February 18, 2022
New Madrid welcomes new industry Friday morning
NEW MADRID, Mo. - It only seemed appropriate that the sun glinted off the golden shovels as officials posed for ground-breaking photos Friday morning. After all, everyone agreed, the future looks bright for New Madrid and its newest industry, CST New Madrid LLC...
By Jill Bock/Standard Democrat
NEW MADRID, Mo. - It only seemed appropriate that the sun glinted off the golden shovels as officials posed for ground-breaking photos Friday morning. After all, everyone agreed, the future looks bright for New Madrid and its newest industry, CST New Madrid LLC.
In welcoming CST New Madrid, New Madrid City Administrator Richard McGill said the company will revolutionize not only New Madrid and Southeast Missouri but also the industry. CST New Madrid, a project of Circular SynTech LLC, will be its first commercial-scale waste-to-renewable-chemicals production facility.
Using its proprietary technology it intends to convert waste into renewable biochemicals. The chemicals will then be used to manufacture hundreds of products instead of using petrochemicals derived from fossil fuels.
“The city has pursued industry over the years but we never envisioned attracting something so innovative, so game changing and so perfect for today’s economic world,” McGill said of CST New Madrid. “Economic development is a lot like baseball. You get a lot of swings and misses but every once in a while you are going to get a big hit. Today is our big hit.”
McGill praised Mayor Dick Bodi and the City Council for their vision to bring industry into the community. Particularly, he said, a sustainable industry which would offer high paying jobs in a safe environment.
Also the City Administrator credited county and political officials, the Missouri Partnership and the state of Missouri with making it possible for the community and the industry to come together.
CST-New Madrid CEO Dan Dockter said America is the “land of opportunity and Missouri is the land of initiative.”
He described the company and the technology it has developed as the result of a willingness to challenge old concepts.
“We are here to create high-tech jobs by applying new technology,” Dockter said. “To capture the value of an enormous and highly valued market - an overlooked market - using near instant chemical reconfiguration on the molecular level. It is that cutting edge.”
The result, he told the crowd would take on climate change and take it on while making a profit.
The company has indicated it will be making a $90 million dollar investment in constructing its facility at New Madrid. According to Dockter, construction could begin as early as April with initially 40 workers hired.
He noted the New Madrid site also provides ample room for expansion as the company grows.
Shad Burner with the Missouri Department of Economic Development said he was pleased the company decided to come to Missouri, particularly Southeast Missouri
“At the Department of Economic Development, we work with companies every day and we know that they can build new state-of-the-art facilities anywhere in the world, but you chose here in rural Missouri,” he said. “I think that says something about Missouri and our business friendly climate. We continue to see more and more businesses choose to make Missouri home.”
He added he looks forward to returning to see the company in operation and to see the impact it will make on the economy of the entire region.
New Madrid Mayor Dick Bodi noted the work to bring the new industry to the community began with previous city councils and the current council members continued those efforts. Also he singled out McGill and thanked him for his efforts in bringing jobs to the community.
Both Bodi and State Rep. Don Rone spoke of the impact the company would have on the workforce needs of Southeast Missouri.
“Circular SynTech is a company that is going to come in and they are going to keep adding jobs over the years. They are going to keep building new lines and hiring new people,” Bodi said. “The dream is to have a place our children and grandchildren can work at. …They can stay at home and have a good job.”
Rone added while the most recent census saw a drop in New Madrid County’s population, this could be the beginning of turning that around.
Advertisement
Advertisement