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French Company to Restart Mill in Hot Spring County, Create 15 Jobs

2 min read

Seguin Moreau Napa Cooperage Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of French and American white oak barrels for the production of wines and spirits, announced Monday that it will restart a stave mill in Hot Spring County. 

The company plans to create 15 new jobs and invest in and upgrade the mill at 10912 Hwy. 270.

“When looking for a location to expand our growing business, we found exactly what we were looking for in Arkansas,” said Chris Hansen, general manager for Seguin Moreau Napa Cooperage, in a news release. “We needed to integrate a strong wood supply chain into our company, and not only does Arkansas have an abundant timber source, but finding a stave mill that had recently ceased operations meant that we could get this new operation up and running as quickly as possible.”

The project qualified for two incentives through the Arkansas Economic Development Commission: Tax Back, which provides sales tax refunds on building materials, taxable machinery and equipment associated with the project; and Advantage Arkansas, which provides a state income tax credit of 1 percent of total payroll.

“Arkansas is in the heart of the nation’s timber basket, with more than 28,500 jobs supported by the industry,” Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston said. “With our vast natural resources and our strong workforce, the foundation has been laid for Seguin Moreau’s success here.”

The Seguin and Moreau cooperages were founded in France in 1870 and 1838, respectively, and merged in 1959. In 1994, the company opened its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing plant in Napa, California, due to the growth of the California and American wine market. 

Seguin Moreau Napa Cooperage Inc. also established white oak seasoning yard operations in Perryville, Missouri, in 1994. 

Its parent company, Oeneo SA, is headquartered in Bordeaux, France.

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