The last half of the year has been very productive in St. Joseph economic development. Many companies have announced growth in jobs and investment.
Triumph Foods — Triumph Foods invested $9.2 million in equipment and improvements in productivity enhancements. No new jobs were created as a result of the project. The company did not request incentives for the investment.
Protein LLC — This project began in October 2011. Protein LLC will construct a new facility on a more than 9.5 acre tract of land at the corner of Stockyards Expressway and Illinois Avenue in the Stockyards Industrial Park area. The total capital investment is anticipated to be $11.6 million.
The company will add about 20 new full-time employees. The St. Joseph Regional Port Authority and Buchanan County provided the site to the company as an economic development incentive. Buchanan County performed an extensive amount of concrete removal that remained on the site from its former Stockyard use. The City of St. Joseph participated in the Enhanced Enterprise Zone program through a special incentive package of tax abatement. This was instrumental in moving the project forward due to unexpected and costly site issues associated with the former use of the land.
Protein LLC is a subsidiary of BHJ USA Inc., which is an Omaha, Neb.-headquartered company that supplies value-added fresh or frozen raw materials to the pet food, pharmaceutical and fur industries in North America and Europe. In St. Joseph, the company is a significant supplier of raw product to the pet food industry.
Nor-Am Ice & Cold Storage — This project, titled Project October, is Nor-Am Ice and Cold Storage, LLC, a leading public refrigerated warehouse. The family-operated business will add 72,000 square feet and 10 new, full-time jobs at its Stockyards Expressway location, totaling an $8.5 million investment in its facility. The City of St. Joseph and Buchanan County worked to help this expansion project occur. Buchanan County provided an interest-free, forgivable loan for new employee training and in-kind assistance at the Nor-Am site. The city adopted an Enhanced Enterprise Zone resolution for special real property tax abatement. Other incentives were provided through KCP&L’s economic development rider and the State of Missouri, Missouri Works program.
139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard — The Chamber and Community Alliance of Saint Joseph, together with Buchanan County and the City of St. Joseph, have been working closely with the officials at the Air Guard and our Congressional delegation to bring new opportunities for investment to the 139th Airlift Wing.
The Missouri Air National Guard 139th Airlift Wing will serve as the site for an advanced six-month U.S. Air Force class that will be offered twice a year. The project will result in a near $36 million of economic investment and will create 30 new jobs over a four-year timeframe.
Schütz Container Systems, Inc., — This is a German-based packaging company with locations worldwide which will locate in St. Joseph. It will be the company’s 10th facility in the United States. Schütz stands for sustainable packaging solutions. In its current nine locations, it has 1,000 employees that are active in the field of next generation packaging solutions. In St. Joseph, employees will be involved in making packages for the agriculture chemical and food-related industries.
Schütz is purchasing the shell building and the 7 acres it sits on in Eastowne Business Park. It is also purchasing the 6.25 acres west of the building for future expansion. The company will invest about $20 million in building improvements and equipment. The company will eventually employ 50 people.
The City of St. Joseph, Buchanan County, the State of Missouri, the Missouri Partnership, St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and the Kansas City Area Development Council worked to help this attraction project occur. Buchanan County provided an interest-free, forgivable loan. The City is expected to provide real and personal property tax abatement. KCP&L also assisted with incentives.
