Vermeer Corp. marked the beginning of construction of its new manufacturing facility in Bondurant last week.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 21, and featured representatives from Vermeer, city leaders, and officials from the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Greater Des Moines Partnership.

The Pella-based company announced plans to expand its operations to Bondurant in February.

Jason Andringa, Vermeer president and CEO, said the ceremony marked an “important step in Vermeer’s commitment to growth, the state of Iowa and the greater Des Moines metro.”

The new facility will be built on about 186 acres and will employ more than 300 people, the company said in a news release.

The building, which will serve as a center for aftermarket components, will feature natural lighting, conditioned air throughout, dedicated training space and break rooms. It will include full-spectrum operations and incorporate advanced manufacturing tools and practices, the release stated.

The company established operations in the metro in 2023, and quickly grew in a leased facility with more than 140 employees. The decision to build a permanent facility in the Des Moines area is the result of decade-long growth and positions the company for further expansion, the release stated.

The Bondurant location is near interstates and provides access to logistics companies and employees across the region. The site also provides easy connectivity to the company’s headquarters in Pella.

Construction is expected to begin immediately. Manufacturing is expected to begin in mid-2027. Jensen Builders will oversee the project.

It is located on Timmins Certified Site on the city’s southeast side, adjacent to Interstate 80, and will open the area for future industrial development, Marketa Oliver, Bondurant’s city administrator said when the project was announced earlier this year.

She called it a “game-changer” for the fast-growing community of about 9,400 people.

Vermeer received $5.13 million in incentives for the project from the Iowa Economic Development Authority in February.

According to IEDA documents, the Vermeer project will include 12,000 square feet of office space, parking and shipping and receiving space. The jobs that will be created will pay $35.11 per hour.

Bondurant will contribute more than $29.45 million in incentives, which include a six-year sliding scale property tax abatement, infrastructure, connection fee waivers and building permit discounts, Oliver said in February.

The city is investing in building a new road to the site, which will not only serve Vermeer but the general public as well, she said.

“It cracks open 500 acres of industrial development with infrastructure, and many of those sites are becoming certified sites, which means we have the due diligence in place [to] be development-ready and to be flexible and adept at working with developers and companies that want to build,” Oliver said.