Factory activity is expanding both nationally and locally. According to the Institute for Supply Management an index of U.S. manufacturing inventory shows that factory activity is expanding both naturally and internationally. In Kalona, Civco, a medical supplier is expanding as well. Civco Vice President of Multi-Modality Imaging Robin Therme says the economy has impacted Civco, but they have been experiencing strong growth in the past few years.

Therme says they continue to add positions and they are currently looking to locating people into the Coralville area so they can expand manufacturing facilities in the Kalona facility. Nationally however manufacturing employment has hardly budged; the Labor Department says factory pay rolls were up less then 1% in 12 months. Therme says their outlook for the next year remains positive with the move to Coralville and the growth in Kalona.