During Thursday’s Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce event, Peerless Product, Inc., gave visitors a tour of their facility as well as their new powder coat paint line that came online in February.

Peerless joined the community in 1952, providing what President Coby Jones described as reliable but mediocre windows and doors. But in the past decade, the company has taken steps to improve their work efficiency and customer service, rebrand themselves and provide some of the best products available.

“We went and studied the globe on where can we buy the best components, the best materials to make our products exceptional,” Jones said, saying they now buy materials from Germany and Italy that provide durability as well as thermal protection to keep exterior temperatures out.

Peerless makes between 1,100 and 1,400 window a week, much of their products going to areas such as Boston, New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco and Dallas/Fort Worth. The windows and doors are frequently used at universities, hospitals, public schools, military bases and hotel chains, with the product customized for the customer, such as needing to protect the buildings from earthquakes, hurricanes or car bombs.

Jones said the new powder coat paint line is one of only five in the world and the only one in North America. The powder paint is sprayed on the metal, sticking to it via static electricity, and is then put through a heating process that melts it into the smooth coat that provides an attractive finish and lasts longer.

“We think this is very desirable for the work we’re doing,” Jones said.

Along with the addition of the new paint line, further changes have been made to other areas of the plant as well to improve the appearance as well as the efficiency of the work. In recent years, Peerless also became Fort Scott’s greatest employer, with about 400 employees.

“At the end of the day, what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to make this place to be the best we can be,” Jones said, adding they are trying to put the best products into their customers’ hands as well as draw others into Fort Scott to see the city as well as the plant.

The Fort Scott City Commission unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday evening that names the lot that formerly included Woods an enterprise zone, and thus eligible for Tax Increment Financing.

By the end of the year, a Price Chopper grocery store is expected to be open for business, with the possibility of retail or other commercial services also available on the lot, which has been unused since Woods closed in November.

“We still have a lot of work to do, but this is the first step,” said Kim Bell, the city’s bond attorney.

Bell said upcoming actions will include creating the TIF district, approving a general plan, and then providing 30 days for other tax entities to express their concern if they believe the TIF district would have adverse effects. Another public hearing is scheduled to be held on June 20, when more specific plans will be presented before work begins on the building.

The TIF bond, believed to be the first of its kind in Bourbon County, serves as an incentive for new development, allowing the investors to waive tax increases for a set period of time as they make improvements to the property.

This project is expected to cost about $9.5 million, with the investors hoping to receive about $1.8 million back over 20 years of TIF incentive. In a previous meeting with the Bourbon County Commission, Economic Development Director Rachel Pruitt said they project the company would receive that amount after only nine years.

Because the TIF waives tax increases, the city and county would not lose any money, but will benefit from that increase in revenue after the incentive comes to an end.

The annual Home, Sport, Farm and Garden Show hosted by KOMB-FM drew in large numbers of people to visit booths set up by more than 60 vendors at the Arnold Arena at Fort Scott Community College.

Visitors were able to gather information of local businesses and organizations, such as The Butcher Block, the City of Fort Scott, Redbud Nurseries and Skitch’s Hauling and Excavation, among a large number of others. Drawings for prizes were also held throughout the day.

Simultaneously, FSCC held a children’s fair on campus, with students as well as others such as the Fort Scott police and fire departments participating in games and other events for the children.

During the Fort Scott City Commission meeting Tuesday evening, the commissioners agreed to create a redevelopment district at the former Woods building, allowing developers to move forward with their plans for the structure.

Economic Development Director Rachel Pruitt said she has been working to bring in a grocery store and is now working on a deal with Queen’s Price Chopper, a family business since 1974 that has five other locations.

Joel Riggs, real estate director for Associated Wholesale Grocers and part of Super Market Developers, said the groups involved are moving as quickly as possible in order to have the grocery and retail store open by November.

“This is kind of the first step in a pretty long process in moving forward to try to redevelop the property that was formerly Woods Grocery Store,” Riggs said, saying the physical redevelopment is scheduled to begin in July.

With the city’s approval, a public hearing was set for the community to be involved and voice any concerns they have in the planning process. The first public hearing is set for May 2, with another to follow on June 20.

“It is a big project,” Riggs said. “It’s important to us…We are going to do everything in our power to move this forward as quickly as we can, but following all the rules and regulations that we need to.”

Riggs said it is a complex financing plan, utilizing Tax Increment Financing bonds, a public financing method that could waive the impact of certain taxes on the zone for a period of time as an incentive. Pruitt said the city will be working with the county and Unified School District 234, as the three taxing entities must come to an agreement on the TIF Redevelopment District.

Dr. Rick Kellenberger, owner of the Dairy Queen located near the Woods building, said they are looking forward to having new neighbors invested in that area.

“It looks pretty desolate up there right now,” Kellenberger said. “So we’re looking forward to that whole area blossoming and hopefully developing and being a one-stop area with all the retail that we have there.”

Other News:

• The city gave an update on Memorial Hall, with Pruitt saying they may be nearing a sales agreement with Last Farmhouse Films, Inc.
• A representative from 4-State Sanitation said they will begin providing a drop-off point for recycling beginning on April 3.
• The commission gave their approval to allow alcohol sales during the Independence Day event to be held at the LaRoche Baseball Complex this summer.

Area businesses continue to recover after recent storms brought high winds and even hail in the past month.

Stores located near Highway 69 off 12^th Street suffered from damages as the roof blew off the building shared by Five Corners Mini Mart, Libation Station, State Farm insurance agent Kale Nelson’s office and The Shop car repair garage.

Nelson is temporarily conducting his services from the second floor of Landmark National Bank while repairs are made to his office. The Five Corners gas station has remained open, but the Libation Station will close while repairs are made to the floors and ceiling.

Briggs Auto Group is also providing discounts on vehicles as each of the cars on their lots received hail damage.

Tri-Valley Developmental Services will hold their bi-annual Gardener’s Christmas Auction Saturday, March 25, with doors opening at 9:30 a.m. and the auction closing at noon.

The silent auction will benefit the Horticulture Therapy program, which began more than a decade ago and is used to serve those with intellectual disabilities as well as impact the community by providing plants that are used to decorate downtown and Gunn Park or are provided for fundraising events.

“Our clients do get a lot out of that,” director Tim Cunningham said of the program, which gives participants an opportunity to take care of plants as well as take part in other projects.

Barbara McCord said some of the plant beds and other materials used in the greenhouse are starting to wear out and need repairs or replacements.

“The last few years have been very difficult for us,” Cunningham said, saying because of limited funds from the state, they have to raise the funds needed to provide for the horticultural program.

McCord said the silent auction often brings in about $5,000 to support the program. This year, more than 120 items are available to be bid on, and they will be accepting gently used gardening items through March 22, to be available for auction as well.

“It is a lifesaver for us,” McCord said of the event and the funds raised.