CAMDEN — The board of directors of the Ouachita Partnership for Development held its regular meeting on Wednesday and voted to pay a promised incentive to a local defense company.
In July 2015, the OPED board agreed to pay an incentive to Aerojet Rocketdyne - an incentive that was to be given only if the company were to create new jobs at the Camden location. OPED Executive Director James Lee Silliman stated that Aeroject committed to create 85 new jobs, and OPED agreed that it would pay an incentive for up to 100 jobs. Other incentives such as workforce training and retention were also agreed upon.
Silliman stated that the company has provided documentation that those jobs have been created.
“They have actually created 226 new positions at the facility here in Camden, and they are still advertising for open positions," Silliman reported. "So they have met and exceeded the required number of jobs we committed to pay incentives on.”
Silliman stated that the total amount that OPED will be paying Aerojet for the job creation incentives is $74,700. He said that he was requesting that the board to sign off on the payment for the incentive that was agreed upon in 2015. He said that the board would also need to determine from where those funds would be pulled.
Ouachita County Judge Robbie McAdoo asked if Aerojet provided information regarding where the hired individuals were from.
“As we do incentives like this, if we’re able to know exactly how many more folks it put to work in Ouachita County," McAdoo stated. "Then we’re able to let our community know what they are getting for their money.”
Camden Mayor Marie Trisollini stated that she believed the board could get that information if it asked Aerojet for it.
The OPED board did vote to pay the incentive, and continued to discuss from where the funds would come. Silliman stated that there is a six-month certificate of deposit - or CD - that matures in May that the board could take the money from.
OPED board President Jim Golden asked Trisollini if OPED has money with the city, and if the money could it be used instead of withdrawing the CD. Trisollini told Golden that he was welcome to ask the members of the city council.
McAdoo spoke up and said: “What if half of it came from the county?”
Golden stated that would be great if half of the funds came from the county and half came from the city. He asked if it would be required for someone to attend the city council and the county's quorum court meetings.
McAdoo said it would be nice if there was a representative at the meetings, and better if there was data showing that the new positions were filled with local people.
Golden agreed that representatives from the OPED board should visit with the Ouachita County Quorum Court and the Camden City Council.
Trisollini told Golden that he could attend a council workshop first and explain the incentive agreement in a more relaxed atmosphere so that council members will have a better understanding of what they will be voting on.
Golden agreed that someone would attend the quorum court meeting and the city council workshop. The next meeting for both groups will be held on May 2.
Another item on the agenda for the meeting was a proposed lease on office suites in the OPED building. The item was tabled until more information could be gathered about one of the companies, and more specific details could be provided about access to the building for the lease agreements.
Silliman also discussed a prospect that is deciding on whether their new plant location should be in Camden or in Mississippi. Incentives from each state are being considered, but Silliman stated that he is cautiously optimistic that “things are going to work in our favor.”
Silliman stated that he has been speaking with the company's representatives for about eight months, that the company CEO has not asked for any local incentives, and that the CEO would like to have the company located in Camden - which is only 90 miles from one of its plants that is currently in operation.
Trisollini added that the company is one that the community would be proud to have in Camden.
Silliman said: “There is nothing more that we can do locally. We would love to have them, and they would like to be here. But ultimately, it’s a business decision.”