On The Edges--Clever

by Diane Rarick

Clever's first industrial area, the 36-acre Wedgewood Industrial Parc, held a ground-breaking ceremony Oct. 23. It will be the new home of Sutter Manufacturing Inc., formerly of Nixa, which was destroyed in a July 25 fire.

The new industrial and commercial area has all city utilities and heavy-duty truck access off State Highway K. Natural gas, three-phase electrical, water detention and green spaces are included. The property is owned by J.E. and Virginia Rogers and will be divided to suit tenants' needs.

Infrastructure for the park was made possible through funds from a Community Development Block Grant. The grant, from the Missouri Department of Economic Development, was facilitated by Annette Darnell, independent grant writer; Jane Hood of the Department of Economic Development; Jim Kreider, 142nd District representative; Andy Novinger, of Shaffer and Associates Consulting Engineers, of Nixa; and the city of Clever mayor, City Council and city employees. The park was designed by John Shequin of Rural Missouri Investments.

"The Department of Economic Development provides infrastructure grants to allow small communities to put in infrastructure to draw or maintain jobs," said Ed Westerman, a member of the Clever City Council. "We agreed to do everything we could do to bring Sutter Manufacturing here because these are the kinds of jobs we want to have. We both benefited and we were able to do it in a timely manner," he said.

The first tenant of the park, Sutter Manufacturing Inc., will be in a 26,000-square-foot facility that manufactures Pro Stock Trailers, high-quality trailers for nationwide distribution. The 35 employees will be welders, metal fabricators, painters and others working in jobs that pay $10 to $12 per hour plus benefits, according to Sutter.

Bill Sutter said that excavation and concrete were done last week, and construction on the metal building will begin the week of Nov. 9.

Sutter Manufacturing has been in business since 1986, building 12- to 26-foot cattle and horse trailers. He hopes to start manufacturing in December or January.

For more information on Wedgewood Industrial Parc, contact Ed Westerman, 743-2621, or Clever City Hall, 743-2544.

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