Le Mars, Iowa

What Le Mars, Iowa does

Le Mars, Iowa is a municipal government entity (City of Le Mars) serving approximately 9,286 residents in Plymouth County, Iowa. The city provides essential public services including water distribution, wastewater treatment, solid waste and recycling collection, police and fire-rescue services, public works, parks and recreation, and a municipal airport. Its utility infrastructure includes a 6 MGD iron-and-manganese water filtration plant drawing from six Dakota Aquifer wells, two 1-million-gallon elevated storage tanks, a 1.5-million-gallon underground storage tank, more than 90 miles of water main, 686 fire hydrants, 4,662 active water meters, a 3.14 MGD wastewater facility with 99.4% BOD and 97.6% TSS removal efficiency, 15 lift stations, and 71+ miles of sanitary sewer lines. The city also operates a portfolio of recreational venues headlined by the 27-hole Willow Creek Golf Course, the 67-site seasonal Willow Creek Campground, the Le Mars Convention Center, the Municipal Park Shelter House, the Olson Cultural Events Center, and a 13-park/9-mile-trail system.

The city's revenue model is a hybrid of tax-supported general fund activities and enterprise utility fees. Recurring utility revenue comes from water service fees, wastewater treatment charges, and combined utility billing for water, sewer, and garbage. One-time and transactional revenue is generated from facility rentals and admissions at the golf course, campground, banquet hall, convention center, and park shelters. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer: services are accessed by residents through City Hall walk-in service, online payment portals, utility billing systems, and self-serve facility reservations, supported by a CivicPlus-powered website and active social channels (Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube). Customer segments are the residents of Le Mars (primary) and the local business community (secondary), with industrial wastewater load from ice cream and dairy manufacturers providing a notable enterprise-scale demand component. The community is branded as the "Ice Cream Capital of the World," home to Wells Enterprises (Blue Bunny) and supported by 50+ public art installations.

Strategically, the city is in a stable, maintenance-and-compliance posture: it has executed recurring wastewater facility renovations (1967, 1978, 1986, 1997, 2003, 2005) and a 2014 force main/pumping station project explicitly framed as adding "room for future growth." Solid waste collection has been outsourced to Van's Sanitation under a Plymouth County 28E Agreement, and the city is currently running a Lead & Copper Service Line Inventory Questionnaire and Annual Sewer Cleaning program. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the entity is a political subdivision of the State of Iowa, not an investable company, and is governed by an elected City Council rather than shareholders.

Name

Le Mars, Iowa

Legal name

City of Le Mars, Iowa

Website

https://lemarsiowa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Le Mars, Iowa is a municipal government serving approximately 9,286 residents with water, wastewater, public safety, solid waste, public works, and a portfolio of recreational venues including a 27-hole golf course, a 67-site campground, and 13 parks. It operates a 6 MGD water treatment plant, a 3.14 MGD wastewater facility, and is branded as the "Ice Cream Capital of the World."

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Le Mars

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Utility Services Revenue: City generates revenue from water service fees, wastewater treatment fees, and utility billing for water, sewer, and garbage services
2. Facility Rentals and Admissions: Revenue from Willow Creek Golf Course, Willow Creek Campground, Willow Creek Banquet Hall, and other city venues and facilities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Le Mars, Iowa is a municipal government providing essential public services to approximately 9,286 residents. Core operations include municipal water service (serving 4,662 meters), wastewater treatment, residential solid waste and recycling collection, police and fire-rescue services, public works street maintenance, and operation of recreational facilities including a 27-hole golf course, 67-site campground, convention center, and 13 public parks.

Product overview

Le Mars, Iowa operates a comprehensive municipal government providing essential public services and community facilities. The city's offerings include utility services (water distribution/treatment serving 4,662 meters, wastewater treatment for 9,286 residents, and utility billing), waste management (mandatory recycling and residential collection), public safety (police department with community policing programs), and infrastructure maintenance (streets, parks, cemeteries). The city venues portfolio includes Willow Creek Golf Course (27-hole links-style course with banquet hall for up to 250 guests), Willow Creek Campground (67 seasonal sites with full amenities), Le Mars Convention Center, Municipal Park Shelter House (200-person capacity with kitchen facilities), Olson Cultural Events Center, and a system of 13 public parks with 9 miles of recreation trails. Services are accessible through online portals for utility payments, service applications, and facility reservations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Canadian National RailwayminorOthersRail service provider serving Le Mars area businesses for freight transportation
• Union Pacific RailroadminorOthersRail service provider serving Le Mars area businesses for freight transportation
• Burlington Junction Shortline RailroadminorOthersHandles all rail activity in the Industrial Parks
• Burlington Santa Fe (BNSF) RailwayminorOthersRail line serving west Le Mars
• Iowa Workforce DevelopmentminorOthersProvides Laborshed Area Analysis and workforce data for economic development planning
• Van's SanitationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContracted residential solid waste hauler for the City of Le Mars under the Code of Iowa Chapter 455 and 28E Agreement with Plymouth County
• Build With Bags Program (Iowa Grocery Industry Association)minorOthersGrant program that awarded $1,800 to the City of Le Mars for recycling program participation, used to purchase 4 handicap accessible picnic tables from recycled materials

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• City of Denison, Iowa: Denison is a similarly sized Iowa municipality (~8,000) offering the same municipal service categories (water, wastewater, parks, recreation). Closely comparable in scale and operating scope.
• City of Muscatine, Iowa: Muscatine is a mid-sized Iowa city with a strong industrial manufacturing base. Comparable in handling industrial wastewater at scale and operating a comprehensive municipal services portfolio.
• City of Carroll, Iowa: Carroll is a comparable small Iowa municipality (~10,000) functioning as a regional service hub with similar water, wastewater, parks, and recreation offerings. Directly comparable in scale and operating model.
• City of Fort Dodge, Iowa: Fort Dodge is a larger north-central Iowa city (~24,000) operating a comprehensive municipal services portfolio. Comparable in breadth of water, wastewater, parks, and recreational services, though at greater scale.
• City of Spencer, Iowa: Spencer is a similar-sized Iowa city (~11,000) operating municipal water, wastewater, parks, and recreational facilities. Comparable in scope of municipal services and regional role as a northwest Iowa service hub.
• City of Pella, Iowa: Pella is a similarly sized Iowa city (~10,000) known for strong manufacturing base (Pella Corporation, Vermeer) and Dutch heritage. Comparable municipal services model with a stronger industrial anchor and tourism-driven identity similar to Le Mars.
• City of Cherokee, Iowa: Cherokee is a small Iowa city (~5,000) operating a similar municipal services portfolio. Comparable in scale and rural Iowa service environment.
• City of Storm Lake, Iowa: Storm Lake is a comparable small Iowa municipal corporation (~10,000 population) providing a similar portfolio of utility, public safety, parks, and recreation services. Most directly comparable peer by size, geography, and service mix.
• City of Marshalltown, Iowa: Marshalltown is a mid-sized Iowa city with a significant manufacturing base. Comparable in industrial-wastewater-handling profile and municipal service delivery scope, though larger than Le Mars.
• City of Orange City, Iowa: Orange City is a small Iowa city with strong Dutch heritage similar to Le Mars, providing a comparable portfolio of municipal services. Similar in size, demographic profile, and community-based service model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cityoflemars1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lemarsiowa51031/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/lemars.iowa.3
• Instagraminstagram.com/cityoflemars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plymouth-county-museum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Le Mars, Iowa