There is a large chunk of this audience that doesn’t need to be told the role of primer in firearms.  It’s the component that provides the spark that ignites the gun powder and sends the ammo on its high speed journey out of the barrel. Well it’s only fitting that the newest spark for the Litchfield economy is a potential jobs maker that engages in producing just that.  City Attorney Michael McGinley discussed a proposal last night.   National Primers revealed they’d like to build a State of the Art primer manufacturing facility that would cost $57,000,000 to build with 85 full time jobs created by the first wave of construction.  The long term plan calls for two buildings, a manufacturing facility and another for research and development.  The company hopes to break ground in October and be operational within two years.  They say the need for such a facility is significant because of a worldwide shortage of primers and lab space.  The facility would be the second largest of its kind in the country.  With expansion, 70 to 150 jobs could be created.  That could happen as early as 2032.  200 acres of land in the West Side industrial park near the State Police headquarters would be purchased at a cost of $2500 an acre.  National Primers requests Enterprise Zone status for sales tax exemptions and property tax abatement.    

There’s a statement from Mayor Jacob Fleming.   “The City of Litchfield is excited about the potential of welcoming National Primers to the community. The company’s CEO, Don Mildrum, will be present at the June 19 City Council meeting to share more details about their proposal with the public. The Council will consider a development agreement with them at the same meeting. There is a lot of work to do in order to get to the finish line, but we are encouraged by the capital investment and jobs they’d bring to Litchfield.”