$17 million dollar expansion and new jobs coming to Blackwell CMC

A $17 million dollar expansion and 20 new jobs will soon be coming to one of Blackwell’s largest industries, CMC, thanks to new funding announced last week by Governor Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. 

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce (ODC) and Governor Kevin Stitt announced that $2.5 million from the Governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund has been approved for Fayman and Sorbello Food Group (FSFG) in Madill, OK, and Tensar International LLC, a Division of CMC (CMC) in Blackwell, OK. The funding will assist each company in expanding their footprint in Oklahoma, creating more than 100 high-paying jobs in rural parts of the state.

“Oklahoma is the most business-friendly state in the country, and the Governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund is a major part of our success,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “The fund has already led to companies creating thousands of jobs in Oklahoma and hundreds of millions of dollars in investment in our economy while protecting taxpayer dollars by including performance conditions for companies.”

“CMC and FSFG have been great partners with the state and their local communities,” said Evan Brown, Executive Director of EDGE. “Investing in these public-private partnerships is how we continue to grow our economy and encourage the creation of more high-paying jobs for Oklahomans.”

CMC worked with the Blackwell Industrial Authority to apply for $1 million for railway improvements, which will decrease shipping costs and pave the way for a $17 million expansion, creating 20 new jobs. FSFG, formally known as ESRO Food Group LLC, collaborated with the city of Madill to apply for $1.5 million to expand parking for their growing workforce and additional wastewater treatment equipment installations. These infrastructure improvements will allow FSFG to move forward with a $6.85 million production line expansion, creating 100 new jobs.

“FSFG is honored to have the support of the state and the community to continue growing our business in Southern Oklahoma,” said Dan Sorbello, FSFG Managing director & CEO. “The Governor’s Closing Fund allows us to create space for new employees, additional deliveries and improve wastewater infrastructure. Thank you, Governor Stitt, for investing in our company so we can continue investing in Oklahoma, the local community and our employees.”

The combined $2.5 million investment is projected to have a $335 million economic impact on the state over the next ten years.

The Blackwell Industrial Authority is extremely grateful to Governor Stitt for his quick action and support for CMC,” said Charlene Flanery, Executive Director of the Blackwell Industrial Authority. “This investment from the state is crucial to CMC’s expansion project and future growth. It also unlocks tremendous opportunities for the entire region and has the potential to be transformative for rural northern Oklahoma. This is a prime example of the great work the state is doing to support economic growth throughout Oklahoma.”

The Governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund (“QACF”) was created in 2011 to offer performance-based cash incentives to companies to relocate or expand in Oklahoma. It serves as a “seal the deal” incentive where there is an impact on the state. This incentive is intended to generate more value for the state than the cost of the awards themselves, through higher payroll and capital expenditures by companies relocating to Oklahoma. To date, the incentive has awarded $31.8 million to 41 companies and created or retained 9,663 jobs with an average annual salary of $65,545.