New Madrid to welcome chemical recycling facility

NEW MADRID, Mo. — In a special meeting, the New Madrid City Council approved one ordinance paving the way for the opening of a new industry, while approval of two additional ordinances sets the stage for future industrial growth.

Land along Route U, which is part of the city's industrial park, was rezoned from agricultural to heavy manufacturing.

According to city administrator Richard McGill, the zoning change allows for Circular SynTech LLC to begin development of its first commercial waste-to-renewable-chemicals production facility at the proposed site.

"The company approached the city in late May and we immediately saw this as a perfect fit," McGill said. "It is the kind of company that, moving forward, will be important for the environment and how things will be done on the state level and the national level by industries."

McGill described CST as a leader in recycling of waste materials. He said the company would be transformational not only for New Madrid but all of Southeast Missouri.

"No one is doing (recycling) the way this company is able to do it. It is really exciting how this could change the waste industry. A lot of different industries could be changed by this," he said.

The city administrator said city and company officials have already met with the state's Department of Natural Resources in anticipation of filing for permits.

The proposed site is on the west of New Madrid along Route U.

According to McGill, initial plans call for the company to begin small and expand as needed. Once the initial construction is completed, he estimated it could employ as many as 200 people.

A groundbreaking celebration is planned for Friday.

Also approved during the meeting was a resolution authorizing the city to be assigned a commercial real estate contract and a second resolution authorizing the purchase of the former Kon-Tek building at 1200 Dawson Road.

Purchased from H&S Storage at a cost of $1,543,066.52, McGill said the building will allow the city to continue its efforts to bring additional industry to town.

"We get economic development requests probably once a week of a company looking for property where they can build or a property with a building already existing. The city saw fit to purchase the building and if a company is looking to come we can sell it to them, do a lease or whatever," McGill said. "We see this as a marketing tool."