Briggs and Stratton breaks ground on Poplar Bluff expansion

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Ground was broken Tuesday for a 125,000-square foot warehouse for the Briggs & Stratton Corporation as workers continued to prepare the site for construction activities.

"I wish to thank Poplar Bluff Industries, the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce and Mid South Investments for making this happen for us," said Mark Melloy, manager of the Briggs & Stratton plant in the Poplar Bluff Industrial Park.

"We will be able to store our engines in this warehouse instead of shipping them to warehouses in other communities outside of Butler County. It will be a nice cost reduction for our company," said Melloy, who was accompanied by a group of Briggs workers.

Steve Halter, president of the chamber, explained how Briggs & Stratton approached Poplar Bluff Industries and the chamber about getting a warehouse built. Poplar Bluff Industries, the chamber's industrial division, owns the land at the corner of Highway 142 and Cravens Road. The warehouse site is on the south side of the Briggs plant.

"We helped formulate a process in which Briggs solicited local developers to put in a bid to build a warehouse. The best bid was from Mid South Investments," Halter said. These developers include Randy Persons, Willard Allison and his son, Rick Allison, all of Poplar Bluff.

"Briggs and Mid South Investments entered into a contract," Halter said. "Mid South Investments will lease the land from Poplar Bluff Industries, build the warehouse and lease it to Briggs."

Persons said all the dirt hauling work should be completed within 30 days.

"We hope to start construction by the end of the year and be done by mid summer," Persons said.

Rick Allison said the warehouse will cover 2.9 acres.

Briggs has agreed to lease the warehouse for five years and has options for two more five-year leases, according to Melloy.

"We will bring a lot of dollars back to Poplar Bluff that we have been spending in other communities," said Melloy, who indicated a large warehouse is needed due to the company's expansion during the past two years.

"We converted a former warehouse [west of the Briggs plant] into manufacturing space and added 350 jobs in the past two years," Melloy said. Briggs had leased this building 10 years before purchasing it from Poplar Bluff Industries (PBI), according to Halter. He thanked everyone for attending the groundbreaking ceremony and expressed appreciation to PBI president Ben Traxel, former PBI president Paul Tucker, Mayor Susan Williams, State Rep. Gayle Kingery and the partners in Mid South Investments.

"I wish to thank Briggs & Stratton for their continued commitment to our community and for showing faith in our community," Halter said.

Williams expressed her appreciation for Briggs "investing in our community."

"We are proud to have Briggs and Stratton as part of our community. It is good to see the community come together on this project," Williams said.

Butler County Eastern District Commissioner Robbie Myers said "the great cooperation between private industry and Poplar Bluff Industries will help keep one of our great employers in Butler County."