Hawkeye Molding of Story County has been named the Small Business of the Week by U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee. This is the third year that Ernst will be recognizing a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
Ernst commended Ryan Gruhn and Lana Leander, co-owners of Hawkeye Molding, for their leadership and efforts in keeping jobs in Iowa. The company has over 45 years of history and is a leader in plastic injection product manufacturing that serves various industries, from agriculture to furniture manufacturing.
Hawkeye Molding was founded in Albia in 1979 by Bob Russell and Mike Lawrence and later sold to Innovative Lighting in 2008. In 2021, it was purchased by Ryan and Lana Leander, who are now based in Roland. Under their leadership, the company has received several awards for its economic contributions to the community, including the Ames Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Impact Award in 2022 and the Iowa Farm Bureau’s Renew Rural Iowa Entrepreneur Award in 2021.
Ernst will continue to recognize more Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award. Stay tuned for more updates and highlights of small businesses across the state.
