The Greater Des Moines Partnership has announced the winners of the 2021 Economic Impact Awards, which honor companies that had a significant influence on the local economy this year.

The companies were to have been recognized at a ceremony Wednesday, but the celebration was postponed because of the threat of high winds and severe weather. It has been rescheduled for Jan. 20.

This year’s Economic Impact Award recipients are:

• Des Moines Industrial, which was formed in 2013 to carry out the concept of a transloading facility. Ground was broken on the project on March 1, and the initial phase is expected to become operational on Jan. 1.
• Helena Industries, which serves manufacturing customers as one of the largest chemical toll manufacturers in the U.S. with more than 60 years of chemical manufacturing experience.
• i2-tech,a custom injection molder of plastic components and sub-assemblies serving the global markets for agriculture, medical, automotive, construction and recreational vehicle industries. Its factory has been operating out of West Des Moines since 1960. Early in the pandemic, i2-tech’s customer base asked for increased capacity and a quick decision had to be made to expand the company’s operations.
• Lely North America, part of the Lely Group, headquartered in the Netherlands. It is recognized for its innovations in dairy and livestock automation and for its vision of “creating a sustainable, profitable and enjoyable future in farming.”
• Mrs. Clark’s Foods, which has manufactured liquid food products in the Des Moines region for more than 90 years. It produces products including mayonnaise, juices, salad dressings and barbecue sauce for various highly regarded brands. Products are distributed to schools, retail stores and food service shelves across the U.S and internationally. To increase capacity and meet growing demand, Mrs. Clark’s has expanded its existing Ankeny plant by 60,000 square feet.
• Premier Tech, which is among the largest packaging equipment manufacturers in the world, creating sustainable ways to help improve the efficiency of manufacturing facilities in the nutrition, agricultural, industrial and organics market sectors.
• Vermeer Corp.,a manufacturer of industrial and agricultural equipment. On July 19, 2018, an EF3 tornado struck the Pella campus, leveling nearly 400,000 square feet of buildings. Vermeer took the opportunity the crisis presented and began to invest in the resources teams needed to do its work well. First, Shop 48, a facility dedicated to engineering innovation and named with a nod to the company’s founding, was built. Following that, an all-new Eco-Center focused on managing the company’s resources was built. And in 2021, Plant 7, an all-new, 500,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility, was completed.

The Economic Impact Awards were first presented in 1982 to recognize and honor those companies who make significant contributions to the region’s economic vitality.