POTEAU, Okla., July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- An agreement for the location of a multi-million dollar truck assembly operation that will bring up to 300 new jobs to Poteau was confirmed today by Mayor Jeff Shockley.
The facility will be located in the 112,000-square-foot facility at Poteau Industrial Park, south of Poteau off Route 271 which formerly housed Emerald Plastics, Shockley said.
A formal announcement is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Monday to announce plans by Tiger Truck Co. to open the facility to assemble vehicles designed by ChangAnAutomobile Group, China's third largest vehicle manufacturer. The primary market for the off-road vehicles will be Mexico and South America, the mayor said.
Scheduled to attend the press conference are Tiger Truck founder and Chief Executive Officer Mike Ward, Gov. Brad Henry, State Senator Kenneth Corn and officials from the state Department of Commerce, LeFlore County and the City of Poteau.
Shockley said he has been told it will take approximately three months for the plant to begin operations. A payroll for 300 employees is projected within five years.
A rail spur will be built by A-OK Railroad in conjunction with the city to meet the needs of the facility, the mayor said. Tiger will also receive accelerated depreciation benefits on the building and equipment because it sits on former Indian land.
If plan details are met, the company is also eligible to participate in Poteau's unique economic development incentive, which Shockley said played a major part in Tiger's decision to locate in Poteau.
"There is no question this is a banner day for our city," the mayor said. "We have put a great deal of effort into creating an environment that supports the success of this fine company and the community at large. Any way you measure it, this is a win-win scenario for all of us."
CONTACT:
Peggy Striegel
PR Consultant to the City of Poteau
800 663 1136
918 258 3536
peggy@striegela.com