The City of Mount Pleasant and Mount Pleasant Industrial Development Corporation have been notified that they will receive the 2006 CEDA Award for Cities with a Population of 5,001- 15,000.  The CEDA Award (Community Economic Development Award) is given by the Texas Economic Development Council to communities that demonstrate an outstanding effort in Economic Development.  Mount Pleasant will receive the award based on their efforts to bring Newly Weds Foods to Texas and to Mount Pleasant. 

One award is given to a community in each of five population groups.  Communities are nominated by one of their utility providers with a project description.  This year saw a total of nine communities nominated in the Category II population group and 34 communities nominated in all population groups.  Other communities nominated along with Mount Pleasant were: Andrews, Decatur, El Campo, Gladewater, Hillsboro, Kilgore, Wharton and Yoakum.  SWEPCO was the nominating utility for Mount Pleasant.

“The Newly Weds Foods Project was a success due to the outstanding cooperation between the City Council, Titus County, TRMC and NTCC in Titus County and the Legislatures from this region” said Charles Smith, Executive Director for the MPIF.  Newly Weds has committed to invest over $27 MM in Titus County with their construction of a 220,000 sq. ft. production facility.  In addition they will employ over 100 persons as they ramp up production.  The project will be one of the largest projects going to a rural area in Texas in 2006.

Numerous state and regional agencies also cooperated on the project.  The TX. Dept. of Agriculture provided a $1MM grant to the City to construct a rail spur which will serve the new company.  The North East Texas Workforce Board provided training assistance to the company for area workers to be trained on equipment being installed.  The Governor’s Office of Economic Development designated the project as an Enterprise Project offering the company incentives during the construction of the facility.

The Newly Weds Foods project was finalized in April when the Governor, Lt. Governor and Speaker of the House committed $450,000 to the project from the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF).  The formal announcement was made by Secretary of State Roger Williams in Mount Pleasant at a meeting with Newly Weds Foods executives. This grant represented the first allocation of TEF funds in Northeast Texas. 

The application from Mount Pleasant for TEF funds was distinctive in that it was supported by the County Commissioners from Camp, Franklin, Morris and Red River Counties as well as the City Councils from the surrounding county seats.  The regional approach to the application along with the company’s commitment to specific employment numbers and wage rates allowed the Texas leadership to make the grant.   The award of this grant eliminated the company’s consideration of Durant, Oklahoma as a possible location.