Terry Wegman, executive director of the Big Spring EDC, said the papers were signed and property closed  this week in a deal he believes could add an important weapon to the economic corporation's arsenal.

“The final cost on the property was right at $550,000, which we really felt was a heck of a deal,” said Wegman. “Solitaire came to us when they closed their Big Spring operations and moved it to Mexico. They asked if the EDC wanted to purchase the building and land. They were asking a lot more then — about $2 million — and the board felt like it wasn't a viable deal.

“About six months later they came back and told us they were considering moving the part of the property they had added on, and while we were unsure just how practical it was for them to move it to Mexico, we checked with contractors and found out it certainly could be done. Shortly after that, we began negotiations again.”

Wegman said acquisition of the building could help the EDC attract larger companies and corporations to the Crossroads area.

“There are plenty of businesses that inquire about Big Spring, but because we don't have a building already in place around the 120,000 square feet range, they have to pass us over. We tell them we can have them something like that built in six months or so, but businesses like that don't want to wait six months. This property will give us a tool within that range to work with, which could be a huge boon for Big Spring.”

Wegman said his office has already received inquiries about the property.

“Before we closed on the property we had several companies already looking at it, so the demand is certainly there,” said Wegman. “We've had inquiries like this in the past, and we basically just got passed over. I feel like we got a really good deal on the property. Looking at past appraisals, it appears the land alone is worth the $550,000. So we're really getting the structure for free.”

Wegman said the property, which was used to build manufactured homes for several years before closing its doors, could also play a big role in an already booming Big Spring industry.

“The facility is ideal for working with the wind turbines, whether it's making repairs or other peripheral services,” said Wegman. “I feel like this represents a very smart investment on the part of the EDC.”

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it