend to rent an additional 82 thousand 500 square foot building in Rock Valley which will be fitted with new equipment and automated systems. The expansion is expected to create eleven jobs starting at 25 dollars 97 cents per hour. That’s the minimum jobs must pay in order to qualify for the state’s High Quality Jobs incentive program.