Vermeer hosted U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker at the company’s Pella, Iowa, facility as part of the secretary’s nationwide tour. Pritzker is seeking input from businesses on how best to foster job growth in the United States.

“We welcome the opportunity to represent the voice of business as the secretary acclimates herself to the opportunities and challenges industry faces to grow domestically and abroad,” said Vermeer President and CEO Mary Andringa. “We thank the Secretary for making the commitment to listen to those who are working every day to grow American jobs and American business opportunities.”

Pritzker was confirmed as Secretary of Commerce in late June, and Pella was on the third leg of the new secretary’s “listening” tour. Other stops on this leg included Nashville, Tenn., and Des Moines, Iowa.

“Nashville, Pella, and Des Moines epitomize the entrepreneurial spirit that is driving economic development and job creation in the United States,” Pritzker said in a release. “From leveraging the creative economy to making investments in advanced manufacturing, businesses in these states are getting it right.”

While visiting Vermeer, Pritzker got a full tour of the company’s manufacturing facilities, including where the company’s 200-ton T1655 Terrain Leveler surface excavation machine is built. She also visited the Vermeer Parts Center.

 Vermeer Corporation, based in Pella, Iowa, serves utility drilling, surface mining and pipeline drilling markets. The company also works in agriculture, biomass and other equipment areas. For more information, visit www.vermeer.com or email salesinfo@vermeer.com.