Barilla, “Italy’s Number One Pasta,” chose Ames as the location to build its first North American pasta plant.

Not only will the $137 million state-of-the-art pasta plant benefit the Ames community, it will benefit Iowa State as well.

The determining factor for Barilla in choosing Ames was its location.

Although many Ames residents may complain about the Union Pacific Railroad blowing their whistles at 1:00 in morning, the proximity of the railroad was one of the company’s determining factors.

Along with Interstate 35, Ames is a town highly traveled through. Its accessibility can provide the company with a means of distribution and transportation.

The new pasta manufacturing plant will effect Iowa State because Barilla plans to work with Iowa State’s College of Agriculture. New technology and crop and manufacturing procedures can be developed and enhanced with Barilla and ISU working together.

The company will also bring 150 new jobs to the Ames community. With salaries starting at $11.42 an hour, it will also help the economic development of Ames.

Hopefully other companies will now see Ames as an untapped resource and be attracted to it by the building of the Barilla pasta plant. Attracting businesses to Ames will improve the community by increasing the number of jobs, the variety of businesses and increasing the population.

Improvements in the economy and variety of Ames will inevitably attract more students to Iowa State.

Most college students like pasta, and the building of a pasta plant in Ames should not only please ISU students, but also the entire Ames community.

And for once, we should be proud we live next to the Union Pacific Railroad.