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Harrison County approves 17-year tax-incentive deal to court Eastman plastics-recycling plant
Summary
Harrison County Commissioners approved a 17-year Chapter 312/381 property tax incentive for Eastman Circular Ventures LLC, supporting an estimated $850 million plastics-recycling investment, roughly 204 direct jobs, and related public-infrastructure work. Commissioners voted 5–0 to approve the agreement.
Harrison County Commissioners Court voted 5–0 in March 2023 to approve a Chapter 312/381 property tax-incentive agreement with Eastman Circular Ventures LLC that county officials said is intended to keep a large plastics-recycling investment in East Texas.
County staff told commissioners the project would involve roughly $850 million in capital investment across facilities and equipment and create about 204 jobs, with starting salaries presented as approximately $89,000. County economic-development staff said the site will require public-infrastructure improvements, including about $7 million in road work the company would undertake and seek to rebate over the life of the abatement. The county’s presentation described a front-loaded abatement structure (seven years at full abatement, with reduced rebate levels in later years) and estimated net county benefits over the 17-year agreement.
The county judge introduced the item as a competitive recruitment: “We are extremely fortunate to have a large regional company, Texas Eastman, that is considering a major investment in Harrison County,” the county staff member said while describing the project and the abatement structure. Eastman’s site manager, Andrew Coggins, told the court the company already has staff and engineering work under way and that the firm hopes to have the facility operating by 2026: “We are already investing in it,” Coggins said.
Marshall Economic Development and other regional partners were listed as participating in incentives and training plans; the county noted a Marshall Economic Development offer of $300,000 in high-demand job-training grants tied to the project. County staff also provided an impact breakdown and a conservative projection of net benefits over the 17-year agreement.
The court moved and approved the agreement by voice vote; the meeting record shows the matter passed unanimously. The county asked visiting company representatives to sign the executed agreement following the meeting.
Next steps: county staff said the agreement will be executed and that the county and regional partners will continue infrastructure and training planning tied to the project.
