BWCEDC holds annual meeting

Earth Services has bought

land at the industrial park

Submitted by David Cooper

The Benton/West City Economic Development Corporation had some good news with the sale of 4.48 acres in the new I-57 Airport Business Park to Earth Services of Benton.

There are no immediate plans for construction, but the BWCEDC is confident that Earth Services will fix up the property and establish business that will add jobs and/or sales tax to the Benton area.

Together, the city of Benton and the BWCEDC ran a new sewer line to the south end of the business park so that the development now has water, electric, sewer and fiber optics.

Along with interest in this new business park, Executive Director Dave Cooper has been getting out-of-state requests for information on both the new business park and Industrial Park II on the west side of the airport. The business park's first tenant is Blue Ridge Tractor, which is just weeks away from completion and being open for business.

At the BWCEDC annual meeting, the 21 directors elected officers for the upcoming year: John Huffman, chairman; Larry Miller, vice chairman; Hervey Davis, secretary; and Bill Simpson, treasurer.

Directors elected for three-year terms are Larry Miller, Steve Taylor, John Gulley, Kelly Stewart, Bill Simpson, Dave Oxford and Rebecca Mitchell.

Also at the annual meeting, members heard updates from Karen Mullins, executive director of the Benton/West City Chamber of Commerce; Rick Linton of FREDCO; and the office of Congressman Mike Bost.