Birdsboro feed mill receives $9.5 million loan from BCIDA

Published: 11-Mar-2010

The Berks County Industrial Development Authority has released a $9.5 million, low-interest loan for F.M. Brown & Sons Inc., to build a new feed mill in Birdsboro and to purchase machinery and equipment required for livestock-feed manufacturing.

Thomas C. McKeon, the authority's executive director was reported stating that the key factors in the agency's decision included retention of 35 jobs and the company's significance to the agricultural community.

Recently, the authority gave a green signal to a new agreement of sale to buy 147 acres from the Reading Regional Airport Authority for $2.66 million.

The land is targeted for a proposed $47 million industrial research park, poised to focus on agriculture, food processing and energy storage. This is supposed to have a potential of creating 2,000 jobs and benefiting the county and region in many other ways.

As per sources since 2009, the authorities were planning to buy four parcels, but the agreement drops three of them along Route 183, to expedite approvals needed from the Federal Aviation Administration and the four parcels would have cost $5.1 million.

The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2010, with the money significantly helping the airport to continue its operations, which now are losing $200,000 a year. The board authorized McKeon to apply for a $2 million federal grant to help fund basic improvements at the authority's Bethel industrial park.

The 323-acre site, which is getting its final permits and will be ready for construction soon, is seeking to add an entrance along Route 501; partially complete an access road to serve lot No. 1; add a water tower and pumps for a fire protection system; and make sanitary sewer improvements and add electric service.

The improvements may cost about $6.7 million or $2.1 million more than the authority has available.

Tell your friend about this article