City, chamber hope to entice new business

Alexis Barker
NLJ Reporter
 
Members of the Newcastle City Council and Newcastle Area Chamber of Commerce have agreed to come together in hopes of enticing a new business to the area. The business, which is yet to be named, is located in Nevada, but its owners hope to relocate to Wyoming for a more positive gun-friendly environment. The company is reportedly, according to those involved in the process, in the firearms manufacturing field. 
On Dec. 3, during the regular council meeting, Mayor Deb Piana told council members that she and Councilman Don Steveson attended the chamber meeting the previous week. During this meeting, city representatives and chamber members learned about the company from Holly Borton, director of the chamber. 
Borton reported that the unnamed company would bring about 20 employees with it and hire an estimated 29 or more individuals once the move is complete. These jobs, according to Borton, would be high-paying jobs with benefits. 
According to Piana, the business and Wyoming towns and cities interested in becoming the new home for the company are working with the Wyoming Business Council to produce letters of interest. Interested cities were to prepare a letter of interest that was due to the business council by Dec. 11. 
“We are very interested. Donnie has drafted a letter to this business on why we would be a good community to have this business,” Piana said. “They have some pretty big requirements, and we have been in contact with local businesses regarding some of these.” 
She noted that one of the requirements is a 20,000-square-foot building or a site where a building can be constructed. This building also must have 20-foot ceilings and 14-foot doors. 
“We thought this was a good opportunity to try and get our foot in the door,” Steveson said. 
He noted that the area has many components the company is looking for, including access to heat treatment, daily UPS and FedEx pickup and recreational activities for the company’s employees. 
“We have put together a comprehensive list about what is in our area,” Steveson said. “We are gathering that information and hope we are able to present Newcastle as the best place for their interests.” 
Borton said that the building is going to be the “make it or break it” point when it comes to this company. She acknowledged, though, that there are grants available through the Wyoming Business Council for business-ready communities that would help to fund the building of a place for the company. Borton said that although the chamber is not allowed to apply for these grants, the city must be involved in the process. 
“We can figure out the funding later if we can just convince them that Newcastle is worth looking at,” Borton said. 
Steveson said that he was in the process of running down leads on potential buildings or locations for a building. He noted that the city hopes the company can locate within city limits. If that was not possible, he said, it would still be nice to have the business in the area. 
“The key is to have the needed infrastructure,” City Attorney Jim Peck said. “I’m not sure about the housing.” 
He added that the cost of living in the area is a potential selling point for Newcastle, along with the newly remodeled hospital. 
“We have a lot of things to sell in Newcastle,” Peck said. 
Borton maintained that one of the biggest selling points for Newcastle is the gun support in the area. She noted that the political climate regarding guns in Nevada is the main reason the company is considering relocating. 
During a lunch meeting on Dec. 4, Borton reported that Weston County is 11th in the nation for raising funds for the National Rifle Association out of 1,300 locations. She noted that Weston County has been No. 1 in the state for the past three years as far as raising funds for the NRA goes. 
According to Borton, she had discussed the opportunity with Dave Manzer, a Newcastle resident who recently retired from the NRA, and he offered to help anyway he could. 
“He thinks we should really push the gun rights and the conservative-friendly environment we have to offer,” Borton said.  
During the council meeting, the group preparing the letter received support from the council and promised to have the letter ready by the Dec. 11 deadline.