The Missouri Department of Economic Development announced that Blue Sun, a St. Joseph producer and marketer of premium renewable fuel products, will expand its facility, creating 25 new jobs and making new capital investment of $9.5 million.
The Blue Sun St Joseph Refinery in St Joseph is among the most efficient biodiesel plants in the U.S. and produces the highest quality B100 biodiesel, exceeding ASTM specifications. Blue Sun will soon be launching a technology that creates very high quality biodiesel at significantly lower cost than current technologies. Once upgrades are complete on this operational plant, it will be the most advanced biodiesel facility in the U.S.
“We are pleased that an industry leader in renewable fuel products is expanding its investment in the Show-Me State and creating new jobs,” said Governor Jay Nixon. “Missouri’s economy continues to move forward with new investments, new jobs and new opportunities for hardworking Missourians.”
Just this week, DED announced that Missouri employers created 13,000 new jobs during the month of October, and have now created approximately 47,000 new jobs in 2011 and 2012 combined. In addition, Missouri’s current unemployment rate of 6.9 percent is one full point below the national unemployment rate, and has been lower than the U.S. unemployment rate for 38 consecutive months.
To help Blue Sun with its expansion plan, the state of Missouri has authorized an economic incentive package that includes $356,956 in Enhanced Enterprise Zone program tax credits over five years for the expansion facility located at 5701 Stockyards Expressway, St. Joseph. The business operation at the project facility is a manufacturing facility for biodiesel fuel.
Enhanced Enterprise Zones are specifically geographic areas designed by local governments and certified by the Department of Economic Development. Zone designation is based on certain demographic criteria, the potential to create sustainable jobs in a targeted industry and demonstrated impact on local cluster development.