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Increased interest in the environment and lower energy bills has spurred more demand for the services of a growing Carroll-based business.

Iowa Spray Foam Insulators, already with a strong presence in western Iowa, is seeing its customer territory expand throughout the Hawkeye State and into eastern Nebraska, said founding owner Mark King.

"We just jumped into the Omaha market,' King said, 'And we were recently in Goose Lake, Iowa, over in the eastern part of the state.'

"The reason for the growth in King's high-grade insulation business is simple: people can do basic math and they see lower utility bills each month," he said.

'Our insulation is about 50 percent more efficient than traditional insulation,' said King .

One of Iowa Spray Foam's signature projects has been insulation of the Carroll Depot, soon to be the home of the Carroll Chamber of Commerce.

'He's really treating us well,' said Chamber director Jim Gossett. 'Not only did he win the contract for the main building and insulate in there, but he's also helping with many other local contractors to build the out-buildings.'

Added Gossett, 'He does great work. And we need not only good weather-proofing for an old building but sound-proofing.''

The Iowa Spray Foam product has a track record of substantially reducing noise in the buildings it protects, something King demonstrates at the many home shows he attends.

King founded Iowa Spray Foam in early 2006. The company is headquartered at 214 U.S. Highway 71 North. The company has two full-time employees and sevenpart-time people.

Besides businesses, the company insulates farm buildings and residences. King has a list ofseveral homes in Carroll that his company has insulated.

'About 50 percent of our business is residential,' King said. 'That would be our largest category.'

The company's Web site is www.IowaSprayFoam.com.

The company is a factory-authorized and trained contractor for Demilec USA, a world leader in polyurethane foam products.

'Demilec is the industry leader of the foam industry,' King said.

A native of Winterset, King, 39, is married to Linda (Rose), director of nursing at the Carroll Health Center and a Carroll native who graduated from Carroll High School.

The couple have two children, Megan, 12, and Joey, 10.

King has a background in construction, farming and trucking.

His father, Leo King, operated a construction business in the Winterset area. Leo inspired a work ethic and taught King to be family-oriented, Mark King said.

One of the major reasons for the spray foam business's success, King says, is face-to-face meetings with prospective clients. King drives long distances to scout out buildings and offer advice and estimates.

'I actually go out and see people,' King said.

The process of spraying the insulation into homes and businesses can be seen in a video King shows clients in his Carroll office.

The foam goes on like a paint but expands by 120 times in only eight seconds. In fact, King has to tell many viewers that what they are seeing is happening in real time, not time-lapse taping.

He said the product is environmentally safe, and similar to what is in mattresses.

'You've been sleeping on more or less the same foam for the last 30 years,' King said.

One other aspect of King's business is his work to provide Home Energy Rating System data for customers. This allows them to be eligible for a number of a rebates and government tax credit programs as the nation moves toward 'green' solutions and more environmental consciousness.