Monthly Archives: January 2015

Posted on Jan 9, 2015 by Tony Brown Maryville Daily Forum According to a municipal staff report attached to the agenda for Monday’s Maryville City Council meeting, Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp. U.S.A. has announced plans to undertake a 100,800 square-foot expansion that will include upgraded machining operations and new equipment. The report stated that the $25 million expansion could create up to 30 new jobs in conjunction with weekend shifts. In the report, City Manager Greg McDanel stated that Missouri law authorizes municipalities to issue Industrial Development Revenue bonds, also known as Chapter 100 bonds, to provide tax incentives to facilitate such expansion projects. At Monday’s regular council session, McDanel is expected to recommend that the council adopt a resolution in support of issuing municipal Industrial Development Revenue Bonds in an amount not to exceed $25 million to finance the Kawasaki expansion. McDanel stated that the expansion aligns with the council’s stated goal of enlarging the city’s tax base by “pursuing strategic economic development and private investment.” IDBs may be issued by any Missouri municipality to finance the cost of offices, warehouses, distribution facilities and industrial plants. In conjunction with such projects, bond proceeds can be used to construct or install buildings, fixtures and machinery. There are two primary reasons to issue IDBs, McDanel said. First, when the bonds are tax-exempt, they may possess lower interest rates than those obtained through conventional financing. The second reason is that property taxes on bond-financed property may be abated because legal title to the property and improvements is held by the city during the financing period. In a typical IDB transaction, the municipality holds fee title to the project and leases it to the company, thereby making it exempt from real and personal property taxes during the bonding period. IDBs can be issued as revenue bonds that do not require voter approval and are payable solely from revenues received from the project. In other words, the municipality merely acts as a conduit for the financing. At then end of the bonding term, the property is transferred back to the company for a nominal fee. Building materials and other real property improvements financed with IDBs may also be exempt from state and local sales tax. The Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp. U.S.A. plant operated just outside Maryville’s south city limits for the past 25 years before voluntarily annexing into the city in December. The annexation, which required no extension of city services, will provide the city with significant new tax revenue from sales and property taxes on the facility as it now exists. Anticipated annual revenue totals $134,952 for the city proper, $35,738 for Maryville Parks & Recreation and $15,770 for the Maryville Public Library.

Posted on Jan 21, 2015 by Tony Brown MARYVILLE, Mo. — Employees at the Federal-Mogul Motorparts factory in Maryville recently celebrated a couple of milestones. First of all, workers were recognized with time-in-service awards during the company’s annual banquet held at the Maryville Country Club. The second distinction marked the completion of 6 million work hours without a time-lost accident. A luncheon and shirt giveaway commemorated the safety achievement. The plant’s last time-lost accident occurred Dec. 10, 1999. Time-in-service recognitions included 45 employees with a combined total of 890 years on the job. The group was congratulated by Rick Owens, plant manager and general manager of the Federal-Mogul facility in Boaz, Alabama. Those receiving awards included: 30 years — Mark Wolfer, supervisor, forging and assembly; Rodney Saville, shipping/receiving; James Mattson, inner tie rod end technician; Tad Henggeler, center link/drag link technician; Connie Wonderly, quality control technician; Tom Wilson, MRO coordinator; Tim Henson, quality control manager; Connie Loomis, packaging technician; and Raymond (Skeeter) Cross, forging technician. 20 years — Randy Sanders, maintenance supervisor; Matt Abrams, electrician; Keith Schmitz, forging technician; Dana Roberts, Robert Saxton, Randy Smyser, Jerry Deen and David Wilmes, center link/drag link technicians; Steve Coleman, Janette Oberhauser, Chris Schenkel, Jason Thompson, Melisha David, and Steve Auffert, tie rod machining technicians; David Wilmes, quality assurance supervisor; Tony Volner, John Deere assembly technician; Todd Rickabaugh, team leader-tie rod machining; Willis Spire and Greg Hawkins, coating line technicians; Tim Spire, component technician; Todd Walker and Robert Gaskill, maintenance technicians; Debbie Collins and Donnie Drummond, shipping/receiving technicians; Renea Smyser, packaging technician; Robert Hannigan, materials manager; Chris Baldwin, Goss technician. 15 years — Renee Wolf, plant controller 10 years ­— Shannon Staples and Keith Shimak, forging technicians; Ken Petersen, manufacturing engineer; Jeff Smith, quality control technician; Jaclyn Coate, accounting clerk. 5 years — Geoff Scott, tie rod machining technician; Jeff Sanders, large tie rod end steering support technician; Travis Wymore, large tie rod end technician.