Missouri Governor Nixon praises local facility; encourages community work together

Thursday, January 28, 2016
Governor Jay Nixon speaks on the states involvement in helping Portageville seek resources for the upcoming infrastructure improvements. He spoke Tuesday night at the Portageville Community Center at a special called Town Hall Meeting.

In a special called town hall meeting held Tuesday evening, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said, "This community is also stepping up, and I know the voters will have an opportunity to weigh in on the city's contribution to this project in April."

The City of Portageville will be asking the citizens to pass a bond issue for a much needed waste water plant. A project that will help improve city resources as well as with SRG Global's to build onto their current location in Portageville.

Nixon was introduced by Portageville Mayor Floyd Simmons and thanked Nixon for his efforts working on this project.

"First off, it's always great to back in Portageville. The group assembled here tonight tells you something about how important this employer is to the region, and how hard we're working to make sure they can deepen their roots here in the Show-Me State," said Nixon.

"For more than four decades, this facility has employed hundreds of Missourians right here in Portageville manufacturing chrome-plated plastic parts for vehicles and homes. And they're not here by accident. I just recently had dinner with their senior leadership team up at the Detroit Auto Show, including their CEO and Sullivan, Missouri native David Prater. He told me how much they value the skills and relentless work ethic and of their workforce here. Missourians work hard, stay late, and they get the job done."

After Governor Nixon spoke at the Portageville Town Hall meeting Tuesday night, he mixed and mingled with some local folks and chatted with some laid off Noranda employees.

SRG is part of Missouri's growing automotive supplier network, which now includes dozens of companies and employs thousands of workers in every corner of our state -- in Warrensburg, Wentzville and Willow Springs, Perryville, Troy, New Haven, Joplin and Riverside.


"In fact, since we passed the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act in 2010, 64 auto companies have announced more than $2 billion dollars in capital investments -- including 14 brand new greenfield projects, leading the rebirth of the American auto industry from right here in the heartland."

"Two years ago, I came here to announce that the State of Missouri was teaming up with Three Rivers Community College to help sharpen the skills of SRG employees.
Now, SRG is poised to expand again and build a new state-of-the-art facility. We are committed to making sure they take this next step right here in Portageville, not at their other facility next door in Tennessee," he continued.

"Now it's not uncommon for economic development projects on this scale to require some infrastructure improvements as well. When you have jobs and growth, you need infrastructure that can accommodate that. It's a good problem to have. That's why we're helping to identify resources, including a $2 million dollar Community Development Block Grant, to upgrade the local wastewater facility," Nixon concluded.

Nearly 70 concerned residents and business owners attended a town hall meeting Tuesday night. The meeting was held at the Portageville Community Center to discuss the bond issue for a new wastewater treatment plant. The issue will be brought before the voters in the April municipal election.

Following Nixon speak included State Senator Doug Libla of the 25th District, and 149 State Representative Don Rone.

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