Grape crushing facility plan moves forward
Port of Quincy's Industrial Park No. 5 is located where Highway 281 and Beverly-Burke Road meet just north of George and just off of Interstate 90.
GEORGE - Milbrandt Vineyards's plans to build a grape crushing facility outside of George has started the ball rolling toward a potentially bright future for the community.
"It's very exciting. We're as happy as can be," said George community activist Debby Kooy.
The Milbrandt facility will mean only a few jobs now, maybe up to 30 later. Its presence, like a beacon just off the freeway, is of greater importance.
The hope is that the positioning of Milbrandt at Port of Quincy Industrial Park No. 5 will bring other industry, the way a McDonald's attracts a Pizza Hut or a Subway.
Dreamers here hope that Milbrandt is the start of something big for the community founded by all-time dreamer Charlie Brown in 1957. He wanted to honor the father of the country, but his vision was grander than what reality has been so far. It is a high unemployment community.
"We hope this will get things moving for the industrial park and the city," Port Commissioner Curt Morris said. "It will add revenues to the city, which they can use."
Port Commissioner Patrick Connelly applauds George for having had the foresight to zone the 74-acre area for industry. With easy access to Interstate 90, it was ideal for the port's purposes, and he sees growth coming.
"The really important thing was getting the water in," he said.
In preparation for Milbrandt, the Port has committed to developing a well. Grant County commissioners recently approved a grant of $183,000 and loan of $70,000 to pay for it.
The well will serve all six lots of the park. It will belong to the City of George and be part of its water system.
Connelly believes another attraction, especially to food processors, will be the ability to hook up to George's high-capacity sewer system.
"The lagoons are just across the road," he said.
Connelly said the Port had anything and everything as it planned for the park. Some immediate ideas were CA storage, warehousing, processing and transportation. There have been other inquiries, and they are expected to increase.
Milbrandt's plans call for a $6 million facility. The near-future impact will be several construction jobs.