The chemical industry is the third-largest manufacturing sector in Iowa, and includes chemical allied products and preparations. In Iowa this relates mainly to pharmaceuticals and fertilizers.
Within the State there are 367 chemical industry employers. The chemicals industry contributes $2.88 billion to the Gross State Product, which is 10% of the manufacturing GSP. Furthermore, according to the American Chemistry Council, the chemical industry in Iowa is the most productive industry in the state. The ACC states that chemistry companies in Iowa directly employ 8,983 people (as of April 1, 2009) and indirectly contribute 22,324 jobs to the economy of the State. For every chemistry industry job in Iowa, an additional 2.5 jobs are created. Chemical companies in Iowa include Wacker Chemicals and Lyondell Chemicals.
Furthermore, the “first in the nation,” $18.5 million Center for Biorenewable Chemicals was recently founded at Iowa State University. Industrial partners come from five key sectors: petrochemical producers, agricultural product processors, chemical catalyst providers, biocatalyst providers, and process licensors. CBiRC will transform the chemical industry by integrating biological and chemical catalysis systems to create a generalized framework for producing biorenewable chemicals.
According to the most recent figures available, Iowa’s plastics industry employs nearly 16,400 people, ranking 21st in the country. Plastics industry shipments in Iowa totaled almost $4.4 billion in 2006.
Iowa’s plastics industry includes: mold builders, blow molders/ processors, injection molders/ processors, plastic extrusion, plastic fabrication, plastic recycling, resin suppliers, rotational molders/ processors, and thermoform molders/ processors.
Iowa's low cost of doing business, motivated and well qualified work-force, central location and excellent transportation infrastructure are only some of the reasons why chemical and plastic companies profit from selecting a production site within the State.