STRICTLY BUSINESS: PERRYVILLE INDUSTRIAL PARK JUST GOT BIGGER

The Perryville Industrial Park just got bigger.

The Perryville Development Corp., a non-profit group that developed the industrial park at U.S. 61 and state Highway 51, has purchased additional property for the park.

The newest 104-acre tract, inside the city limits, is included in the community's "enterprise zone," a designation that provides tax abatements and other incentives for business.

"We were down to less than 15 acres of usable industrial land im the park," said Bob Ray, director of economic development, with the Perry County Industrial Development Authority.

Part of Ray's role is to help the PDC market the location to prospective industries.

"The expanding acreage gives me a new marketing tool when I talk to clients," said Ray. "The property already has sewer, water, electric and natural gas.

The purchase of the new acreage was completed recently, at a cost of about $10,000 an acre.

The property has 864 feet of frontage on Highway 51, a 2,196-foot frontage on Wichern Road, and a 1,020-foot frontage on Industrial Drive.

An aerial view of the property will be featured on the development authority's Internet site and in informational mailings to industrial prospects.

The new addition more than doubles the size of the Perryville Industrial Park to about 200 acres.

The Park is the site of some of the area's largest employers, including T.G. (U.S.A.), a manufacturer of steering wheels, governor gears, air bags, plastic trim and other parts for the automotive industry.

"The company has expanded three times since it opened," said Ray. "It now employs more than 1,450."

That employment total places the company into the No. 1 position among Southeast Missouri's "Top 60" employers. TG-(U.S.A.) is the third employer to reach the top of that elite list since it was first compiled by the Southeast Missourian newspaper.

Previous leaders of the list were Lee-Rowan Co. of Jackson and P&G Paper Products Co. Lee-Rowan headed the list one year, with 1,350 employees, and P&G has been the traditional leader with employment around the 1,300 mark.

TG (U.S.A) came into being in April 1986 when two Japanese companies, Toyoda Gosei and Mitsui, joined to create TG (U.S.A.), a new company to produce automotive parts in the United States.

When TG (U.S.A.) Corp. opened for business in the Perryville Industrial Park, it produced plastic transmission gears for Ford Motor Co. and steering wheels for Chrysler Corp. The company and its small group of 27 workers operated out of a 48,000-square-foot building.

That was in February 1987.

Today, TG(U.S.A.) works out of more than 400,000 square feet of space, and the more than 1,450 employees produce hundreds of auto parts, including steering wheels, air-bag covers, speaker covers, auto side moldings and lots of little knobs and plastic covers.

The company makes parts for most auto manufacturing companies, including Toyota, Mazda, and the Big Three: Ford, GMC-Chevrolet and Chrysler.

TG (U.S.A.) selected Perryville as the site for its first manufacturing facility after several visits to Missouri and other states. The company is the largest in the industrial park, but also occupying space there are some other companies listed among the area's "Top 60."

They include Solar Communications, which employs about 150; a VIP facility which employs about 150 workers; NPS Corp., 110, and TNT Plastics, with more than 100 employees.

Perryville County is traditionally one of the lowest unemployment counties in the state, ranging from a low of 2.5 to near 4 percent, with a civilian labor force ranging from 9,500 to 10,000.

Gilster-Mary Lee Co., headquartered in Chester, employs about 1,200 in its plants in Perry County, at Perryville and McBride. The company manufactures and packages cake mixes, cereals and popcorn.

VIP/Heartland Industries employs more than 500 people at sites at Cape Girardeau, Perryville, Marble Hill and Fruitland. The company hires the handicapped and assembles, packages and mails car parts, comics, hangers and other products.

Sabreliner, headquartered in St. Louis, has a facility at the Perryville Municipal Airport. Sabreliner is a diversified service, modification and manufacturing company for a variety of military and commercial aircraft. Employment depends on contracts and fluctuates from 45 to 300. Employment is about 250.

"We have other notable employers in the county," said Ray. They include Perry County Hospital, 250; Miraculous Metals Association, 110; a new Wal-Mart Supercenter, 200; East Perry Lumber and Perry Crating, each about 100.

"Procter & Gamble also has a big employment impact on our area," added Ray. "Several people from here work at P&G."

Another big plus for the city of Perryville is a new 40-unit apartment complex, by MACO Co. of Litchfield, Ill.

"And, we're seeing some new homes in the area," said Ray.

Ray is pleased with the expansion of the industrial park.

"This will be a big boost to the area," he said. "And we'll market it vigorously."

B. Ray Owen is business editor of the Southeast Missourian.