Van Meter breaks ground for new Iowa City office

IOWA CITY -- Employee-owned Van Meter Inc. in Cedar Rapids has broken ground for a new building to house its operations in Iowa City.

Van Meter, a distributor of automation, data communications, electrical, lighting, power transmissions and utility supplies, has contracted for construction of a 22,840-square-foot facility on Ruppert Road, near the Iowa City airport.

The building, which will meet LEED certification requirements, will feature roof-top solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling system, daylight harvesting system, electric vehicle charging stations, and a power monitoring system. A drive-thru lane will allow customers to pick up their order without leaving their vehicle.

Van Meter's new facility will replace the company's existing location at 1207 Highland Ct., which it has occupied since 1995 and has outgrown due to market expansion.

"Our new facility will not only be energy efficient, it will also serve as a showcase of our products for customers to see prior to investing," said Todd Ettleman, regional sales vice president. "We sell energy efficient products such as solar panels, daylight harvesting systems, vehicle charging stations, power monitoring systems, lighting and more."

Van Meter is based in Cedar Rapids with 12 locations in Iowa.