A Nebraska engineering company alleges it was stiffed for work done on a $230 million wood pellet plant in Pine Bluff.
EAD Engineering Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska, sued Highland Pellets LLC of Boston, which operates the wood pellet plant; AgriRecycle Inc. of Bolivar, Missouri; and AgriRecycle Consulting LLC of Springfield, Missouri, to recover the $1 million it says it is owed. The lawsuit was filed last month in U.S. District Court in Little Rock.
The defendants hired EAD in June 2013 to provide engineering services for the construction of the Highland Pellets Pine Bluff plant.
EAD’s first hurdle was determining if the Pine Bluff site selected could support a wood pellet plant. It could. EAD then handled the site permitting process, according to the lawsuit.
EAD said it sent its invoices to Highland Pellets but wasn’t paid the $1 million for work completed and a licensing fee.
Tom Reilley, the co-founder of Highland Pellets, told Whispers last week that it’s company policy not to comment on pending lawsuits. No answer in the case had been filed as of Thursday.
He said, however, that the plant is operational and has four lines going. The plant is expected to reach full capacity by February, Reilley said.
The plant is projected to have about 70 employees, according to a November 2016 news release.
“This plant began with a simple economic goal, but has evolved into not just producing sustainable fuel, but producing sustainable outcomes for our employees, our community and our environment,” Reilley said in the release.
“Our goal is to show our fellow citizens that respecting people is good business. Creating a stable platform around not just financial capital, but social capital like trusted relationships, shared values of compassion, community outreach, education and economic development yields demonstrable returns.”
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