LIQUI-GROW GIVES $10,000 TO THE ATHLETIC COMPLEX
Local agriculture company invests in the community for the long run.
WEST LIBERTY, IA – Liqui-Grow has donated $10,000 to the West Liberty School District for the new athletic complex. Liqui-Grow, a privately owned, Iowa-based company, is headquartered in Davenport, IA, and has 15 retail locations throughout the Midwest. The company is a family-owned business, started in 1958 by the Tinsman family, and is now transitioning the third generation of family ownership. CEO, Hov Tinsman, said investing in the communities they serve has always been an important priority to the family, and in particular, education.
“We plan to be here for a long time,” said Hov. “To that end, I am mentoring my nephew, Chris Tinsman, as part of our long-term transition plan.”
The West Liberty retail location is managed by Kurt Kirchner, who is also transitioning his role to the next generation. He has worked at the West Liberty location since 1986, as a manager for the past seven, and said a strong school is the best recruiting tool for attracting talent.
“I have lived in West Liberty my entire life and I am thrilled the company is giving to the new athletic complex,” said Kurt. “Nothing will bring families and potential employees to the community like a good school system and extracurricular programs. Seeing the school improvements planned makes me optimistic for the future of West Liberty and the Liqui-Grow facility here.”
The new complex will be built south of the high school and include new baseball, softball, soccer, football, and track facilities. The administration said relocating all facilities to one location will be more efficient, cost-effective, and easier to find for out-of-town visitors. Liqui-Grow is sponsoring a large centrally located flagpole and landscaping.
“Currently, it’s confusing for people to locate our facilities and parking is not convenient or adequate,” said Activities Director, Adam Loria. “It’s going to be a huge upgrade to have a complex that houses everything. We will have a large concession area and flagpole in the center of all the fields. Landscaping often gets overlooked, so it’s awesome to have Liqui-Grow sponsoring the flag and beautification in a critical area.”
The Tinsman family has long considered Iowa’s public education system one of the most important resources. Hov Tinsman has worked with the Pleasant Valley Education Foundation and Scott Tinsman, his cousin, COO and co-owner, served for eleven years on the Bettendorf school board, a few as president.
“In my years on the school board, I learned that families look at two things when deciding on a district,” said Scott. “They look at high school academic performance and they look at the athletic facilities and extracurricular programs. We are impressed with the fundraising this community has done to move this forward.”
The school district has raised $1.3 million dollars since March with a total fundraising goal of $2 million. The outdoor facilities should be completed by fall of 2023 and planning for an indoor facility will follow if the fundraising goal is met.
“We are going to bid on the outdoor facilities before the end of July,” said Superintendent Shaun Kruger. “The project is progressing on schedule, and we hope to break ground in August. We have had a lot of families support this project, and now we are seeing the business community get involved. As superintendent, the business partners that support our school district are critical in giving West Liberty a competitive edge, and I can’t thank the Tinsman family and Kurt and his team enough for this gift.”
Contacts:
Shaun Kruger, West Liberty Superintendent 319-627-2116
Adam Loria, West Liberty Activities Director 319-627-2116