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HURRICANE SEASON JUNE 1 - NOVEMBER 30

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MORE BOOMERANG 02.18.10

WE REPORTED EXTENSIVELY, OVER THE WEEKEND, ABOUT THE FAST-

MOVING DEVELOPMENTS OF THE NEW BOOMERANG PIPE AND TUBE FACTORY THAT APPARENTLY WILL OPEN IN LIBERTY THIS SUMMER. WHAT IS NEW THAT WE KNOW IS THAT BOOMERANG OFFICIALS MET WITH THE TEXAS WORKFORCE OFFICE IN LIBERTY LAST WEDNESDAY REGARDING HIRING WORKERS WHEN THE TIME COMES. WE ARE TOLD TEXAS WORKFORCE IS NOT READY, REPEAT NOT READY TO ACCEPT JOB APPLICATIONS YET FOR BOOMERANG MACHINE OPERATORS. THE LOCAL WORKFORCE STAFF WILL FIRST HELP TO LOCATE A HUMAN RESOURCES PERSON AND A SAFETY DEPARTMENT HEAD. FROM THERE IT IS EXPECTED TEXAS WORKFORCE WILL GO TO THE NEXT STEP IN HIRING AND TRAINING FACTORY PERSONNEL, BUT NOT RIGHT NOW. WE ALSO KNOW THAT BOOMERANG OFFICIALS HAVE MET WITH LEE COLLEGE OFFICIALS IN BAYTOWN WHO WILL MOST LIKELY HELP WITH THE TRAINING OF MACHINE OPERATORS IN THE PIPE MILL TO BE LOCATED IN THE OLD NATIONAL PIPE AND TUBE BUILDING IN SOUTH LIBERTY. WE SAY LEE COLLEGE IS LIKELY TO PLAY THAT ROLE BECAUSE A STATE TRAINING GRANT IS BEING SOUGHT TO PAY FOR THAT EFFORT. BOOMERANG MUST FIRST MEET CERTAIN MINIMUM HOURLY WAGE AND BENEFIT REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY FOR THE TRAINING GRANT. THE GRANT APPLICATION IS STILL BEING PREPARED. KSHN HAS reported EXTENSIVELY since 2008 on boomerang tube’s plans to locate its manufacturing facility in liberty. boomerang purchased the old national pipe and tube facility and has been making upgrades to that 489,690-square-foot building. because of the manufacturing facility’s size, the city of liberty will need to update INFRASTRUCTURE. that includes construction of a $2 million electrical sub-station expansion. when fully OPERATIONAL, officials say the new boomerang tube will use as much electricity as the entire city now uses. with that in mind, city leaders and boomerang officials have been NEGOTIATIng electrical rates and how the costs for the substation and any other INFRASTRUCTURE improvements will be recouped by the city. LIBERTY CITY MANAGER gary broz said those NEGOTIATIONS continue, and liberty city council will get more information on those issues at tomorrow’s meeting. in another recent development, boomerang tube secured $200 million in new funding through access industries, which has owned major shares in boomerang since 2008. in another move that has helped the company, boomerang’s president and ceo gregg eisenberg said a recent decision by the international trade commission to impose duties on imports from china has COMPETITIVELY leveled the playing field in oilfield pipe and manufacturing. that makes production more FEASIBLE. boomerang officials say they will be operational by august, and the COMPANY will INITIALly hire ABOUT 250 PEOPLE with plans to employ 350 when fully operational.