Published: July 02, 2009 10:24 am      

McAlester approved for $1 million in stimulus funds

It’s approved — $1 million is headed to McAlester.

The money is federal stimulus dollars in the form of an Oklahoma Department of Commerce grant to help with the city’s efforts to bring a major firearms manufacturer to McAlester.

With the $1 million ODOC Community Development Block Grant Recovery money, the city is still $3 million short of the total $4 million sought for the project to bring Sabre Defence Industries to the city.

The project requires, among other things, construction of a new 40,000 square foot building, which is being planned for the city’s Steven Taylor Industrial Park.

Included in the grant is a requirement that the money be used for the project to bring Sabre Defence to McAlester, according to ODOC Site Location Manager Robbie Ruminer.

“It can be used for the building or infrastructure related to the Sabre project,” Ruminer said this morning.

Ruminer hoped the city of McAlester will be glad to get the grant — which does not have to repaid —even if it was not for the entire $4 million the city originally sought.

“They only gave five of these in the state and McAlester was one of the five,” he said of the grants.

Ruminer, who has traveled to McAlester to help with t he project, said “It’s moving forward.”

Current plans call for Sabre Defence Industries to retain its current plant in Tennessee and conduct part of its operations at a new plant in McAlester. However, it’s not an entirely finalized deal, according to those involved.

City officials, including Mayor Kevin Priddle, are trying to help obtain financing for the company to make the move to McAlester.

The city also needs to come up with the rest of the money needed for the project.

Ruminer said he hopes the city can act quickly.

“The company has told me if we can get this done in a fast fashion, we’re good to go,” Ruminer said.

He noted the nearby presence of the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant and Choctaw Manufacturing and Development, a defense contractor with a plant in McAlester.

“It’s a perfect fit,” Ruminer said.

“I’m excited about what’s about to happen in McAlester.”

The Department of Commerce awarded the money to the city of McAlester to help obtain a projected 125 permanent jobs from Sabre Defence Industries, which has facilities in the United Kingdom as well as in Nashville.

Some part time construction jobs are expected to be created as well as part of the project.

Sabre Defence Industries current supplies 70 percent of the U.S. Army’s Browning M2.50 caliber machine guns and barrels, and the U.S. Air Force M134 7.62 mm gun barrels, according to documents on file with ODOC.

The $1 million grant is from the federal stimulus dollars approved through the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009, passed by Congress and signed into law on Feb. 9 by President Barack Obama. The Recovery Act is awarding $1 billion in CDBG-R funds, which is being distributed to cities, counties, states and insular areas.

In addition to McAlester, the other four entities which were approved for the federal stimulus funds through ODOC were:

• Seminole, $1 million for a water tower and lines.

• Woods County, $1 million for a rail spur.

• Sayre, $1 million for lines and a lift station,

• Stroud Building, $203,267.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.