Surrounded by the roaring sound of passing trucks in the heart of the Brookhaven industrial complex, American Railcar Industries held it’s ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony Thursday morning on a platform at the new repair station. ARI representatives and city, county, state and federal officials were in attendance to celebrate the birth of the new local industry.

ARI Director of New Business John Ward said the new Brookhaven branch of ARI was built to improve turnaround times on railcars. The site provides expedited cleaning and light repair services to tank and freight railcars.

The new facility was an $8 million investment and has provided 30 jobs. ARI Director of Fleet Services Warner Fencl said the initial thoughts for the project were conceived in 1998 and since then he calculated that there have been about 50,000 hours invested in the project.

ARI is based out of St. Charles, Missouri. It is a publicly held corporation that designs and manufactures new railcars, railcar parts and operates a network of railcar repair centers. The Brookhaven facility is located next to the Industrial Parkway Bridge and near the Canadian National Railroad mainline that runs from Chicago to New Orleans.

“I appreciate everybody finishing the job,” said Lincoln County Chancery Clerk Tillmon Bishop. “We have turned a dessert into an oasis that produces jobs.”

The new site in Brookhaven compliments the existing facility in Bude that provides full service and specialized rail car repair services such as major cleaning, heavy wreck rebuilding, project repairs and interior and exterior coatings. The company said the new sight broadens its overall customer base.

The Mississippi Governor’s office, Mississippi Development Authority, Lincoln County Board of Supervisors, Brookhaven mayors, Board of Alderman, Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce and the Brookhaven/Lincoln County Industrial Development Foundation all assisted in bringing ARI to Brookhaven.

“It has been a team effort on a local, county, state and federal level,” said Mississippi Third District Representative Gregg Harper. “It is a great time to be in Mississippi and the future is great.”

Harper said ARI is not just giving 30 jobs to people; they are giving 30 jobs to families in the Lincoln County community. Harper added that ARI embodies their alternative acronym, Agile, Responsive and Innovative.