Two major economic developments have been reported in Marion County, one with an unknown number of potential jobs, while a second secures 100 existing positions between Flippin and a second location in Newport.
According to a notice of a public hearing appearing in the Mountaineer Echo newspaper, Butterball, the largest producer of turkey products in the United States, is proposing to construct a feed mill west of Yellville. The proposed site at 3726 Highway 62 West is on undeveloped property south of the highway between the uneven railroad tracks west of Yellville prior to crossing the bridge at George’s Creek.
Yellville Mayor Shawn Lane is among those who have been working extensively to secure the potential new employer. However, Mayor Lane says he is not at liberty to speak about the project in detail.
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Lane says he is not able to comment on the potential number of jobs the facility would bring to Marion County, saying only that it is a proposed $55M poultry feed mill, not a processing plant.
Officials at Butterball’s corporate office in Garner, North Carolina referred KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot to its public relations office in Chicago. The PR spokesperson declined to comment, saying a press release would be forthcoming sometime this week.
According to the newspaper notice, a public hearing is set for Friday morning, May 12 at 9 in the Marion County Courts Complex in Yellville regarding the issuance of $55M in industrial development revenue bonds. The public notice advises the bonds would be used to provide funds to finance a substantial industrial project consisting of acquisition land and installation of buildings, improvements, machinery, equipment and other personal property. Those bonds must be approved by the county.
Meanwhile, SemahTronix, a manufacturer of custom cable assemblies, wiring harness, and next-level HLAs, for the medical, defense and aerospace, commercial, and industrial markets, announced Thursday it has purchased the assets and taken over operations of Actronix Inc.
According to a press release, SemahTronix, headquartered in Flippin, also has a manufacturing facility in Newport at the Arkansas Department of Correction McPherson Unit. The company has had a presence in Flippin since 1977 as LaBarge Electronics, Avnet Cable Technologies, and Actronix Inc.
The two SemahTronix locations in Arkansas have a total of more than 100 employees. The company will continue to employ everyone currently on staff while supporting all previous customers.
The new owner of SemahTronix, Rusty Hames, says, “SemahTronix is dedicated to continuing the operations at both facilities to keep jobs in Arkansas.”
Mike Preston, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission says, As someone who grew up in a small town, I understand the social and economic impact that companies like SemahTronix have on their communities. Preston says, More than 80 percent of Arkansans live in rural areas, and SemahTronixs decision to continue operations in Flippin is a testament to the hard work and dedication its citizens have demonstrated throughout the years.
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