Cynergy Cargo of Douglas, Georgia, announced Thursday that it is opening a new facility in the Crossett Industrial Park, with plans to create 70 full-time jobs within two years.
The company, which makes enclosed cargo trailers, purchased a 90,000-SF building and plans to add a 10,000-SF paint booth and a 22,500-SF building that will include offices, according to Mitch Chandler, a spokesman for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. It will also have 35 acres for outside storage.
The facility is expected to open in June.
The company will be hiring carpenters, welders, electricians and more. While the new facility is under construction, Cynergy will operate a temporary facility in Crossett.
The company cited support from state and local leaders; being closer to its customers; and its need for a third production line as its reasons for expanding to Crossett. The company employs about 60 people at its facility in Douglas, where it has two production lines.
“Through every step of the process, we have received outstanding support from Crossett Economic Development Commission as well as the Arkansas Economic Development Commission,” Owner Vigler Mazariegos said in a news release. “In the spirit of progress, these leaders have expressed immense interest to create more employment opportunities for citizens.”
The project qualifies for the following state incentives:
- Advantage Arkansas, which provides a state income tax credit of 1% of total payroll
- Tax Back, which provides sales tax refunds on building materials, taxable machinery and equipment associated with the project
- $500,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds.
The city has donated land for the project, Mike Smith, executive director of the Crossett Economic Development Foundation, told Arkansas Business.
“I want to thank Cynergy Cargo for having the vision of moving forward and having faith in the future of our country and our workforce in Crossett,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a news release. “As a growing business, Cynergy will fit right in with the hardworking families in south Arkansas.”
“The economic impact of 70 new jobs in Crossett and southeast Arkansas cannot be overstated, especially at a time when we need this good news the most,” said Howard Beaty Jr., president of the Crossett Economic Development Foundation.
Crossett was hit hard last year by the closure of Georgia-Pacific’s bleached board operation. G-P laid off 555 people.
Smith said the city had “weathered the storm.” Some people who were laid off have found new jobs, but others have not, he said.
“This allows us some diversification,” Smith said of the Cynergy Cargo plant. “It allows us to create a lot of jobs at one time. And we’re just really excited about this company choosing to come into Crossett.
“That really would not be at all possible, in any way possible, if the city didn’t have a one-fourth cent sales tax dedicated to economic development, because without that we wouldn’t have an industrial park. We wouldn’t have anything to market,” he said.
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