Family business Legacy Manufacturing Company was founded in 1986 as a subsidiary of Weems Industries with a mission “to create innovative products that customers are passionate about.” It is most well known for its Flexzilla hoses, tools, and other equipment. Not only is the Flexzilla garden hose the most popular garden hose on Amazon, but it was also accepted into the 2025 Coolest Thing Made in Iowa competition by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, where it advanced to the top 16. The company makes all of its products to last, reducing the need for replacements and saving customers money. Thanks to a flexible hybrid polymer, for example, Flexzilla garden hoses “can last well over a decade, showcasing our commitment to creating long-lasting, high-performance products.”
In 2016, Legacy opened a $10.4 million, 133,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Marion, Iowa, where the company had been operating for two decades. Vice President Matt Weems explained how the facility helped them to consolidate operations under one roof and double their capacity: “We have outgrown our current facility and operate out of several locations. We need the space to increase our efficiencies and support continued growth for the future. This new building helps us to supply our customers at an even higher service level.”
The following year, the manufacturer announced plans to invest between $11 million and $14 million to expand the facility by 200,000 square feet for a warehouse. The Marion Economic Development Corporation spearheaded project development, while the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance helped prepare the state application. Meanwhile, the City of Marion and the Iowa Economic Development Authority approved $1.1 million in tax incentives for the project, making it feasible.
Photo Courtesy Legacy Manufacturing Company
The facility is part of the company’s shift of manufacturing operations to the U.S. “This expansion adds support for Legacy’s reshoring efforts of its many proprietary products, including the Flexzilla® brand of air hose,” the company explained in the press release. Nick Glew, then-President of the Marion Economic Development Corporation, reacted, “This expansion is not just good for Marion, it’s good for Iowa. Reshoring manufacturing processes and jobs is a complex endeavor. We are pleased to see this project that benefits multiple Iowa communities and supports Legacy’s aggressive growth strategy that will continue to build the Flexzilla® products into a dominant nationwide brand.”
Some of these benefits include job creation. In addition to the 58 employees already at the Marion facility, the expansion was expected to create 13 new roles over three years. Glew noted, “This will be one of, if not the, largest building in Marion. A community can’t grow if we don’t continue to add not only new capital investment, but new jobs.”
While the company had already been reshoring before the Covid-19 pandemic, the supply chain disruptions it witnessed during that time re-emphasized the importance. Weems wrote in an email to the Corridor Business Journal in 2020 that the company was planning “do less with China and more with other countries, but with a heavy emphasis on domestic sources. We will also be doing more of our own operations and production in-house.”
In addition to its focus on U.S. operations, the company serves a variety of American customers. These include farm stores like the Tractor Supply Company (TSC) and Theisen’s Home Farm Auto; auto part stores like NAPA Auto Parts and O’Reilly Auto Parts; industrial distributors like Grainger and McMaster-Carr; tool and equipment distributors like Snap-On and MAC Tools; and hardware chains like True Value Hardware, Do It Best, Menards, and Sears. Even more local, the Marion Fire Department outfitted a new fire engine with Flexzilla Pro Extension Cords. Marion Mayor Nick AbouAssaly commented, “Marion is proud to be the home of Legacy Manufacturing. Legacy’s impressive growth is a testament to Marion’s exceptional business environment, which creates the conditions for local businesses to prosper, thus providing employment opportunities and enhancing the quality of life of area residents.”
Photo Courtesy Legacy Manufacturing Company
Just as it is committed to American prosperity and manufacturing leadership, Legacy is also dedicated to sustainability and community. “Our iconic green hoses aren’t just a symbol of quality – they’re a symbol of our commitment to cultivating a thriving, green future for generations to come,” it expressed on its website. The company’s operations are becoming cleaner by the year. It has launched waste diversion initiatives and is exploring ways to incorporate recycled materials into more products and to recycle its pallets. In addition to minimizing energy use through technologies such as efficient lighting and electric forklifts, the manufacturer is also looking into clean energy solutions. Plus, while the company has implemented water management systems and low-flow fixtures to promote water conservation internally, its durable hoses do the same for customers.
Through its Legacy Cares Committee, it aims to maintain an engaged relationship with the Marion and Cedar Rapids communities. For example, team members supported those living with or affected by breast cancer by participating in the Especially for You Race Against Breast Cancer, and they supported struggling families by preparing meals at the Ronald McDonald Family Room in Cedar Rapids. The company has also donated its products at a “Beers in the Barnyard” event to raise money for the Cedar Rapids Park Foundation. Other employees have spent time cleaning up Bever Park Creek. As Legacy expressed on LinkedIn, “As a Cedar Rapids staple, Bever Park is important to our community, and we’re glad to support its upkeep.”
As Weems expressed about the expansion announcement, “Legacy is committed to the continued development of superior products designed and produced in Eastern Iowa.”
Photo Courtesy Legacy Manufacturing Company
