Osceola is located between Interstate 55, the Mississippi River, and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe mainline in the northeast corner of Arkansas. Osceola is 50 miles north of Memphis, TN.

USGS Mapping

Aerial photo of the community and the industrial sites south of the community

Aerial photo of the community's western border

Real Estate:

The company may select the desired acres from six different industrial sites with green field acreage of 20 acres up to 1,100 acres available.

A local area map with the potential site(s) marked is available.
The slope is less than 1% on any site. A topographic map of the area is available.
Who owns the property? Most of the property is owned by either Prudential Insurance or Entergy.
There are no easements on any of the sites

What is the utility infrastructure?

Area manufacturers are fed by 2 substations.
Line size Capacity Distance Provider
electricity 13.8KV 500kV trans line 4 miles City of Osceola
natural gas 4" + 200 psi on site Ass. Natural Gas
water 14" 3 mgd on site City of Osceola
sewerline 12" 3mgd on site City of Osceola

What are the rail and port infrastructures?

A rail spur or mainline borders most of the properties.
Provider is Burlington Northern Santa Fe, with 12 through trains per day.
The BNSF mainline is 3700' from the Osceola slack water river port pier.
A map illustrating utility locations, rail lines, road infrastructure, and coastal/waterway relationship is available.
The BNSF intermodal yard is 32 miles south of the community and the Union Pacific intermodal yard is 39 miles south of the community.

What is the transportation infrastructure?

a) Sites are located at US Highway 61 and connects to I-55 (5 miles away) by a level, straight, divided four-lane roadway (with ADT of 6170) or directly on Interstate 55 (with ADT of 16,000).
b) Memphis International Airport (commercial) is 55 miles away
c) Cargo air facilities are at the former Eaker Air Force Base facility, in Gosnell, with an 11,600' runway, now a regional cargo facility. It is located 21 miles from the sites.
d) Osceola slackwater river port (the only one within 150 miles) is located at the eastside of the community. The clear channel depth, by law, is at least 9 feet, but a 12-foot depth is maintained. The port is served by Global Materials Services, LLC. Contact 870-563-3277 or 901-774-8457
e) The local post office is less than two-miles from the sites. Three overnight carriers are available in Osceola.

Available maps, photos and data

A floodplain map is available. The levee system protects the sites. None of the sites are in a floodplain.
There are no wetlands at the sites. Specific assessment is available via Kasey Flowers, Mississippi County Conservationist, at 870-563-3207
There are geotechnical, archeological, and environmental studies for many of the sites.
The results of soil-bearing capacity measurements completed on-site or in the immediate surrounding areas are available.
The sites have only been used for agriculuture. The current land use and zoning is agriculture and industrial. The zoning map is available.
Aerial photographs and satellite views are available.

Studies/books available upon request

Mississippi County Soil Survey, 1971
Osceola Transportation Improvement/Economic Development Study, 1998
Preliminary Engineering Report for the Proposed River Port Railroad Lead Track System, 1999
Osceola Municipal Airport Master Plan Update, 2000
Mississippi county Plat Book, 2000
ACE Strategic Plan, 1999
Osceola Community Book, 1998
Solid Waste Management Plan-Mississippi County, 1999

What is the price per acre?

$10,000 (negotiable)

Community Specifications

I. Population

10,000 people live within 15 miles.
50,000 people live within 25 miles.
The Memphis metropolitan area is within 50 miles.

II. Impact Fees and Restrictions:

Local impact fees and restrictions

There are no impact fees applicable to the proposed project (e.g. water tap fees, sewer connection fees, development fees, traffic impact fees, no local permitting fees, etc.).

There are no restrictions and no zoning ordinances (CCR-codes, covenants, restrictions) for development, including state, county, and municipal ordinances for parking, trees, historical preservation, farmland preservation, archeological preservation, greenspace, outdoor storage, visibility, sound reduction, height restrictions, required set-backs. The sites are not in a flight path.

State permitting fees

Contacts:

James Gilson, Customer Service Division Chief at (501)682-0821, gilson@adeq.state.ar.us

Air Division, 501-682-0757
Water Division, 501-682-2199
Hazardous Waste, 501-682-0833
Solid Waste, 501-682-0602

There are only two permit fees to consider for most projects. The first is a $200/year (for both construction and operation) ADEQ Storm water Discharge Permit fee. The other is an ADEQ PSD Air Operating that may apply (>250 tons per year), and is calculate as $19.12/ton of allowed Criteria Pollutants, except for Carbon Monoxide.

The ADEQ has full issuing authority. ADEQ ranks in the high 90's on the Title 5 EPA web page. An ADEQ permit assistance Team, comprised of Department personnel can be assembled to meet the prospective facility before the permitting process begins -to identify the types of permits that will be required and to help the facility through the permitting process.

Environmental:

The sites are not within a non-attainment area with respect to National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for lead, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, or particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter.

The sites are not within 125 miles of a PSD (Prevention of Significant Deterioration) Class I area such as a formally designated National Park or Wilderness Area (40 CFR 81 Subpart D).

III. Services:

What is the water filtration/treatment plant infrastructure?
Name City of Osceola
Facility operator identity Ed Allred
Location 100 W. Semmes, Osceola
Distance from site on site
Total capacity (gpd) 3 million
Current usage (gpd) 1.7 million
Planned usage by 2003 (gpd) expand to fit need
Rates: 1.4/1000 gallons. Sample bill is available.

What is the wastewater treatment plant infrastructure?
Name City of Osceola
Facility operator identity Ed Allred
Location 100 W. Semmes, Osceola
Distance from site on-site
Summary description of treatment pumping, preaeration to ponds/lagoons
Total capacity (gpd) 3 million
Current usage (gpd) 1.7 million
Planned usage by 2003 (gpd) expand to fit
Rates: 100% of water charge. Sample bill is available.

What is the natural gas infrastructure?
Name Arkansas Western Gas
Facility operator identity Harry Burrington, Marketing Director
Contact 501-582-8242
Distance from site on-site
Transportation rates: 0.04194/ccf
Sample bill is available.
What is the electric power infrastructure?
Name City of Osceola
Facility operator identity Terry Burnett
Location 316 W. Hale, Osceola
Distance from site on site
Capacity 13.8 kV
Proximity to generator 1250 MW generator being built 18 miles
Transmission 500 kV line and 161 kV lines run through community
Demand: 7.93/kW
Energy: .0317/kWh
Sample bill is available.

What is the used oil disposal facilities information?
Name(s) Metal working L., Inc. 1-800-486-5636
Location Indianapolis, IN
Distance from site pick up on site
Capacity: Send specifications for an estimate-but no limit is expected

An alternate facility is U.S. Filter 1-800-355-2382

What is the landfill facilities information?
Name(s) Mississippi County Landfill - County government owned
Location Luxora, AR (8 miles)
Disposal rates: $14/ton for Class 4. $25/ton for Class 1

What is the fire protection information?
Stations: Within 4 minutes of any site
ISO rating 5

What is the crime statistics?
Rate The crime rate is less than half of the state rates.
Ratio of officers 2.5 per 1,000 population (better than the state average)

What is the hospital information?
Name Baptist Memorial of Osceola
Owner Baptist Memorial, Memphis - the largest private system in US.
Location 4 minutes from any site
Helicopter Provided through The Wing. Can transport critically ill or injured patients from any site to the Memphis medical center in 18 minutes.

What is the climate information?
Seasonal rainfall 52.1 inches per year
Mean temps Daily maximum is 72 degrees. Minimum is 52 degrees.

IV. General Labor Market:

The recruiting area covers a radius that includes Craighead, Crittenden, Greene, Mississippi, and Poinsett counties in Arkansas; Dunklin and Pemiscot counties in Missouri; and Memphis, Tennessee.

The current Arkansas Labor Force Statistics are available. Or check the web site, www.state.ar.us/esd.

Name the area companies that have recently (since 1995) expanded operations along with the number of employees affected;

All the large manufacturers in Osceola have expanded recently, these manufacturers are;

Viskase Corp (80 employees in 2000)
Cyro Industries (50 employees in 2000)
Creative Foods (60 employees in 1999)
American Greetings (200 employees in 1998)

An area wage survey is available. The average wage rates by skill are available.

Vocational-technical colleges, colleges, universities, and any other relevant training centers in the area;
Arkansas Northeastern College (in Osceola, Blytheville, & Burdette)
ANC Solutions Group -provider of customized work force training
University of Memphis (62 miles)
Christian Brothers University, Memphis (58 miles)
Rhodes College, Memphis (56 miles)
Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR (52 miles)

Skills data

The Fruit of the Loom knitting and cutting facility is Osceola closed operation in December 2000 leaving an available work pool of 790 employees as follows: 400 7A operatives/forklift/GC employees, 60 mechanics, 100 laborers/material handlers.
The Borg Warner (automotive parts) manufacturer closed in the nearby town of Blytheville, leaving an available trained labor pool of over 400 employees.
EIS Brake Parts shut down in nearby Manila, leaving a pool of about 300 employees.
Acco Brake cable shut down in nearby Blytheville leaving a pool of about 250 employees.
The county's unemployment rate is second highest in the state.
There is NO (nor ever been) union activity or strength in Osceola.
Most of the large employers operate two or three 8-hour shifts per day, seven days per week with multiple shifts scheduled.

List of all major manufacturing facilities in the area including:

Name employment product union status
American Greetings 1250 greeting cards none
Algonquin 85 building wire none
Creative Foods 240 margarine products none
Viskase Corp. 245 cellulosic casing none
CYRO Industries 160 acrylic pellets/sheet none
Eck Adams 160 institutional seating none
Gilster-Mary Lee 130 powdered beverages none
In Blytheville
Maverick Tube 800 structural tubing none
Nucor Yamato 800 steel beams none
Milwaukee Tool 400 electric tools none
Nucor Steel 440 rolled steel none
Huntco Steel 350 flat rolled steel none
Nibco 320 steam/H2O/gas valves none

V. Taxes:

What is the real and personal property tax rates and assessment ratios?
The tax millage rate is as follows. County rate (including general county tax plus road, hospital and college) is 0.0051, and the local school tax is 0.0293. These taxes sum up to 0.0344, the factor used. If the site is in the city, the city tax is 0.007 and the tax sums up to 0.0414. The legal ratio assessment of real and personal property (expressed as a percentage) is 20% of fair market value. But is revenue bonds are used to finance a project, a payment may be used in lieu of the property tax.

How inventory is treated for property tax purposes?
Finished Goods Inventory are not subject to any personal property tax. Raw materials and goods-in-process are taxed at 20% of the fair market value.

What is the applicable state tax rates?
The state's corporate franchise tax is 0.27%. Corporations without authorized capital stock shall pay an annual tax of $100. Domestic corporations doing business in Arkansas are subject to corporate income tax at the rate of 6.5% of the entire net income (on greater than $100,000). For net taxable income equal or less than $100,000, the rate is as follows; 1% on the first $3,000, 2% on the next $3,000, 3% on the next $5,000, 5% on the next $14,000 and 6% on the next $75,000. The state's personal income tax rate for net taxable incomes over $25,000 is 7%. The state sales tax rate (2001) is 5.125%. Mississippi County has an additional sales tax of 1.625%. Within the city limits of Osceola, the sales tax is an additional 1% with a $50 cap on the city's portion (1%). But Osceola is located in an Enterprise Community, so the company may apply for the sales tax exemption through the Advantage Arkansas program.

Are there income tax credits?
Yes, because Osceola is in an Enterprise Community, the company may apply for up to 4 times the credit of 100 offered in the rest of the state. This credit is calculated as the hourly rate (example $10/hr) times the number of employees (example; 300) times the factor 4 X 100 = $10 X 300 X 4X 100 = $1,200,000.

What are the depreciation schedules for machinery and equipment?
A company may opt to use a 7-year straight-line depreciation or another depreciation of the company's preference. There may be an option to claim the equipment as "fixtures" and use a 39 _ year depreciation.

What are the state unemployment insurance rates and regulations?
The standard tax rate is based on the employer's rating and considering the history employment. After the initial period of four years, the rate is adjusted annually and can range from 0.5% to 6.4%.

What are the state workers compensation rates?
Contact Arkansas Workers' Compensation Commission, Julie Benafield Bowman at 501-682-3930 or www.awcc.state.ar.us.

VI. Incentives:

The City of Osceola may offer partial purchase of the land.
Training cost assistance - The state offers pre-employment screening and training as well as workforce development through the local community college and technical college. Also, the school district is petitioning for an employer-linked charter (secondary) school, known as the Industry Academy, for the purposes of training a young workforce, with a strong work ethic, specifically for the local manufacturers.
Foreign Trade Zone status - The City is willing to support such a designation.
Property tax abatements - If industrial bonds are available and utilized, the properties involved (land, improvements, and machinery) which are owned by the City and leased to the industry are not subject to ad valorem taxation.
Tax credits - Advantage Arkansas program; On an investment of $100 million, the state may refund up to $5 million in sales and use taxes. With 300 employees earning $10 per hour, the state may offer an income tax credit up to $1.2 million.
Infrastructure improvements and other incentives -The City of Osceola, with its municipal power company, offers the company large reductions in utilities during the company's first five years. The city also offers temporary equipment storage and office space during construction as well as spousal assistance.