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Governor lauds new wood pellet plant
Riley came to Jackson to celebrate the announcement of a new wood pellet mill for the city. New Gas Concepts through their Dixie Grain Pellets, LLC project will build a mill expected to create over 100 jobs with an average compensation of about $50,000-a-year. The ceremony was held before an overflowing crowd in Jackson City Hall and also featured Mayor Richard Long, members of the city council, Congressman Jo Bonner, other state, local and area officials.
Bates said "you can support a family" on the good jobs created by the new mill. "(Bates) is going to make in your community a $118 million investment to build one of their new pelletizing plants here," Riley said. "…It is going to change the quality of life that you have in this community." The mill is a precursor to further investment, Bates said. A pellet-to-chemical plant will be located in the state in 2009. "Instead of sending (wood pellets) to Europe to burn in a boiler, we will be converting them to higher level chemicals here," he said. "You could not have chosen a better location than Jackson, Alabama for excellent employees, abundant raw materials and an outstanding transportation system," said Mayor Long. "You've got to be excited about your future," Bonner told the students from Jackson High School who were attending the Monday ceremony. With the wood pellet mill and more opportunities expected to be created by the TK plant, "you will not have to leave South Alabama after you've gone off and gotten a higher education…. You'll return home to a good job, a great community and a wonderful place to live." Energy is one of the top issues the United States faces today, the congressman said. "We are a nation that is too dependent on foreign countries for our own energy. We've been that way for 20 or 30 years. What Evan and his company is doing is not only taking advantage of something we sometimes take for granted - wood - here in this part of the world, but we are exporting it to another part of the world that needs our wood and is converting it to energy. "If they can do it in Europe, wood might be an energy source (here in the future)," Bonner said.
"…Take a moment and be proud of the good things that are happening in Clarke County."
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