A groundbreaking was held today at 12:30 p.m. just west of New Millennium’s factory off Arkansas Highway 32 to start a $13 million building project that will add eight jobs to New Millennium’s current 250.
A tent was stood on the grounds that will be used for the new addition. All the plant’s workers and administrative gathered to hear remarks from its general manager Don Bryant, Hope Mayor Don Still and Hope-Hempstead County Executive Director Anna Powell on the project’s value to the area and what it would allow New Millenium to do.
Bryant began by explaining the advantages of the project and expansion: “What it means for the community is that we'll spend $13 million to install and build the building and install the equipment. It's going to result in new income for the jobs that are created that will put another half a million dollars back into the community’s salaries. There'll be an increased opportunity for local machine shops and structural service providers to continue to work. We look to increase our rail traffic by 100%.”
Next, Mayor Still stood and said, “I want to take time to thank New Millennium and Don and their group for what they've been to this city for so many years. I'm always excited about being mayor and welcoming new businesses in town. I do a lot of it. But I'm more excited about this. It’s seeing businesses expand that have already been here. That tells you that they work well in the community, and we do a good job working for them.”
Hope-Hempstead County Economic Development Corporation Director Anna Powell then provided some good news to New Millenium in the form of an “up to $50,000 rail spur infrastructure improvement grant once the capital investments announced today are completed.”
Powell also noted the way New Millennium has worked with the community over the years. “New Millennium gets it. One of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had is to witness the highest level of leadership encourage giving back to nonprofit organizations in our community—a true ‘give-back’ mentality.”
At that point, plant manager Bryant, Mayor Still and EDC Director Powell joined several New Millennium executives to help break ground with several golden shovels provided for the occasion.
The seven new jobs expected after the project’s completion will each pay about $80,000 a year, Bryant said after the groundbreaking ceremony. Later, a second or third shift could be added and more jobs created. Bryant added that the new building and the equipment installed in it will start to produce for the company midway through 2024.
Bryant said staff in the new building would receive rolled up steel from one of New Millennium’s sister companies within its ownership group Steel Dynamics. “They ship it in here. We'll split it on our slitter. The slitter will create molds. Right now we have to have someone else do that, whether in Memphis or Little Rock or somewhere else in the world. They slit it and then ship it to us. This will allow us to use rail transportation directly to the plant to create the slits. So it's going to be a great advantage on steel costs.”
A worker stands next to a coil of steel that would be received at the expanded building next year.
