Gov. Bobby Jindal and IntegriCo Composites CEO Scott Mack announced a $20 million capital investment by the company to establish a manufacturing facility near Springhill that will produce transportation infrastructure components – including railroad ties, rail crossings and industrial mats – from landfill-bound plastic waste. The company also will relocate its corporate headquarters from Temple, Texas, to Webster Parish.
The company will create 300 new direct jobs in Webster Parish, with an average annual salary of $35,000 per year, plus benefits. LED estimates the project will result in an additional 339 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 600 new jobs in Northwest Louisiana. IntegriCo will lease 178,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 12 adjacent acres from the North Webster Parish Industrial District, or NWPID.
Gov. Jindal said, “As the rest of the country recovers from the national recession, we are seeing a manufacturing renaissance here in Louisiana. Companies from around the nation and the world are taking note of our strong business climate, our talented workforce and our world-class infrastructure. Investments like this one by IntegriCo Composites confirm that our state can lead the South and the nation in creating strong manufacturing jobs right here at home, and IntegriCo joins a long list of manufacturers that echo that sentiment. We congratulate IntegriCo and their commitment to creating good jobs for Louisianians here in Northwest Louisiana.”
Currently based in Temple, Texas, IntegriCo Composites selected Louisiana after a multistate search for its new manufacturing facility. Renovations and facility upgrades at the site will begin in June 2014, with an expected completion in late 2014. Hiring will begin by October 2014, with commercial operations beginning soon after.
“It is a privilege to partner with Louisiana in an effort that will create quality jobs while simultaneously expanding IntegriCo capacity immensely,” Mack said. “With our Texas facility at capacity, this effort is critical to meeting the demand of our growing client base which includes multiple Class 1 rails, the U.S. military and a myriad of other customers. IntegriCo’s decision, following a thorough review of more than 30 facilities throughout six states, hinged on the partnership displayed by the State of Louisiana, its economic development teams and the local parish to create the framework for successful job creation and associated economic growth. It has been a privilege to work with such dedicated public officials in bringing IntegriCo to Louisiana. IntegriCo – working with its strategic recycling partner, Astro Industries of Monroe, Louisiana – will always strive to be a valued citizen within the community and views this expansion within the parish as only the beginning of a very bright and long-term future for all parties involved.”
IntegriCo will occupy both the former Trane Commercial Systems building and an adjacent speculative building at the North Webster Industrial Park. The NWPID-owned site provided an ideal facility for IntegriCo, with rail access for shipping its products.
In January 2014, LED officials began working with IntegriCo to discuss the company’s plans for a manufacturing facility and headquarters relocation. To secure the project, LED offered the company a competitive incentive package, including a performance-based $2.5 million award from Louisiana’s Economic Development Award Program and an additional $2.5 million in Capital Outlay funding to support publicly owned infrastructure improvements: rail spur modifications and electrical, roof, flooring, lighting and plumbing upgrades. IntegriCo will receive the comprehensive solutions of LED FastStart®, the nation’s No. 1-ranked state workforce training program, and the company is expected to utilize the state’s Quality Jobs Program.
Additionally, the NWPID will provide a performance-based grant of $500,000 annually for 10 years to support IntegriCo’s lease of manufacturing equipment at the industrial park.
“The location of IntegriCo Composites to North Webster Parish clearly demonstrates that Governor Jindal’s and the State of Louisiana’s economic development efforts are working,” said NWPID Chairman Jeff Harper. “On behalf of the North Webster Parish Industrial District, we are grateful for the generous assistance from our partners, including LED, NLEP and our local community. NWPID and surrounding communities look forward to a promising future with IntegriCo Composites and our existing industrial park tenants as well.”
“This win is a real shot in the arm for North Webster Parish,” said President Jim Bonsall of the Webster Parish Police Jury. “The 300 jobs that IntegriCo Composites will bring to our parish is a godsend and a great opportunity not only for our residents but for surrounding communities as well.”
“This project is a game-changer and a good fit for our community,” Springhill Mayor Carroll Breaux said. “The location of IntegriCo Composites to North Webster Parish boosts local economic development and spurs continual economic growth for our area.”
Founded in 2005, IntegriCo Composites uses landfill-bound plastics to create composite railroad ties, rail crossings and industrial mats that exceed industry standards for high consistency and structural integrity. Though the life of railroad ties and crossings fluctuates based on operating conditions, the company affirms that its products are expected to last more than 50 years. The products resist moisture, insects and caustic environments, and they present no risk of leaching hazardous substances into ground water.
“The great teamwork between Louisiana Economic Development, North Louisiana Economic Partnership, North Webster Parish Industrial District and other local partners to aggressively recruit IntegriCo Composites resulted in an incredible win for Webster Parish,” NLEP President Scott Martinez said. “This project has a huge economic impact for our region.”
About IntegriCo Composites
IntegriCo Composites Inc. is a fast-growing, Texas-based manufacturer of composite railroad products made from recycled plastics. IntegriCo’s unique processing technology utilizes landfill-bound plastic to create railroad products that outperform others by virtually every measure including the most important – long life in track. For more information, visit www.integrico.com.