T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM Asaleen Piromis, 11, cuts the ribbon at Breckenridge apartments in Marshalltown on Tuesday afternoon. The development will provide 103 units, 90 percent of which will be used for JBS employees. JBS provided $1.2 million for the development as part of the Hometown Strong project.

The lack of housing for employees has been a long-standing problem for companies in Marshalltown. In response to the issue, JBS held a ribbon cutting for a brand-new affordable housing project — Breckenridge — on Tuesday afternoon. The 103-unit development is located on Seventh Avenue.

“Housing has always been one of the biggest [hurdles] for our employees,” said JBS General Manager Joe Mach at the ribbon cutting. “When we talk to employees about why we can’t retain them or get them to communities to begin with, it is affordable housing.”

Through the Hometown Strong program, Mach said JBS had the opportunity to invest $20 million toward affordable housing projects in various communities where it operates. For Breckenridge, JBS invested $1.2 million. The company constructing the development is HCI.

“The units are very affordable, an incentive for our employees, and there are also apartments for the community, as well,” he said. “It’s a very good project that allows the employees to have an affordable place to live, allows them to have a better future and to be a long-term employee for us in a long-term community.”

Mach said in addition to affordable housing, the project is about building a thriving community where employees and their families can prosper.

“With our ongoing commitment to fair wages, career development opportunities and a supportive work environment, we believe in nurturing the potential of our team members and enabling them to create a better future for themselves and their loved ones,” he said.

Mach said only the first of three buildings is now available for residents, and all of the units are full. The second will open in six to eight weeks, he said. Construction of the third building has just begun and is scheduled to open in the spring.

Ten percent of the apartments in the development are designated to non-JBS employees, Mach said.

“We committed to 90 percent occupancy,” he said. “We don’t have a problem filling 90 percent and leaving that last 10 percent for the public.”

The complex is a mixture of two and three-bedroom apartments. For JBS employees, the two-bedroom apartments will carry a monthly rent of $740 to $780, and the three-bedroom will be about $800 to $900. Mach is not sure if the rates for non-JBS employees have been decided. JBS will not be managing the apartments, as that task will be undertaken by Mauna Management.

“We don’t have an unlimited budget, and that’s a good starter home for a lot of our employees immediately looking for someplace to stay or moving to the area,” Mach said. “We do recruiting from all over the country, and finding a place to live has always been one of the biggest hurdles. The intention is not long-term, but medium-term until employees can go buy a house.”

Attending Tuesday’s ribbon cutting was Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce President/CEO John Hall, along with roughly 45 other attendees.

“We are so pleased to help cut the ribbon on this exciting project and (to be) marking this moment with our friends at JBS,” Hall said. “We consistently hear how housing is one of the biggest challenges we are facing in the community, and while steps are being taken to ramp up housing development, the leadership demonstrated by JBS to take on this challenge is incredible.”

Cutting the ribbon was new Breckenridge resident Asaleen Piromis, 11. Afterward, Mach and Hall told the crowd the complex was open for tours.

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com