KEDC presents $500,000 to Orgill Inc.
ORGILL IN FULL OPERATION

Bill Adamson, president of KEDC, presents a check for $500,000 to Ron Beal, president of CEO of Orgill, Inc. The check is the first installment of the company's $1 million incentive package. Pictured left to right are Gary Boyd, Karl F. Edmonds, Jr., Bill Mishkind, Dr. Jerry Ted Roberts, Bobby Beane, Lisa Denton, Amanda Nobles, Adamson and Beal.

Officials of Kilgore Economic Development Corporation have presented $500,000 as the first installment of a $1 million incentive package to Orgill, Inc. The company has recently begun full operation of its 558,000-square-foot distribution center in Kilgore's Synergy Park.

During grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremonies Saturday morning at the new stateof the-art facility, KEDC Board President Bill Adamson congratulated Orgill officials on the record-time completion of the facility and presented the check, saying the next two installments of $250,000 each will be given in 2009 and 2011, if Orgill continues to meet its employment and capital investment requirements as stipulated in the economic development agreement between the two entities.

Attending the ceremonies were a number of Orgill corporate officials including Ron Beal, president and CEO; Byrne Whitehead, executive vice president and CFO; Randy Williams, senior vice president of operations and logistics, and Myron Boswell, senior vice president of marketing. Orgill is the fastest-growing hardline distribution company in the nation.

In accepting the check from KEDC, Beal said, "When it comes to enlightened leadership and an involved business community, Kilgore has the whole package."

Beal thanked the KEDC board and city and county officials for making Orgill feel welcome.

"We got this facility up in record time, and we couldn't have done it without help from everybody at every level." Beal said, "The Kilgore facility is a $60 million investment by Orgill, a tremendously wise investment for us. We have already brought over 100 goodpaying jobs, with a stable work environment and good benefits, and we promise to be a good corporate citizen for many years to come."

Beal emphasized that the company is still seeking qualified applicants for a number of job openings. By the end of 2008, employment is expected to be around 200, and by the third year of operation, employment should total 300.

Whitehead has previously said, "Geographically Kilgore fit our needs very well, but the real deciding factor was the quality and quantity of the labor force available in the area."