Pleasant Hope a popular place for development

Gary English, owner of Fair Grove’s Southern Copyroll Inc., is trying to build a business park in Pleasant Hope on 67 acres that he owns south of Highway 215 and west of Highway H.

The project, $5 million to $10 million through preliminary estimates, would house about 12 businesses of mixed use that English would own.

He said the land has been annexed by the city and that it’s currently being surveyed, with a groundbreaking possible as early as summer.

English currently owns only Southern Copyroll, but he wants to acquire other businesses within the next few years. He’s hit a snag with his first acquisition, an undisclosed manufacturer, though he said the purchase should be completed soon.

“We thought we were going to close today, a half hour ago, and the bank screwed it up,” English said on May 16. “It’s a done deal between me and the owners.”

He also plans to sell 44 residential lot sites that overlook the business park. He doesn’t plan to actually develop the homes, which he believes will sell for $250,000 to $450,000 each.

Southern Copyroll makes filters that trap excess toner in engineering printers.