Business View Magazine | April 2020

256 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE APRIL 2020 property, a rough greenfield site, and we invested funding to get the site leveled, cleared, and certified by the State of Missouri’s Department of Economic Development. We marketed that site and successfully recruited Empire Comfort Systems, a fireplace insert manufacturer. We entered into an agreement where we would build them a building and then offer a long-term lease to them with a buyout option. So, they agreed to come. We built them a 140,000-sq.-ft. facility, designed on land where they have the ability to double that capacity, which, I believe, they’ll probably do in the next few years. The building started construction in January 2019, and they opened in August 2019, which is pretty remarkable, because it was just June 2018 when we recruited them. Since then, they have acquired Primo Grills, which produces ceramic grills, and they’re bringing that production to Poplar Bluff, as well, in late 2020. So, they’re going to spend in excess of $10 million and have committed to over 100 jobs, but long-term, it will probably be a lot more than that. “In 2019, Briggs and Stratton had a decision to make on closing their facility in Murray, Kentucky or closing the one in Poplar Bluff. Whichever one they closed, all the jobs would go to the other facility. Through the retention/ recruiting efforts between ourselves, the City of Poplar Bluff, the Butler County Commission, the utility companies, and the State Department of Economic Development, we were able to get that project awarded to Poplar Bluff, which will mean, in two years, about 350 jobs and over $15 million in capital expenditure. So, we’re really excited about the difference that’s going to make for Poplar Bluff. Also, New Wave Communications added a call center to their operation, recently, with an additional 75 jobs.” BVM: What makes Poplar Bluff attractive to these and other prospective businesses? Halter: “We’re an ACT Work Ready-certified community. We’re only the second county in the State of Missouri to be ACT Work Ready-