Osceola Mayor Talks New Industry, Jobs at Chamber Luncheon

The Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce held its first Member Lunch on Wednesday, January 29, 2014, in the Harold Ohlendorf Civic Center.  Over 70 business, industry, and community leaders came out to enjoy a delicious lunch catered by member Riverlawn Country Club and to hear Mayor Dickie Kennemore give the State of the City Address.

He began his program with general updates about the City of Osceola budget.  He showed the group that in comparison to 2013's budget, the city should recognize a $1,776,534 net increase in profits this year through both increases and revenue and reduction of expenses.  He noted that this was due to various department heads operating more efficiently and reduction of wages through attrition.  

The presentation then moved to many updates regarding industrial developments.

Map showing boundaries for existing and future industrial developments. Clockwise from bottom left: Evonik Cyro (existing, purple) American Greetings (existing, light blue), Indigo Resources LTD (future, dark blue), Plum Point Energy Station (existing, red), Bunge Corporation (existing, gold), Viskase Corporation (existing, pink), Big River Steel (future, yellow). Photo from the Mayor's presentation.

Blue Oak, a high tech recycling facility, was the first to be discussed.  The company will work to reclaim five precious metals found in circuit boards from a variety of electronics.  There are only six facilities such as this in the world, none of which are in the United States.  Kennemore also noted that those that do exist are repurposed recycling facilities, often having outdated technology and thus not recognizing maximum efficiency.  Blue Oak will be state of the art, bringing approximately 75 high paying technical jobs.  The project is anticipated to begin preliminary organization in the next 60-90 days.

Next, Kennemore gave information on Indigo Resources, the rail-to-barge oil terminal to be situated just north of Plum Point Energy Station.  Oil will be imported from Canada and North Dakota on rail cars, transferred to barge at the Osceola terminal, and transported to refineries in Memphis, Vicksburg, New Orleans, and Houston.  Indigo is expected to fill 225 jobs, and will break ground on April 1, 2014.

Kennemore then explained that with this kind of industry, there is some risk due to needed maintenance or inspection of rail cars.  When you consider the large amount of rail cars used by PPES and to be used by Indigo and Big River Steel, there will be quite the demand for a facility that can help in this respect.  The group was surprised when he announced that they are working to bring a tank car inspection and repair business to the former Fruit of the Loom site, and the 70,000 tank cars in need of inspection and repair will create 300 to 400 jobs, many in welding.  Scrap cars will be delivered to Big River Steel.

The presentation then shifted to an update on Big River Steel.  He gave a report on the recent meeting last Friday with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, in which the agency lifted the construction stay on the project.  Though the air permit hearing still has to take place, he explained that this is a major and positive step forward by allowing BRS to begin preliminary site work.  The air permit appeal hearing is tentatively set for February 18, with a final decision to be made on or before March 31, 2014.  The plant is to bring approximately 525 jobs.

He also shared data about the steel industry and an article in Fortune magazine with Charles Koch of Koch Industries.  In it, Koch discusses their reasons for investing in BRS, one being that it will be the only large-scale producer of electrical-grade steel in the United States, which will be used to make transformers, power lines, and other equipment used in specialty grids of tomorrow.

"The New Koch" by Christopher Leonard, Fortune Magazine, January 13, 2014.

Article preview link: http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/19/leadership/koch-brothers.pr.fortune/index.html

On Friday, an administrative law judge lifted a stay that was blocking potential construction activities for the project. With the ruling, Big River Steel can begin site preparation work and move forward with initial construction planning.
The move also is a sign of confidence for investors in the project, which includes a consortium of domestic and overseas financial groups. There are still two more hearings to review the air permits obtained by Big River Steel related to the deal.
- See more at: http://talkbusiness.net/2014/01/big-river-steel-gets-stay-lifted-two-reviews-go/#sthash.18l9qUvx.dpuf

The $1.1 billion steel mill slated for Osceola has been tied up in a regulatory hearing as a chief rival, Nucor Steel, has asked for a re-examination of the air quality permits approved for Big River Steel by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. - See more at: http://talkbusiness.net/2014/01/big-river-steel-gets-stay-lifted-two-reviews-go/#sthash.18l9qUvx.dpuf

With all of the new industrial developments happening in Osceola, Kennemore discussed plans for accommodating infrastructure improvements, including water, sewage, rail spurs, and more.

Kennemore closed his presentation with discussing his goal of securing a new electric provider contract.  The current contract with Constellation expires December 31, 2014, and the city is looking to negotiate a 20-year full requirements contract with a new company to have in place on January 1, 2015.  He explained that a $0.02 reduction would generate an additional $2.4million surplus for Osceola Municipal Light and Power.  With this additional profit, the City will explore options including but not limited to rate reduction, increased services, and a new recreation complex such as a water park.

The Chamber was very happy with both the turnout and the very informative presentation.  The organization looks to host the luncheon series on a quarterly basis.  For more details about the next luncheon, event, or general information about the Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce, contact Executive Director Ammi Tucker at osceolachamber@sbcglobal.net or 870-563-2281.

Big River Steel gets OK to begin preliminary construction

Friday, January 24, 2014

By Sandra Brand | Osceola Times

Big River Steel is one step closer to becoming a reality.

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) lifted the construction stay on Big River during a meeting in Little Rock early this morning (Friday).

Osceola Mayor Dickie Kennemore explained this does not mean the air permit has been approved, but it does mean John Correnti, CEO of Big River, can begin the preliminary construction phase such as soil tests etc.

"This is good news for the project," Kennemore said.

An administrative law judge has tentatively scheduled a Feb. 18 hearing on the appeal for the air permit.
Big River Steel, a $1.1 billion project, has promised to create at least 525 permanent jobs with an average wage of $75,000 in exchange for $125 million in state financing and other tax breaks. BRS will be built on the banks of the Mississippi River just south of Osceola.

Redistributed with permission from Sandra Brand. Original article link: http://www.couriernews.net/story/2044962.html

Give Thanks to Local Business

 

As Thanksgiving approaches, we often think of family, food, and fellowship.  It is the time of year that we celebrate with loved ones, count our blessings (but not our calories!), and begin the countdown to Christmas.

This holiday season, I ask each of you to take time to show your gratitude to the local businesses, industries, and organizations of our area.  Though kind words and encouragement are great, the best way to give thanks and support is through buying local.

Every dollar spent locally circulates six times within the local economy.  With approximately $0.45 of each $1 going back into the community, your initial dollar spent will have a $1.80 impact on our local economy while helping several other local businesses along the way.  Plus, by supporting local business, you help with job creation and retention, as well as sales tax generation that supports many great things in our community such as local parks, youth sports, and services.

Please remember your local businesses when shopping, whether before Thanksgiving, on Black Friday or Small Business Saturday, and through December.  For your convenience, I've attached our membership list to reference when planning gifts.

Click here to download our list of members. 

We thank each and every one of you for your support of the Chamber, our members, and the community.  In celebration of the holiday, the Chamber offices will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 28 and 29.  Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving, and remember to Shop Local!

Sincerely,

Ammi Tucker

Executive Director

Osceola/SMC Chamber of Commerce

References:
The Local Multiplier http://www.localmultiplier.com/
U of A Economic Multiplier http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSCED6.pdf 

Big River Steel supplier outreach events to be held in October

BRS supplier outreach event to target small, minority-owned businesses

Participants to learn about business, contracting opportunities

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (August 28, 2013) – Two workshops will be held in October for small and minority businesses interested in doing business with Big River Steel. The workshops, which will take place October 16 in Little Rock and October 23 in Blytheville, are offered to all small, minority and women-owned businesses in Arkansas. There is no cost to attend but registration is required. Register at www.bigriversteelsummit.com. The workshops are coordinated by Big River Steel, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) and the Governor’s Office.  

In January 2013, Big River announced plans to build a $1 billion steel mill in Mississippi County that will directly employ more than 500 people with annual average compensation of $75,000 a year. The company plans to produce steel for the automotive, oil and gas, and electrical energy industries. Construction of the mill will take approximately two years.

The October 16 Little Rock workshop will be held 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Jack Stephens Center on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s campus. The October 23 Blytheville workshop, which will cover the same material as the Little Rock event, will be held 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Arkansas Northeastern College. Participants can attend either workshop which will outline details and requirements of doing business with Big River. All business sectors are encouraged to attend as there are a variety of opportunities. 

“This outreach event is an excellent way for Arkansas’s small, minority and women-owned businesses to discover new business and contracting opportunities with Big River Steel,” said AEDC’s Small and Minority Business Director Patricia Nunn Brown. “We want to ensure that our small and minority businesses are well represented in constructing and servicing this plant.”

 For more information on this event, call 1-800-ARKANSAS or e-mail info@arkansasedc.com.

Article submitted by Scott Hardin

AEDC Marketing and Communications 

501-682-7306

shardin@arkansasedc.com

OPD 8th Annual Make-A-Wish Poker Run

The 8th annual Osceola Police Department Make-A-Wish Motorcycle Poker Run will be held on Saturday, September 21, 2013. Both motorcycles and cars will meet up at Osceola High School, located at 2750 W Semmes Ave, at 9:00 a.m. to gather and parade through town.

The OPD fundraising partnership with the Mid-South Chapter of Make-A-Wish began locally in September of 2006. Since that time, over $102,000 has been raised within Mississippi County to grant 14 wishes for children ranging in ages from 3 to 15. Last year alone, the OPD raised over $20,000 for Make-A-Wish.

Entry for this year’s Poker Run is $20 in advance or $25 the day of the event, which includes one hand, lunch, and a commemorative tee shirt while supplies last. An auction will immediately follow lunch.

For more information, call 870-622-7060, 870-622-4943, or 870-563-5213. To register, mail completed forms to:
OPD Poker Run
Attn: Cathey Willbanks
401 W Keiser
Osceola, AR 72370

Forms are available for pickup at the Osceola Police Department and at the Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce office.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. For more information about the Make-A-Wish foundation or to register a child, visit http://midsouth.wish.org

Article submitted by Billy Willbanks

on behalf of the OPD Make-A-Wish Poker Run

870.622.7060

 bwillbank@yahoo.com

The City of Osceola is a proud member of the Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce

ANC WORK Program—A Collaborative Effort to Build a Workforce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Arkansas Northeastern College is reviving a successful program from the 1990s to help address current and future workforce demands in the region. Workforce Orientation & Retraining Keys (WORK) is a sixty clock hour program designed to lift under-skilled local residents living in poverty out of poverty and, simultaneously, advance economic development by expanding the local workforce. 

American Greetings in Osceola has also shown its support of the WORK Program—Workforce 
Orientation and Retraining Keys, now available through Arkansas Northeastern College. American 
Greetings Human Resource Manager David Oakes (L) presents ANC President Dr. James
Shemwell with a $5,000 check for the WORK Program.

“Through industry and community support, this program will reach out and find people who currently are not supporting themselves and give them the opportunity to learn the skills to be productive in the workforce.  Not only is the WORK Program free to participants, it also incorporates an incentive pay to the students as long as they continue to meet the demands of the program, including showing up for each class on time,” said Dr. James Shemwell, President of Arkansas Northeastern College. Shemwell noted that WORK is one of several initiatives that the College has underway to address present and future workforce needs locally.

According to Shemwell, WORK will provide individuals with the necessary skills and support network to access economic opportunity. Community mentors will work with each WORK participant throughout the 8 weeks of training and extending until the participant has successfully maintained employment for 90 days. 

Kagome Creative Foods in Osceola donates $5,000 to the newly reinstated WORK Program—a
program designed to prepare under-skilled , unemployed residents for the workforce.
(L to R)  Kagome Plant Manager Charlie Simons and Human Resources Manager Nita Reams
present a check to ANC President Dr. James Shemwell.

WORK participants will have the opportunity to earn participant incentives up to $300 during training to help remove barriers to employment, such as funds to purchase work clothes or specialized footwear. Completers of the WORK program will have the opportunity to obtain a certificate of WORK completion, a 10-hour OSHA certificate, an American Heart Association CPR card, a Career Readiness Certificate (CRC), and job interview opportunities with local employers.

WORK represents a comprehensive partnership effort among Arkansas Northeastern College, the Great River Economic Development Foundation, the Mississippi County Equal Opportunity Commission, area industries, community and faith-based leaders, and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. 

“We’ve been fortunate to have the support of the community and many of our local industries,” added Shemwell who said that employer partners were still being sought for the program which is expected to enroll students later this month. By investing $5,000 for program seed money to launch the program, employer partners will enjoy interview priority with program graduates, as well as access to the class and students during the program. To sustain the program’s viability into the future, employers will be asked to contribute $750 to the WORK program for each WORK graduate hired by that employer, a “pay-as-you-go” approach. “After their initial investment of seed money, employers only will be asked to contribute pro rata as they realize value from the program through actual hires made,” said Shemwell.

The WORK course, to be offered both in Blytheville and Osceola, will be made available at no cost to participating trainees. Douglas Echols, most recently an ANC Career Coach at Osceola High School, has been selected as the WORK Coordinator. Those interested in the WORK program can contact the ANC Harry L. Crisp Center at 763-6222.

Submitted by Rachel Gifford

Associate Vice President for Development and College Relations

Arkansas Northeastern College

870.838.2902

rgifford@smail.anc.edu 

Arkansas Northeastern College is a proud member of the Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce.

Art Photography Exhibit On Display

For the month of May 2013, The Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamberof Commerce and  The Arts Council of Mississippi County invite the public to view a unique display of photographs taken and prepared by local photographers Joel Collier and Al Anderson.  The photographs are available for viewing during regular business hours at the Chamber offices, located at 116 N Maple in Osceola.  In April, Collier & Anderson were the featured gallery artists at the Ritz Civic Center, located in downtown Blytheville.

"Splash" by Joel Collier

Joel Collier, a self-employed nation-wide home repair specialist, is originally from Redding, California.  He moved to Blytheville in 2005 when he purchased two homes in the area to repair and sell.  He became interested in photography when he watched a friend go through a roll of film of pictures and discarded prints that Collier thought he would have kept.  This inspired him to purchase a “point and shoot” digital camera.  He taught himself and asked advice from friends on how to take pictures.

For the month of February 2010, The Arts Council of Mississippi County featured Collier’s photography for their gallery show.  Of that experience, Collier decided he learned two things.  First, he felt he didn’t really know how to take pictures to his satisfaction, only that he knew how to“talk” to his camera.  Second, he felt that with his digital camera, he was limited to what size of picture he could take.  This pushed him with the desire to go from digital photography to film photography.

"Beekeeper" by Al Anderson

Joel Collier considers himself a “documentary” and “self-portrait” photographer.  He believes his pictures reflect part of himself and how he feels, combined with his life experiences to also include his perspective on the subject of his photo shoot.  Collier explains, “I believe I shoot ‘footprints’ of man.  For example, buildings, roads, cars and things that we leave behind when we are gone.”

He stated that his photographs in this show express a journey through his photographic skills and experiences.  His photographs show sights he saw in West Virginia, Texas, Arkansas and California. For these pictures he has used some film that people may think has “expired”.  For example, one picture on display which he took in November 2012 was taken with film that was made in 1947 and was dated to expire in 1948.  “I don’t do this all the time.  I have a theory on film.” Collier states, “If it has an expiration date prior to when I started high school, I start to wonder.  If it is after 1977, I believe it should work.”

Collier gave his thoughts about fellow gallery artist Al Anderson’s work, “I think Al has a really unusual mixture of creative, technical and experimental photography.”

"Piano and Teacher's Chair" by Joel Collier

Joel Collier met Al Anderson during Collier’s 2010 photography art show at The Ritz.  After talking about their common love for photography, Collier asked Anderson and local photographers Chris Thomas, Jason Lloyd and Richard Schlosser, to present a combined photography art show of subjects around Mississippi County and other local areas in Arkansas.  The Arts Council of Mississippi County invited the group to be their gallery artists in February 2010.

In 2002, Kenosha, Wisconsin native Al Anderson was discharged from the United States Navy and moved to Blytheville, Arkansas, where he currently lives with his wife Lora and their two children, Chase and Vanessa.  Anderson states that his interest in photography actually started about 18 years ago when he started taking pictures of trains.  He did this for about three years.  In 2010, he got the bug again and started taking pictures with a digital camera.

He tells that through the eye of his camera lens he has learned a new creative outlet different from his normally routine technical work environment.  His new view has him experiencing life with a new perspective.  With the travels he made with his job as a Melt Shop Electrician with Nucor Steel Arkansas, Anderson displays pictures he has taken from different locations in Arkansas as well as pictures taken in Canada, Switzerland, and Finland.

Anderson stated of Collier, “I admire the patience and creativity that Joel has for the medium that he uses."