Durant Industrial Authority orders appraisal of 1903 Arkansas after property purchase request

The Durant Industrial Authority voted to obtain an appraisal of the property at 1903 Arkansas that, trustees said, will inform any future sale or lease decisions tied to a purchase request from a local business owner.

Shane Sessnam, owner of Focus Medical, addressed trustees to describe his operations and expansion plans. Sessnam said his business provides medical equipment and service locally, holds a Veterans Affairs contract for equipment repairs, and is the only in-network UMR provider in the area for certain durable medical equipment. “I picked up the VA contract. We're doing scooter lifts for the veterans,” Sessnam told trustees, adding the local contract reduces travel time for veterans who previously had to go to Dallas or Tulsa.

Sessnam said he currently rents the building on Arkansas Street and wants to purchase it to make repairs and improvements, including fixing a leaking roof and adding signage and landscaping. He said he employs three staff in Durant, three in Texas, and expects to add at least one more employee to support VA work in the next 6–8 months.

Trustees had previously discussed the item in executive session and returned to public session to vote. The board approved an appraisal of the Arkansas property “that should encompass all three approaches to value, if possible,” with the appraisal intended to inform the authority’s next steps.

The motion to obtain the appraisal passed unanimously. Trustees did not set a sale price or disclose a timetable for an offer; the appraisal directive was limited to valuation work. Chairman Rogers said the appraisal would allow the authority to “make a decision going forward.”