JCIA helps make Johnston County a great place to invest – Published in the Aug 6-12 edition of the Johnston County Sentinel
This week’s Member Spotlight is on the Johnston County Industrial Authority (JCIA). The organization was formed under the statute of a Title 60 Trust in 1968 and has nine voting members with three non-voting ad hoc positions. Current board members include: Mike Greenwood, Chair; Mike Vandevier, Vice Chair; Judy Huston, Secretary/Treasurer; Seigel Heffington; Troy Golden; Scott Clark; Lisa Shephard; Raye Lyn Cole; Jordyn Frazier and ad hoc, Jared Elkins. Members are appointed by the Johnston County Commissioners.
This group works to retain current industry and recruit new businesses to the Johnston County area. They currently oversee several buildings in the Johnston County Industrial Park located off HWY 377 west of Tishomingo and in Mill Creek.
In the 1990s, the authority built a 40,000 square foot building with funding from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and a CDBG and is now leased to the Good Old Boys, operated as a medical marijuana growery.
In 2000, they gave 5 acres of land to 3 entrepreneurs to build a 4,000 square foot building, which the company more than doubled to create the 10,000 square foot, Supermarket Services, which is still in existence there. In 2002, through a $465,000 USDA RBEG, the JCIA facilitated the construction of the facility now leased by Tape-Matics. A year later the organization partnered with the Chickasaw Nation to build a water tower in the Park.
In 2007, the 3-C Cattle Feeders building located in Mill Creek was built through a collaboration with Oklahoma State University’s New Product Development Center, USDA, and REI funding. They now manufacture cattle feeders and trailers that ship all over the U.S.
From 2009-2012, through CDBG and USDA funds, in partnership with Nitro Lift Technologies, a $675,000, 6,000 square foot building was erected. Last year, Nitro Lift was awarded a $1,000,000 grant from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, matching their own $1,000,000 contribution of funds, payroll, and materials, Nitro Lift will triple their physical footprint and create 30 new jobs within the next few years! Construction has almost finished on their new building in the Park. “Nitro-Lift is the exclusive U.S. Distributor and Service Provider of Nissan Chemical’s oil and gas nanotechnology, nanoActiv®. nanoActiv® allows oil and gas production companies to increase their cash flows by recovering more volume from low production wells, protecting wells against Frac-Hits, and increasing initial wellhead production in a cost-efficient, economical fashion.” (https://nitrolift.com/) Big things are happening with this homegrown business!
The JCIA is also incredibly proud of their annual Business Frontage/Signage Improvement Grant program. For years, the authority has awarded grants to Johnston County businesses to improve their façades to attract more business. Each year, $25,000-30,000 has been available for projects. The applicant uses these funds as needed and must pay back half within a year to support the continuation of the program. This year’s participants were recently awarded, so you should be seeing some upgrades soon!
The Johnston County Industrial Authority is about job creation and business growth. The Industrial Park currently employs about 100 people in Tishomingo and 3C Cattle Feeders has 15 on average. They want to see those numbers increase because more jobs mean more opportunity for Tishomingo and Johnston County. The Authority would like to partner with others that have the same vision. The current board is looking at expanding the Park, revitalizing local housing developments, getting on the radar of national and state economic developers and possibly hiring a part-time consultant/administrative assistant to wake up every day thinking about the economic development of Johnston County.
For more information, please visit the JCIA website at https://www.jciaok.com/ or connect with a board member.
– Jordyn Frazier, JCCC Executive Director