A food processing company in Wells that received local, state and federal loans has yet to open business, years after first receiving the money.
Stephen Bloom, City Administrator for Wells, says, "A lot of people seem to be a little frustrated, but I just met the man [owner Steve Singleteary] a couple weeks ago. He seemed quite serious about getting the facility up and running and I have every reason to believe that's what his true interests are and I hope that comes true."
Bloom has only been the city administrator with the city of Wells since last October, so the whole ordeal with Singleteary Food Solutions came way before his time, 2005 in fact.
The city had wanted to replace the old Armour Swift plant after many years of being left vacant, which may have aided in Singleteary getting nearly a million dollars in low interest loans, with several million more backed up by the USDA, part of the 2009 stimulus.
"If he could get to his estimates of 200 employees in that facility, that would be a tremendous economic boom for a community of our size."
The long wait has been detailed extensively by the Faribault County Register, and a March 15th deadline has been set to see if Singleteary Food Solutions will bring those jobs, or be another stimulus bust.
"When I heard him talk about the facility, and him giving us the tour, he seemed truly dedicated to making this work, and I guess I'm a trusting person, so I'm going to just give him the benefit of the doubt and think that he's going to make it happen."
