Gov. Matt Blunt announced today that state and city officials are working in partnership to fund public infrastructure improvements required for a local manufacturer to expand and create new jobs.
The Missouri Department of Economic Development approved a $599,000 industrial infrastructure grant for Neosho through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The funds will help address transportation system improvements at the Neosho Industrial Park. As a result, Jarden Consumer Solutions will privately invest nearly $2.4 million and create at least 70 new full-time jobs within two years.
Jarden Consumer Solutions is a division of Rye, N.Y.,-based Jarden Corp. The company’s Neosho facility serves as the national distribution center for Sunbeam, Oster, Mr. Coffee, Health o meter, BRK and First Alert branded consumer products.
Jarden plans to move distribution operations of its VillaWare and FoodSaver branded consumer products to the Neosho facility in August. Workers at the plant currently assemble replacement coffee decanters and soon will put together FoodSaver vacuum machine kits.
The state grant, in combination with local cash and in-kind services, will cover costs to extend Howard Bush Drive from Industrial Drive to High Street, including the intersection and traffic signal system on Highway 60. The extension of the street will alleviate traffic congestion on a narrow residential street and in the commercial area surrounding the industrial park, and create a direct route for emergency vehicles.
The grant was made under the Community Development Block Grant program, administered by DED. Funds will be released to Neosho as certain requirements set forth by the program are met. The program provides economic development grants and loan funds to cities with a population under 50,000 and counties under 200,000 to assist in the location of new industry and the expansion or retention of existing businesses.
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