Van Diest Supply Company announced it will open a distribution center in the Cheyenne Business Parkway. The company has been in business since 1956.

According to Cheyenne LEADS President Randy Bruns, Van Diest Supply Company will begin construction of its 25,000-square-foot facility in March making a $1 million investment in the Cheyenne community. The facility will initially employ five to eight people.

The company produces all major forms of herbicides in its formulation facilities in Webster City, Iowa. These products sell under Van Diest’s own “Cornbelt” label. In addition, Van Diest, which is headquartered in Webster City, Iowa, is a distributor for all major agricultural chemical companies.

Bob Van Diest, president and founder of Van Diest Supply Co., said: “Van Diest Supply Co. is pleased to be part of the Cheyenne community. The Cheyenne Business Parkway fits our needs very well with access to the interstate highway system. We have been impressed with Cheyenne LEADS and the community leaders we have met. Everyone has made us feel welcome and excited to be part of the Cheyenne community.”

Cheyenne LEADS assisted the company for just several months before a contract was signed. Bruns attributed the company’s quick decision to Cheyenne’s strategic location and business-friendly climate.

“We showed Van Diest executives numerous location options in Cheyenne and Eastern Laramie County but they really wanted to be in the Cheyenne Business Parkway,” Bruns said. “We have appreciated the straight-forward approach Van Diest takes to business and believe this company will be a very good addition to our community.”

Along with the Cheyenne distribution center, Van Diest operates additional distribution facilities in Abilene, Kan., Forsyth, Ill., Frankfort, Ind., Garden City, Kan., Harlan, Iowa, Hastings, Neb., Marshall, Mo., McCook, Neb., Pierre, S.D., and Wayne, Neb. The company distributes to markets in 15 states.

The company, which was started by Bob Van Diest began as a sideline to his Webster City, Iowa grain and livestock farming operation. During the first several years of operation, Van Diest sold agricultural fertilizer to his farm and to friends and neighbors. Profit in the fall of 1956 was $32.

Today, Van Diest Supply Company employs approximately 500 people and offers product development, process development, formulation, liquid bulk storage, and transportation and distribution of its products. Its Specialty Products Division offers a complete line of specialty products in the turf, tree and ornamental, vegetation management, mosquito control, and aquatics markets. Customers include farm and ranch operations, golf courses, municipalities, and even Yellowstone National Park.

The Cheyenne distribution center is slated to open in Fall 2002.

Cheyenne LEADS, the Cheyenne-Laramie County Corporation for Economic Development, was founded in 1987 with the purpose of positioning Cheyenne and Laramie County as a location of choice for new and expanding businesses.