By Ryan Lewis
Correspondent
KIMBALL, Tenn. — A representative for Chicago Bridge and Iron Co. on Friday urged Marion County residents to be patient with the worldwide manufacturer’s plans to crank up a local plant and put people to work.
Attorney Travis McDonough with Miller & Martin, who represents CB&I, said its planned New Hope facility would manufacture components for nuclear power plants.
The problem is that many of the companies planning on building those plants are just beginning to bid out the massive projects, he said.
“Projects of the magnitude the New Hope facility would serve are obviously few and far between,” he said. “So it’s difficult to justify building a plant with no orders in hand. The more success that CB&I has in getting this work, the closer we are to getting this plant built.”
With the unemployment rate at 11.1 percent in Marion County, local officials say the need for economic and community growth has never been more pressing.
On Friday, state officials, local government administrators and concerned citizens met at the Kimball Town Hall Annex to discuss the future of economic and community development in the region.
“There are a lot of great people here that want to see good things happen to Marion County,” Marion County Chamber of Commerce President Don Atkins said. “That’s evidenced by the participation of these people here today.”
Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber believes that despite the economic downturn, there’s still a lot to be excited about in areas like Marion County.
He said his department has made more changes in policy over the past seven years to make the state more competitive in bringing in new businesses and industries than were made in the last 30 years combined.
“We’ve begun to see projects coming in (because of these changes) that would’ve never considered Tennessee in the past,” he said. “Selling is about helping to educate the consumer about making the best choice for the need they are trying to fill. We’ve tried to take that same perspective with economic development.”
The status of CB&I’s plans was of particular interest to those in attendance since the venture would go a long way in relieving some of the area’s unemployment problems.
ABOUT CB&I
* Chicago Bridge & Iron engineers, fabricates and maintains industrial storage and materials handling facilities and structures. It has more than 70 proprietary licensed technologies and 1,500 patents and patent applications.
* Founded: 1889
* Products: Large storage containers, vessels, pipelines, structures, plants and associated technologies used by petrochemical and nuclear industries
Employees: 17,000
Operations: 80
Locations: 10 countries
Headquarters: The Netherlands
Source: Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. website, www.cbi.com>
Mr. Kisber said he knows it has been an unusually slow process.
“As I understand it, part of this investment is contingent upon some contracts CB&I may get. So, that’s part of what’s at play around the timeline of this project.”
Officials said the company is waiting to hear the results of the bidding process from several projects.
“These orders will come,” Mr. McDonough said. “When they do, CB&I plans on focusing its attention on Marion County.”
He said it’s important to be patient and hope that his client will be awarded at least some of the new contracts that are being bid out.
“CB&I is going to get its share of the work, and the news is going to be good here,” he said. “There’s reason to be optimistic about the project. Nobody can say exactly when it’s going to happen, but when it does, Marion County is going to be an even better place to live.”
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.
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