Tulsa a finalist for $4 billion plant?

It’s definitely a mystery. A $4 billion mystery. Maybe even more. The story evolves around a mystery firm that reportedly has offered a $4 billion manufacturing plant of some kind along with the potential of 4,000 employees and two finalists are being considered—a site in Kansas and one in Tulsa.

At least, that’s what published stories in Kansas newspapers have reported.

Kansas Lt. Gov. and Commerce Secretary David Toland calls it “the largest economic development project in our history,” according to one report.

How big?

The Kansas Reflector reported it this way in a recent story:

Kansas survived a review process that began 10 months ago to become one of two state finalists for the project — no company name yet — that a Wichita State University study showed could create thousands of jobs through corporate investment of $4 billion and a package of government incentives. It would deliver an estimated 4,000 direct jobs and have a total employment impact of 7,800 jobs tied to $440 million in annual labor income. There could be a temporary expansion of 16,500 jobs.

The manufacturing plant’s estimated output at full production — think of an operation consuming 3 million square feet of building space — would be $1.8 billion annually, according to modeling by WSU’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research.

Efforts by OK Energy Today to get any kind of confirmation on the Oklahoma end have been met with silence. No response from an inquiry with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and no reply from the Tulsa Mayor’s office.

The Kansas City Business Journal recently reported Tulsa was the other finalist for the project.

The Kansas legislature is considering the $1 billion incentives package despite some hesitancy on the part of Republicans who reportedly don’t want to hand a major economic victory for Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly who is seeking re-election.

Legislators are also wary of what such a bill could mean for the Kansas state budget reported the Topeka Capital Journal.

Adding to the mix are the unknown factors. Legislators who are being asked to cough up that amount of money for incentives don’t know who the firm is. Reported non-disclosure agreements were signed by state officials and some legislative leaders which prohibit them from divulging the name of the company—or even where it might want to locate in Kansas reported the Kansas News Service.

One Kansas Senator raised the possibility, “It could be a wildly profitable, foreign-owned company coming in and doing an environmentally dirty business.” But Paul Hughes who heads the business development at the Kansas Department of Commerce insisted that secrecy is part of the negotiations.

“It would cause financial harm to the company if word got out that they were planning this,” Hughes said when responding to questions during Senate hearings.

KAKE TV in Wichita reported this week a Kansas House Committee passed the incentive bill, an action that will send the measure to the full House for a vote.