Fortune 500 businesses are successfully thriving in their Urbandale location including; Compressor Controls, John Deere, Lennox, Nationwide Mutual Insurance, Pioneer Hi Bred International, Wells Fargo Financial Inc. and Yellow Freight.

Start-ups and smaller companies have found a business friendly environment in Urbandale to support their enterprising efforts. A wide range of growing companies have discovered the network of industry and business support services, including architects, contractors, consulting engineers, present in this suburb and can easily access more from the Des Moines metro area. Buildings and lease space is available for a variety of types of businesses.

Finance and Insurance Cluster
Urbandale hosts several firms' offices that help establish the Des Moines metro area and Iowa as second only to Connecticut in state insurance industry output as a percentage of Gross State Product. Urbandale has many insurance and financial companies including Continental Western Insurance, Nationwide Mutual Insurance, Rain and Hail and Wells Fargo Financial Services.

Workforce Availability
There is an available workforce of approximately 66,624 individuals in the Des Moines MSA with skills in financial services. The residents in this Laborshed with these skills are willing to commute approximately 22 miles on way. There is additional data from the Iowa Workforce Development office on Financial Services Labor Availability, to learn more click here.

Warehousing and Distribution Cluster
Urbandale is uniquely located along two coast to coast, border to border highways, interstates 80 and 35 that provide quick access to markets and convenient proximity to suppliers. Urbandale has become a natural hub for national distribution of products in nearly every industry. Firms taking advantage of this location which also includes an overall lower cost of operating a business, lower cost of living, and competitive real estate rental and purchase prices include Lennox, Pepsi Americas and Yellow Freight.

Workforce Availability
There is an available workforce as 62% of the employed have skills in warehousing and distribution in the Des Moines MSA. 35.4% of them are willing to change employment for the right opportunity. There is additional data from the Iowa Workforce Development office on Warehouse and Distribution Labor Availability, to learn more click here.

Proximity to higher education supplies new workers and provides for the ongoing training needs of the existing workforce. Universities and colleges with a presence in the metro area include AIB College of Business, Des Moines Area Community College, Des Moines University of Osteopathic Medical Center, Drake University, Graceland University, Grand View College, Iowa State University, Simpson College, University of Phoenix, Upper Iowa University, Vatterott College, Viterbo, and William Penn University.