SMALL INDUSTRIAL PARKS SCATTERED IN REGION ATTRACT BIG BUSINESS

~Correction: BUSINESS

JACKSON -- Industrial parks, along with their tax breaks and transportation access, are as much a part of city life as traffic jams.

Some towns haven't been as quick to develop that type of neighborhood, but Jackson and Marble Hill see the benefit of having industrial parks. Gordonville is following suit.

Jackson's industrial park on Route PP is in two parts: On the west side of the road sits Coca-Cola, ACF, American Linen Co. and other large businesses, and on the right is a 38-acre tract of level ground, with water and sewer lines waiting to be used.

The interest is there, Mayor Paul Sander said. The infrastructure isn't.

"When the city has better water distribution, it will increase the likelihood of additional industry locating here," Sander said. "We're in the preliminary stages of applying for grants and doing other things to get funding for infrastructure improvements."

Jackson Industrial Development Association works closely with the Cape Girardeau Industrial Recruitment Association's Mitch Robinson to interest new business, even if the park isn't quite ready. Sander said Jackson goes out of its way to help businesses interested in locating there.

The Marble Hill Industrial Park on Highway 34 West, a mile outside the city limits, is seeing steady growth now. City Administrator David Jackson said Crader Distributing, which handles Stihl products, applied for a $1,396,000 building permit. The new distributorship should be complete by spring.

The park is home to Heartland Industries, two furniture manufacturers, two tire wholesalers and an electrical wholesaler.

After the Federal Aviation Administration grant in the early 1970s helped build an airport in Marble Hill, the city worked on developing the industrial park around it. Until recently, however, nobody worked on filling it. Industrial Group President Tim Minson said the Bollinger County Chamber of Commerce was inactive until about two years ago.

"When people ages 25-35 got involved and raised some money, things changed," he said. "We're making a video about the town and the county and beginning to seek other employers. We're going to target businesses in the inner city that want to relocate."

Part of the group's aggressive plan includes constructing a building, if necessary, and providing tax incentives.

Gordonville trails the group in park development, but one is under construction now. Larry Martin, controller for Dannie Gilder Excavating, said it is more of a commercial park, not an industrial park, and the company works on it when there aren't other projects to be done.

The area is along Route K, halfway between Cape Girardeau and Gordonville. Dannie Gilder Excavating originally purchased the land for the trucking part of the company, but later down sized that part and didn't need the property.

Now the land is graded and should have a main road by spring. County water service should follow.

The commercial park is listed with Ashland Realty.

"We've had a lot of interest," Martin said. "So far a trucking company, contractor and service station have looked at it."