Governor Branstad Visits Ryko Solutions, Inc.

Nearly 30 years ago, Ryko Manufacturing Company opened its doors to the sitting Governor of Iowa, Terry Branstad. With the paint barely dry on its new 150,000 square foot factory in Grimes, a suburb of nearby Des Moines, he cut the ribbon on the new plant and toured the facility – touting the company for bringing new jobs to the area.

Fast forward almost three decades and the company known now as Ryko Solutions, again hosted the sitting Governor of Iowa
Terry Bransta

d. This time, it was as the largest provider of managed car wash systems in North America and in a facility now totaling 250,000 square feet. Call it happenstance or call it a twist of fate but exact

ly what are the odds that the very same man who was Governor on the first visit would walk throug

h the door? He did – and he was warmly greeted standing right next to the photo of himself at the ribbon cutting in 1984 in the very same lobby.

On this most recent visit, Branstad again toured the factory and again congratulated the company for its success in job growth and expanding economic development to the area. This includes the addition of 100 new jobs over the past 12 months. Today, Ryko employs more than 360 people in 33 states, including the 150 who work in Grimes.

During the tour, Steve L’Heureux, Ryko’s CEO shared some of the company’s recent achievements with the Governor. First was the commitment to increasing Iowa-based engineering research and development, including the addition of 10 new engineers who make up the core team behind a planned introduction of three new products over the next five months. Most exciting is Ryko’s completely new car wash system that will achieve an unmatched level of return on investment and performance.

L’Heureux also disclosed that the company is actively negotiating multiple acquisitions which will bring even more employment and growth to the area. He further outlined for Governor Branstad plans to develop an Advanced Education and Training Center on the Grimes campus. L’Heureux’s vision will open the opportunity for convenience store car wash category managers, owners and operators, along with independent stand-alone car wash operators from around the world, to travel to Iowa to learn how to grow their business and attain greater profitability.

“Since the visit,” says L’Heureux, “the Governor has referenced Ryko’s contributions to the state and local economy in a series of economic roundtables and forums he’s participated in. We are very proud to be contributing to the rebuilding of Iowa’s economy and look forward to working with the Governor to continue that endeavor.”