Iola is mighty lucky to have a group of folks eager to make our little corner of the world prosper.
For years Ray Pershall was Mr. Iola when it came to enticing companies to put down roots here.
Pershall — who also served as an Iola commissioner and mayor — did his homework. He knew what was feasible and would meet with approval. He had strong support in Iola Industries principals Ralph Moser, Max Snodgrass and Emerson Lynn, just to name a few.
Gates Corporation, Russell Stover Candies and Herff Jones wouldn’t be the prominent employers in Iola they are today without those efforts. Russell Stovers, for example, in part chose Iola because of Pershall’s insistence that upscale concrete roads be built in the north industrial area.
The torch has been passed, with Iola Industries still at the helm.
John McRae, as Iola’s mayor and since, has had a strong role in more recent years, along with Jerry Skidmore and Mary Kay Heard.
It also has been to our very good fortune that David Toland was willing to leave a promising career in Washington, D.C., to come home and take the reins of Thrive Allen County six years ago.
His personality is similar to Pershall’s, though he employs a more subtle approach. The intensity, however, is the same and city, county and Iola Industries leaders were smart to put him on their payrolls as a part-time economic development director.
Toland has been instrumental in finding ways to use the former Haldex Brake plant. Catalyst Artificial Lift is being encouraged to move its Humboldt plant there to take advantage of larger quarters.
While a handful of citizens are at the forefront of efforts to improve Iola’s — all of Allen County’s — economic lot, it is up to all of us to support what is done, talk up the town to strangers, tell about all the positives we have and, from our own perspective, understand how fortunate we are to live here.
We all should be hometown boosters
