Damaged Diamond V Mills reopens soon
Diamond V Mills expects to resume production at its flood-damaged Cedar Rapids, Iowa plant in as little as two weeks and continue with plans to build a second plant.
With continuous rains in the Midwest, also the river Cedar went beyond its
borders and flooded a large part of Cedar Rapids town. Many places had to be
evacuated. Diamond V Mills, producer of animal feed additives, with 90 employees
in Cedar Rapids, received substantial electrical and mechanical damage from
floodwaters that entered its plant and inundated its
headquarters.
Diamond V Mills President John Bloomhall said the company
got back into the plant last Thursday, and has gone “full speed” into cleanup
and recovery mode. “Our goal is to be the first process plant in Cedar Rapids to
get back into production,” Bloomhall said. We need it for our customers, but we
also need to do it for the community.”
The employees of the company are
still being paid, Bloomhall said. Most of them are working on cleanup at the
factory and headquarters, or working from home. The biggest problem Diamond V
encountered with its disaster recovery plan was communications, Bloomhall said.
The company lost almost all of its communications links, but was able to begin
communicating with employees by e-mail late last week.
Diamond V
manufactures and markets fermented yeast culture and feed ingredients that
improve digestibility and digestive functions for livestock. Bloomhall said
employees have been incredibly focused on helping the plant resume
operations.
Diamond V’s headquarters has temporarily relocated to 1100
Old Marion Road. The company expects to be back in its permanent headquarters
sometime this fall.
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