Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
If you’ve been wondering what’s been happening since the Texas-based aqua-tech company, NaturalShrimp, Inc., announced its plan to locate a facility here back in April, things appear to be moving along.
Commissioner Chris Tuten, who heads the Jefferson County Economic Development Council (EDC), recently
informed his board that the county’s engineer was working with NaturalShrimp engineers on the details of the building that the company plans to construct on a recently-timbered 10-acre parcel just north of the industrial park off U.S. 19 South.
Tuten explained that because of the nature of the business, the materials used in the building must be very specific due to Florida’s humidity. He cited the piping as an example.
“If they don’t have the right type of metal, the condensation can drip into the water and poison the shrimp,” Tuten said. “So the details have to be very exact.”
NaturalShrimp signed a letter of agreement with Jefferson County in February for the lease of a 10-acre parcel just north of the Alpha Foundation building for construction of a 250,000 square foot island shrimp production facility.
The company also partnered with the county to pursue $25 million in grants to fund the infrastructure improvements and equipment that the operation will require.
Additionally, the company partnered with the Water Quality Association (WQA) to train an aquaculture workforce in Florida. The aim is to develop a training and certification program for water treatment professionals to expand and support the number of skilled aquaculture workers in the state.
Influencing the company’s decision to locate in Jefferson County were the site’s suitability for the company’s purpose, local officials’ willingness to work with the company to secure the necessary grant funding, the location’s proximity to U.S. 19 and I-10, and the area’s general alignment with the company’s long-term growth targets.
“It will enable us to effectively scale up production output predicated upon growth in demand for NaturalShrimp within the large Florida market,” NaturalShrimp CEO Gerald Esterling said in April.
NaturalShrimp also, in conjunction with the WGA, plans to work collaboratively with the local school system “to help establish early awareness, talent pipelines and credentialed opportunities for younger workers through on-the-job experiences and pre-apprenticeship programs.”
NaturalShrimp claims development of “a patented proprietary technology for the production of fresh, gourmet-grade shrimp without the use of antibiotics, probiotics or toxic chemicals.”
The facility here is expected to create 31 full-time jobs, 16 seasonal jobs and pay significantly higher than average wages, infusing some $2 million annually into the local economy.