SIOUX CITY -- More than eight years ago, Sabre Industries consolidated its operations into one site in Sioux City's Southbridge Business Park.
Just two years later in 2014, the company expanded.
This year, Sabre, one of the largest U.S. suppliers of steel structures for the utility and communications industry, will grow again. Construction is expected to begin on a $25 million expansion that will include a galvanizing plant. The expansion is expected to create 76 new jobs.
Sabre officials declined to comment at this time, but Sioux City's economic development department is pleased to see the significant investment and growth in the industrial area near Sioux Gateway Airport.
"They've definitely become one of the leaders in their industry. They have a name that is recognized and has helped them grow," said Chris Myres, a city economic development specialist. "We're happy to see projects like this. It shows we are and always probably will be a center for advanced manufacturing in our area."
People are also reading…
The expansion will be on the west side of the company's 150-acre site and just off of Andrew Avenue, currently a gravel street. Because of the expansion, the city will spend $1.6 million to pave and improve Andrew Avenue. A $671,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation will help with the cost. The paving project could help spur more growth in the area, making the land, much of it privately owned, more attractive to industrial developers, Myres said.
"Pretty much everything north of 225th Street off of Andrew gets opened up," Myres said. "It's becoming a popular area for industrial growth. Putting this road in helps us position that land for industrial use."
Sabre's expansion project will be aided by $1.2 million in financial incentives from the Iowa Economic Development Authority Board. Approved in August under the board's High Quality Jobs program, incentives include $861,531 in investment tax credits and $321,000 in refund of sales, service and use taxes for construction materials. The city is expected to match with nearly $5 million in property tax rebates over 15 years.
Sabre was founded in 1977 in Sioux City by Bailey Aalfs as a manufacturer of high-frequency antenna systems. As cellular phone usage grew in the 1990s, the company began designing and fabricating towers for the wireless communication industry. In more recent years, Sabre's utility business has boomed, with the growth of wind energy farms and electric transmission lines.
The plant, which employs more than 500 workers, is currently running at full capacity, according to IEDA documents.
Myres said the expansion would provide opportunities for Siouxland workers. It also could attract new workers to the Sioux City area.
With other projects under discussion in the Southbridge area, Myres said, Sabre's expansion is an example to other companies considering locating here that the city can facilitate such growth.
"It shows the city is prepared for this type of growth to come now and in the future," Myres said.
