Mid America Brick completed financing to re-open the former A.P. Green brick factory in Mexico on Tuesday, according to a statement from the company.
In the statement, Mid America Brick president and CEO Frank Cordie thanked local, state and national investors.
“The formation of Mid America Brick has been a work in progress for four years,” Cordie said. “There has been a tremendous amount of dedication, teamwork and support to make this possible.”
Cordie credited several politicians with helping the factory come to fruition, including state Rep. Steve Hobbs, R-Mexico, state Sen. Wes Shoemyer, D-Clarence, Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Missouri and Republican U.S. Sen. Kit Bond.
Mid America Brick will produce face brick for residential and commercial building construction on the former site of one of the world’s largest fire brick manufacturers. The release said once the new plant’s two kilns are fully operational, the company expects to employ about 80 people producing 60 million bricks per year.
The factory is being opened in the midst of a national economic downturn, but Mid America Brick Vice President David Adams said last week that could work to the company’s advantage because a decrease in housing construction has lowered contractors’ brick inventories.
Additionally, the weight of bricks makes them difficult to ship long distances, which drives contractors to look for local suppliers.
Cordie, who has worked in the brick industry for 35 years and was an executive at A.P. Green, said the company’s location in Mexico will help it reach a large number of contractors and independent suppliers.
“This team and our central location will enable us to produce quality products and distribute them cost-effectively throughout the Midwestern United States,” Cordie said.
On Friday, Mexico City Council members unanimously approved a $1 million CDBG loan to the project that will be funded and serviced by the state’s Department of Economic Development. The loan was one of the final steps to finalizing the project.
In addition to local, state and federal grants and loans, the project is also receiving private funding from St. Louis-based Advantage Capital Partners and Environ-mental Liability Transfer, as well as Rand Capital of Buffalo, N.Y. and Community South Bank, of Knoxville, Tenn.
Mid America Brick will re-commission and operate the A.P. Green plant on the 100th anniversary of its opening in 1910. The release said the company will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony later in the summer.
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Mid America Brick completed financing to re-open the former A.P. Green brick factory in Mexico on Tuesday, according to a statement from the company.
In the statement, Mid America Brick president and CEO Frank Cordie thanked local, state and national investors.
“The formation of Mid America Brick has been a work in progress for four years,” Cordie said. “There has been a tremendous amount of dedication, teamwork and support to make this possible.”
Cordie credited several politicians with helping the factory come to fruition, including state Rep. Steve Hobbs, R-Mexico, state Sen. Wes Shoemyer, D-Clarence, Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Missouri and Republican U.S. Sen. Kit Bond.
Mid America Brick will produce face brick for residential and commercial building construction on the former site of one of the world’s largest fire brick manufacturers. The release said once the new plant’s two kilns are fully operational, the company expects to employ about 80 people producing 60 million bricks per year.
The factory is being opened in the midst of a national economic downturn, but Mid America Brick Vice President David Adams said last week that could work to the company’s advantage because a decrease in housing construction has lowered contractors’ brick inventories.
Additionally, the weight of bricks makes them difficult to ship long distances, which drives contractors to look for local suppliers.
Cordie, who has worked in the brick industry for 35 years and was an executive at A.P. Green, said the company’s location in Mexico will help it reach a large number of contractors and independent suppliers.
“This team and our central location will enable us to produce quality products and distribute them cost-effectively throughout the Midwestern United States,” Cordie said.
On Friday, Mexico City Council members unanimously approved a $1 million CDBG loan to the project that will be funded and serviced by the state’s Department of Economic Development. The loan was one of the final steps to finalizing the project.
In addition to local, state and federal grants and loans, the project is also receiving private funding from St. Louis-based Advantage Capital Partners and Environ-mental Liability Transfer, as well as Rand Capital of Buffalo, N.Y. and Community South Bank, of Knoxville, Tenn.
Mid America Brick will re-commission and operate the A.P. Green plant on the 100th anniversary of its opening in 1910. The release said the company will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony later in the summer.
