Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says his office processed a record amount of new business filings during the most recent fiscal year.

There were 21,240 new businesses that filed with Secretary of State’s office between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017.

The old record, set the previous fiscal year, was 20,155. The Secretary of State’s office is the business portal for Iowa.

“This shows the entrepreneurial spirit of Iowans continues to thrive and that is good news for the state,” Secretary Pate said. “Small business is the backbone of our economy. This data shows more entrepreneurs are taking chances with their capital and investing in startups across the state.”

Prior to Secretary Pate taking office in January 2015, the record for new business filings in one year was 15,305. Pate applauds his Business Services Division for their efforts in helping businesses grow across the state.

“When I was Secretary of State 20 years ago, we handled 9,000 new business filings per year, with a much larger staff,” Secretary Pate said. “I’m proud of the work and dedication my staff puts in, and we continue to look for ways to find efficiencies. My goal is for the office to operate at the speed of business, not the speed of government. We are advancing toward that goal and the record amounts of filings we’re processing is a very positive indicator.”