A Hartshorn corporation that sells books and other materials over the Internet plans to purchase a 15-acre tract north of Summersville for development of a corporate headquarters and other space need.
Herman Beck, chief executive officer of Back 40 Group, announced the board of directors of the corporation passed a resolution July 27 to purchase the property and buildings at 600 N. Highway 17 at the north end of Summersville city limits from the Smith heirs. A copy of the resolution and an earnest money deposit was delivered to Ronald J. Smith on Monday, July 30.
The company plans to build its corporate headquarters, general offices, video and audio studios for the Pleasant Valley productions division, editing suites, broadcast studios for internet radio station KWBC.FM (Way Back Country), internet operations center for their e-commerce stores, CD/DVD manufacturing center and warehouse and distribution facilities on the site. Construction is slated to begin late in 2007 or the first quarter of 2008. Architect Elton Roe of Harrison, Ark., has been selected to do site planning, prepare the plans and supervise construction of the 10,000-12,000 square foot building.
High speed, fiber-optic lines needed by the corporation will be constructed by Intercounty Electric Cooperative from its substation diagonally across Highway 17. The building will contain state-of-the-art computer communications throughout; the Internet is required to perform most functions.
Although the employee count is already growing, the company plans to gradually increase its work force to around 50 employees by 2011. Employment is expected to increase to seven by the end of this year and to 21 by the close of 2008. Emphasis is on hiring local workers and the Missouri Department of Economic Development has been consulted regarding training funds and programs.
The company thanked Colleen Bradford of Summersville’s Economic Development Committee, Mayor Mike Jackson and Tony Floyd and Alan Branstetter from Intercounty Electric for their work in making this expansion possible.
In a related note, the company is presently expanding capitalization through a $900,000 Regulation “D” stock offering that is being offered at 12¢ per share. Shares are selling briskly to both local citizens and venture capital investors, said Beck. Interested parties should contact Herman Beck at 573-858-3559 for an investors information