KENT WORLDWIDE™ WINS PRESERVATION AWARD FOR FORMER BUTTON FACTORY TURNED NEW CONSUMER BRANDS OFFICE
MUSCATINE, Iowa (June 23, 2026) – KENT WORLDWIDE™ has been selected by Preservation Iowa for its 2026 Preservation at Its Best: Adaptive Reuse Award. This award was given to honor KENT WORLDWIDE’s commitment to preserving the McKee Button Company Factory building.
Since 1996, Preservation Iowa has awarded property owners, architects, developers, and community leaders for work in preserving historical structures. The Preservation Iowa at Its Best award is given to organizations that go above and beyond in their preservation work, honoring revitalization, repurposing, or reintegration of spaces in their respective communities.
The former McKee Button Company Factory was built in 1907, becoming a beacon for the freshwater pearl button industry. The factory ceased operations in 2019. In 2020, KENT WORLDWIDE purchased the building and began renovations.
Architecturally, the building is a three-story, brick industrial structure designed in the Late Victorian Romanesque Revival style. During renovations, KENT WORLDWIDE preserved the character-defining features, including arched window openings, decorative brick pilasters, parapets, and symmetrical massing. Throughout construction, KENT WORLDWIDE restored the original beams, flooring, and 56 of the 211 windows.
In recognition of its importance, the property was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. The property is nationally significant for its association with the freshwater pearl button industry, which was centered in Muscatine from the late nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century. Today, it remains the most complete and significant surviving building associated with the freshwater pearl button industry in the United States.
“The rehabilitation of the McKee Button Company Factory helps to support Muscatine’s economic development, bringing a new type of employment activity to the riverfront while providing our valued employees with a creative space to work,” said Johnnie Arnett, Director of Corporate Communications. “We are honored to be recognized with Preservation Iowa’s Preservation at Its Best award. KENT WORLDWIDE is proud to preserve this prominent riverfront asset and exceptional piece of Iowa’s industrial heritage.”
Today, the former McKee Button Company Factory serves as the headquarters for the KENT WORLDWIDE Consumer Brands Division. With this restoration, this former factory has another opportunity to be home to an industry-leading organization within the Muscatine community.
About KENT WORLDWIDE
Since 1927, KENT WORLDWIDE has been guided by a deep commitment to animal care, human nutrition, and doing what’s right – values that have shaped its evolution into a globally diversified company. Today, KENT WORLDWIDE is a recognized leader in the manufacture and marketing of ag-based specialty ingredients and trusted consumer products. Award winning and proudly family-owned, KENT WORLDWIDE is headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa, and led by third-generation CEO Gage A. Kent.