Ever since Alcoa left we have all talked about finding a replacement. Things got worse when Luminant left. Today, we got some big, big news about a possible replacement.
Today at Commissioners Court, Mr. Tommy Hodges of Alcoa reported that a new company may come to the site to manufacture “nitrile” gloves. The company plans to build three large facilities and employ about 1,500 people to make the gloves. The jobs would pay in the $60,000 range. So this is truly big news for the county!
Of course, we have had great success already at the Alcoa site. We have two large bit coin miners/data centers that are employing almost 200 individuals.
Bitdeer leased the former “pot rooms” and has converted the old structure to house the “ant miners.” This is quite a site to see as new technology has transformed the old structure making good use of what is there.
Whinstone (RIOT) initially built three new structures to house thousands of ant miners and plans are in the works to double the size of the operation. Both of these have become an integral part of our community.
And now, American Statesman Glove Company.
The company has narrowed its site selection to a location in Delaware and Milam County. Naturally, the company would like a favorable tax abatement and the site with the most favorable will certainly be the front runner.
We want to be in the driver’s seat and we are going to work hard to land this deal here in Milam County. We have visited with the CEO of the new company and I am confident that we can hammer out an agreement that will responsibly represent the interests of both sides.
If Milam County is selected, construction on the first building could begin as early as the first quarter of 2022 and operations could commence as early as the first quarter of 2023. The company would make the gloves, package the gloves and ship them to the distributers. Rail and truck would be used to bring in raw materials and ship out the product. Currently, almost all nitrile gloves are made outside the Country, so this would be a huge step to insure we have what we need, even during a pandemic.
Further, Samsung should formally announce this week that it will build a $17 billion “chip” plant just west of Taylor. This is the largest single investment ever made in Texas. The plant will employ about 1,800 individuals. This will provide jobs for Milam County and much needed sales tax for the county.
Finally, Mr. Hodges alluded to other companies that are looking at the former Alcoa site. No doubt there will be other good, big news to come in the very near future.
Things are truly looking up for Milam County and the future is bright for us all!