IMO Pump Will Grow, Add Jobs
Sep 10,2009 00:00 by Paul B. Hayes
Imo Pump, a mainstay in Adair County's industrial community for the past 35 years, will be expanding and adding more jobs in the near future.
Sue Stivers, Executive Director of the Columbia-Adair County Economic Development Authority, made the good-news announcement Tuesday night at meetings of the Columbia City Council and Adair County Fiscal Court.
Stivers said that the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development has awarded state incentives to assist Imo Pump in the expansion project, which eventually could add 50 or more jobs to the company's workforce, which now numbers 90. She noted that Gov. Steve Beshear will make an official announcement of the project once Imo Pump's parent company, Colfax Corporation, approves the release.
"They will start out by hiring around 16 new employees," Stivers explained. "Because Imo Pump does not have the needed space at their facility, they have rented part of a building from McCammish Manufacturing.
"This will just be the first step in the process," she continued. "If everything works out, there will be another phase which will include brick and mortar (an addition to the Imo plant) and possibly 35 or more new employees in 2010."
Stivers said that they have been working with Imo Pump on the project since May of last year when then Cabinet for Economic Development Secretary John Hindman visited the community.
"Even though Secretary Hindman left for another job, he left some impressive reports," she noted. "And the new secretary, Larry Hayes, followed through with them."
Stivers praised Mayor Pat Bell and Judge/Executive Ann Melton for their hard work on the project, and noted that "we're all very excited about this important project."
In addition to the new jobs at Imo Pump, Stivers also told the city council and fiscal court members that the Economic Development Authority are also currently working with two more prospective new business - one that would employ about 20 people and the other about 15-20 people.