Stellar Industries recently opened the Stellar Sports Complex. This new baseball and softball complex is made up of three fields, a batting cage, and a community gathering space.
“Garner will always be a home base for Stellar, which is why setting the community up for success is so important to our employee-owners,” said Dave Zrostlik, president of Stellar. “This complex will serve not only as a place of celebration for Garner residents, but also for outside communities and families to come visit and help Garner prosper.”
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In 2023, Stellar contributed $100,000 to the Xtra Innings Initiative for the completion of this project. The intent behind building a new baseball and softball complex was to allow for the necessary environment to help shape future athletes in Northern Iowa. In Garner alone, over 300 children are enrolled in youth T-ball, baseball, and softball programs. The Stellar Sports Complex allows kids to have quality field space in order to master key skills and proper technique for both baseball and softball.
Garner officially opened the sports complex with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a first pitch thrown by Mayor Tim Schmidt on Friday, July 12, 2024.
In addition to the naming of the complex itself, one of the three diamonds is named “Dodd Field,” in recognition of Ivan Dodd, a long-time Garner mayor and Stellar employee.