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Grant to help Opp with road
Homegrown Custom Collars will move to industrial park
Published Monday, November 23, 2009
A new $350,000 grant for the City of Opp announced Monday by Speaker of the House Seth Hammett (D-Andalusia) and state Sen. Jimmy Holley (R-Elba) will mean up to six new jobs at a local business.
The money, which will construct of a new industrial access road into the city’s industrial park, was awarded by the state Industrial Access Road and Bridge Authority and will allow for Opp’s Custom Collars to move into the city’s industrial park.
Custom Collars, which is owned by Bruce Cauley of Opp, has been in business for eight years and currently employs eight people. It is located in a small building off U.S. Hwy. 331 near the old Dairy Queen. The move to the industrial park will give the company, which manufactures pet supplies including collars, leashes and blanks for the retail and wholesale markets, approximately 10,000 square-feet of workspace.
“The bulk of our business is over the Internet and though magazine orders,” Cauley said. “We’ve been staying pretty busy and really needed more room. We don’t do a lot of advertising locally, but if you’ve watched Cesar Millan, ‘The Dog Whisper,’ you’ve seen our products.
“We’ve been making for him for the last two years, and business has grown,” he said. “We are very excited about our move.”
The city may seek additional grants to extend the access road when other businesses agree to locate there, officials said.
Cauley said he “looks (for) to up 14” total employees once the move is complete.
“Every job is crucial to a small city,” Hammett said. “This grant will enable the city to begin development of a strategic site to attract manufacturers that will provide good-paying jobs. I appreciate the commission’s willingness to invest in Opp.”
Holley said the grant will boost Opp’s ability to lure new businesses to the city.
“A location with good highway access is a factor new and expanding businesses consider,” Holley said.
Opp Mayor H.D. Edgar thanked those involved for their support.
“We are extremely pleased with this award and look forward to continuing work on the industrial park,” Edgar said.
Comments
Posted by whereisthecommonsense (anonymous) on November 24, 2009 at 9:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I get a little more aggravated everytime I read about something like this in Opp. Dorsey street has been closed down due to a sinkhole for nearly a year and the city shows absolutely no signs of fixing the road. They are pouring piles of money into Covington Ave and the industrial park and I understand the ned for new industry, but honestly its like putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. Polish up downtown to draw people to moving here, but after they start really looking around, they find the shiny apple is rotten and ugly inside.
Posted by lookeyhere (anonymous) on November 24, 2009 at 10:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yep that sidewalk project is a big waste of money.Whats funny is Opp builds a new school because they claim the old one was run down.Well I could understand that,but now another school is moving into the one thats was supposed to be demolished.
Posted by 2boys (anonymous) on November 24, 2009 at 12:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree that there are probably other areas of the city that could use some work over this sidewalk projects. But, as far as the school, if people would read the article closely, the portions of the school that are repairable or undamage are the portions that the new students will be using. Not the uninhabitable portions. The damaged portions will be demolished as stated. Unfortunately, the portion that was useable was not large enough for the student body, that's why the new school was built. I'm all for debate, but let's please keep our facts straight.
Posted by lawsuit (anonymous) on November 24, 2009 at 12:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
think that is a waste what about the cable depatment supposed to have had digital phone and cable last year and have over 1million dollors of digital receviers and phone modems in the wahehouse still not being used ,and up at friendship community tring to do fiber to the home p### poor managment.Jerome rodgers and jeff ramer are the ones to blame for that,if i lived in opp i would get direct tv or dish and get a off air antanna and get alot more locals than you do on cable.
Posted by zoomzoom (anonymous) on November 24, 2009 at 1:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
lawsuit, how are they going to recover from 1million dollars of equipment just sitting in the warehouse? How do you know so much about it and everyone else is in the dark about this?
Posted by Patrick (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 1:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If the Opp school system is so desperate for money and the state has now, where is all the grant money coming from? Is this Federal stimulus money? I thought the state representatives were opposed to the stimulus spending? Oppose it with your hand out!
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