Ozarka to start production in January
About 1,400 attend Wood County Bottling Facility grand opening

From Staff Reports

December 19, 2002 -- Ozarka Natural Spring Water opened their Wood County Bottling Facility on Dec. 7 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a public tour. About 1,400 people toured the 415,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility that will begin production in January.

"This is an exciting day for all of us at Ozarka," said Ty Brannen, plant manager of the Wood County Bottling Facility. "We've worked very hard over the past 11 months to get this plant up and running, and we've had an excellent group of engineers, scientists, construction workers, and employees throughout this process. I'd like to thank our team and also the Wood County community for their support."

Although met with some community opposition when plans were first announced about the plant's construction in Wood County, studies presented to the public showed the extraction of spring water would not be detrimental.

"This day is a culmination of many years of scientific research, planning and dedication on behalf of Ozarka and the Wood County community," said David Feckley, registered hydrogeologist and Natural Resource Manager for Ozarka.

Ozarka chose the Wood County location, near Hawkins, because it is "at or near a spring source ... and would cut down costs associated with hauling the water to the bottling facility in Worth."

Extensive hydrogeology analyses were conducted on properties purchased by Ozarka, and Ozarka officials stressed they would not build the bottling plant if the taking of spring water from the underground aquifers would be detrimental to the environment or adjacent landowners. Also, the spring water would have to meet Ozarka's standards of quality, impart a specific taste profile, and safely provide an average of at least 150,000 gallons per day.

Construction began on the Wood County Bottling Facility in late January 2002 with three bottling lines and 91 employees (eventually 200 will be hired). Plans are to begin shipping Ozarka Spring Water and Aberfoyle Spring Water by January 2003.

Revised economic projections, determined by independent Austin-based consulting firm The Celero Group, estimate Ozarka contributing over $1 million in local revenue and almost $2 million in payroll in 2003. The taxable value of the bottling facility is $57.1 million at start-up, with expansion planned over the next five years.

"Ozarka has been an incredible corporate neighbor to Wood County," said Gary McKinley, executive director of the Wood County Industrial Commission. "Not only have they committed their financial resources to our community, but their employees have also dedicated their time and effort to assist with other important projects around the county. They've done all of this before even beginning production."