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El Dorado Inc. reports industrial recruitment, 30,000‑sq‑ft lease and rising permit investment
Summary
An El Dorado Inc. representative told the city commission that the organization responded to multiple RFPs, secured a lease for a 30,000‑square‑foot building that will serve as a company's first U.S. location and reported year‑to‑date commercial permit investment of $7.7 million.
An El Dorado Inc. representative told the El Dorado City Commission that the organization responded to eight requests for proposals in the past quarter, won a lease for a 30,000‑square‑foot building and is pursuing additional industrial prospects. "This will be the company's first US location," the representative said about the lease for the former Pioneer Automation building on Haverhill.
The presenter said the quarter saw 11 commercial permits with a reported value of 16,800 and year‑to‑date commercial permit investment of $7,700,000. On the residential side, the presenter reported 10 new residential starts valued at $1,700,000 from April through June, bringing year‑to‑date residential build value to $2,660,000 and an average new home value of $171,000.
Why it matters: the representative described the lease as a potential launch point for the company's U.S. growth and said El Dorado Inc. is actively targeting manufacturers and distributors. The organization also said it has begun early conversations about development opportunities at the El Dorado Municipal Airport and is using targeted marketing, including a video sales letter and LinkedIn outreach, to attract prospects.
Additional details provided to commissioners included outreach conducted at the Paris Air Show, where the representative said they met with more than 23 companies and site selectors and met state and regional officials. The representative said a recently passed bill reopens and expands opportunity‑zone benefits and that the organization will lobby at the state level to try to ensure local tracks are included when opportunity‑zone maps are redrawn next year.
The presentation also emphasized workforce development: the representative described meetings with Butler Community College on apprenticeship degrees and urged engagement with employers to expand participation.
No formal action was taken by the commission on the update; the presentation was informational and the commission offered brief thanks.
