Fuelvend Express Opens For Business

Fuelvend Express held a grand opening and ribbon cutting Thursday afternoon before officially opening for business. Fuelvend Express is located at the corner of Poplar and McCord and is owned and operated by Mike and Joe Cooksey. According to the Morning Sentinel, Mike Cooksey stated, "The city was extremely helpful in its willingness to get things done. There are more resources available in the city than what people think." Fuelvend Express utilized the City's facade program to purchase their front awning. Fuelvend Express will be a great addition to the community.

HAWKINS, INC. REPORTS ACQUISITION OF NEW FACILITY

On July 14, 2008 Hawkins, Inc. (Nasdaq: HWKN) announced the purchase of a 77,000 square foot facility on 10 acres in Centralia. The facility will be primarily used for expansion of the Company’s lactate and other food ingredient manufacturing capacity within its Industrial Group, with the Water Treatment Group using the location as a branch office for its operations as it expands its geographic coverage. It is expected that the facility will be fully operational in the summer of 2009.
Chief Executive Officer, John R. Hawkins, commented, "We have enjoyed significant growth in the volumes of our manufactured specialty food products. As we searched for new capacity and strived to be closer to our raw material suppliers and customers for this product line, we are pleased to have found this existing structure in this strategic location. This acquisition will ultimately allow us to free up capacity at our Minneapolis site for other business growth opportunities." John Sevenich, Vice President-Industrial Group, added, "The facility has everything we need, including adequate rail car siding capacity, which is critical to keeping our supply transportation costs down. We intend to have a state-of-the art specialty chemical manufacturing facility when we are finished with the build-out of this site."
Hawkins, Inc. provides a full range of bulk industrial products complemented with the technical competence and innovation to formulate and blend specialty chemicals. The Company sells and services related products and equipment to safely dispense chemicals in highly controlled environments.
Hawkins serves customers in a wide range of industries, including chemical processing, electronics, energy, environmental services, food processing, metal finishing, pharmaceutical, medical devices, pulp and paper, and water treatment.
Hawkins is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Company operates 18 facilities in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, South and North Dakota and Wisconsin and services customers in Upper Michigan and Wyoming as well.
Mayor Rebecca Ault recently toured the headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota and welcomed Hawkins, Inc. to Centralia. "We are appreciative of the quality employment they will bring to our area and look forward to a strong relationship between the company and the community."

2008 Annual Citizen Survey Underway

The City of Centralia recently mailed its third annual citizen survey. This survey asks Centralians to help shape the future of the City by completing and returning the survey by August 8, 2008. The survey contains questions regarding City services, taxes, economic development, and spending priorities. Answers to this survey are anonymous and participation is voluntary, although strongly encouraged as the City Council and administration relies on the survey results to determine how best to allocate your tax dollars and to set priorities. In response to the previous two surveys the City has allocated an unprecedented amount of money toward road and sidewalk improvements, infrastructure upgrades and economic development. The survey takes approximately 8-10 minutes to complete, and can be returned to City Hall through the mail or dropped off at the Utilities drop-box located on Poplar Street; or to the Clerk’s office at City Hall. The survey may also be downloaded from the City’s website at www.cityofcentralia.org.