Jackson wants bigger firms for industrial park

When businesses decide to move into Jackson's industrial park, they'll have to be pretty good size.

On Nov. 17, the Jackson Board of Aldermen turned down a Jackson business that wanted to expand on five acres of the industrial park site. The board decided that Jackson Machine & Manufacturing's acreage request was too small and unanimously voted for a motion to divide the park's 50 acres into two or three lots if possible, but no more than four. At four lots, each would be approximately 12 acres.

The issue of how to divide the industrial tract has been up for debate since the land was purchased in 1998 for $913,000.

Some, like city administrator Jim Roach, believed that the industrial site should be used for bigger businesses that would have immediate impact on the community.

Others said that smaller lots were the way to go to prevent harm to the city if a large industry packed up and left.

Alderman Kerry Hoffman, who told the Southeast Missourian last summer that he was more in favor of small- to medium-sized lots, made the motion to stick with the board's long-range plan to attract the big industries.

Hoffman said the reason the board came to a consensus was that each 12-acre lot could bring in 30 to 50 jobs. He said that when that many jobs are created, grant money becomes available to help pay for paving streets and bringing in utilities.

"One day we hope to have 100 to 200 new jobs out there," he said. "With the smaller companies, a lot of them would be moving in just to change location, and that isn't bringing in many new jobs."

Alderwoman Barbara Lohr said she wasn't on the board in 1998 when this issue came about but wants to remain on track with the long-range plan.

She said the best way to bring in more jobs is to bring in bigger industries.

According to the meeting's minutes, Jackson Machine & Manufacturing, which employs eight to 10 people, is seeking to expand its business by constructing a 20,000-square-foot building and increasing its work force to 15 to 20 employees.

Two phone calls to Jackson Machine & Manufacturing were not returned Friday.

Jackson Chamber of Commerce executive director Ken Parrett and the area's industrial recruitment association director, Mitch Robinson, attended the closed meeting on behalf of Jackson Machine & Manufacturing.

Robinson said Jackson Machine & Manufacturing officials showed some disappointment and that the business is looking for another location.

"I think this was just another step in the process of developing the acreage the city owns and finding out the next steps of laying out the site," he said.

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635