LAKE MILLS, Iowa — Michael O’Brien wants to create more jobs that can’t be exported to Mexico or another foreign country and he’d like the state’s help to do so.

O’Brien said he received plenty of reassurance the state would be helpful as Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds came to rural Lake Mills on Tuesday to tour the Perfect Circle facility and Waste Management’s landfill energy facility.

Perfect Circle uses excess energy created from Waste Management to raise organically-grown tomatoes.

“Having the governor and lieutenant governor here is a huge signal the state is serious about economic development to create 21st century jobs,” O’Brien said.

“I will make a personal commitment to be personally involved” in helping Perfect Circle, Branstad said. “First of all we need to remove the obstacles, regulations and tax obstacles that prevent growth and job expansion.”

Branstad said the recently created Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress can help with that issue. The department will meet with entrepreneurs and business owners to discuss changes that are needed within the state’s regulations, financial programs and others, Branstad.

The creation of jobs for the 21st century in Iowa must be supported, Branstad said.

“These are locally based jobs,” O’Brien said of Perfect Circle’s work force which totals seven full-time employees. O’Brien hopes to eventually employ 100 people at the site.

“This is something you can’t pick up and take to Mexico,” he said.

Organic tomatoes must be grown close to the market and can’t be shipped long distances, he said.

Perfect Circle grows about 1.2 million pounds of tomatoes that are sold to regional grocery stores in a 150-mile radius of its site near Lake Mills. It has room to expand to 8 million pounds a year, O’Brien said.

The state imports about 58 million pounds of tomatoes each year, so Perfect Circle has plenty of demand for expansion, he said.

— By Rae Yost, Forest City Summit