Congressman Randy Feestra (right) talks with Power Lift Founder Jeff Conner (middle) and GM Chris Conner (left)

U.S. Congressman Randy Feenstra toured a Jefferson business Friday afternoon.

Feenstra learned about all the weightlifting products that Power Lift makes and the clients they serve. Founder and CEO Jeff Conner talked about the representatives they have across the country, along with 78 employees, company wide. Conner said after the fire they had in August of 2018, virtually the entire structure had to be gutted and only the heavy machinery survived. Then during the height of the pandemic, Conner said they were down for about four months, but didn’t lay any employees off, due to the Paycheck Protection Program. 

Feenstra shared the most impressive part about the national company.

“It’s all local people and it started from grassroots, it started from somebody who had an idea. They had an idea in a small town, an entrepreneur, and made it work. That’s what Iowa is all about, that’s what the fourth (congressional) district is all about is people looking at something and saying, ‘Hey, I can make it work, I can make it happen, I can grow the business, and look at what it’s grown to today. I mean going to every college, and university and schools throughout the nation, with Power Lift equipment. It’s just one of those great stories that we can tell from Iowa.”  

Friday’s visit was part of Feenstra’s 39-county tour.