BRS: Game Changer

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 20 years since I first met John Correnti in a soybean field south of Osceola. I’ll never forget the words he said, “I’m going to put these farm boys to work making steel.” He had already done this once when he helped to build Nucor, so I had no doubt in my mind he could accomplish his goal. However, as I looked out over the land, I remembered the heritage of such great men as Harold Ohlendorf, Roundtree Bryan, J.A. Crosthwait and Lee Wilson. It felt a little sad that our way of life could be changed. Yet, I knew the Delta was slowly slipping back into the Depression and the people needed a new ray of hope.

Well, that deal did not receive the support it needed from the Little Rock politicians, so Mr. Correnti built his steel mill in Mississippi. When I interviewed him at that time, Mr. Correnti said Mississippi County was his home and he had not given up on his vision.

Another man who refused to give up was the late Mayor Dickie Kennemore. He immediately set the ball rolling to get an economic development tax passed in Mississippi County. The Great River Economic Development Foundation was formed and Clif Chitwood was hired, giving Mississippi County a huge advantage.

Then when the mayor’s college friend Mike Beebe became governor of Arkansas in 2007, he knew he had the support he needed. Five years later, Mr. Correnti was back and so was Big River Steel.

It was in 2012 when Mr. Correnti introduced me to a man by the name of Dave Stickler. He was the financial expert putting together the approximate $1.5 billion needed to build the steel mill in Osceola. To say I was a little tongue twisted is to put it mildly. I was just a country girl who lived from pay check to pay check. I could not fathom a billion dollar deal.

Well, a few months later, I was attending committee meetings at the state capitol and, in January 2013, I was there to hear Gov. Beebe’s big announcement. Osceola had just landed the biggest economic development deal in Arkansas history. Wow!

Ten years ago this month, July 2014, Mr. Correnti announced the official closing of the financing to build the mill. Then quickly, in Correnti and Sticker fashion, two months later I was covering a ground-breaking ceremony. Shall we say, things have been rolling ever since? I have covered many, many milestones at BRS over the past 10 years. I have watched it unfold... watched John Correnti’s vision come to fruition.

Unfortunately, Mr. Correnti passed away in 2015, but Mr. Stickler had a firm grip on the vision and led the company until it was sold to U. S. Steel. Since that time, the great Dan Brown has showed us all that not only was Mr. Correnti’s dream possible, but that it could be surpassed.

Today, BRS is truly changing lives... lives of the people who were born and raised in Osceola and Mississippi County. In addition, the community is also beginning to change. Real estate is moving; sales tax collections are up; and new businesses are beginning to take notice. Hey folks, we have a four-story hotel being built and will hopefully soon watch the construction of a five-story hotel. That’s progress!

As your editor, I am proud to present this special edition of The Times paying tribute to the 10-year anniversary of the “closing of the deal.” The goal of my staff was to simply show the historic affect BRS is having on our small community, county and state. Most importantly, we wanted to show how lives are being changed... whether it be from a new high paying job for your grandson; free summer camp for your child; new safety equipment for the fire department; Thanksgiving dinner for your family, etc. The list goes on and on...

BRS has been a game changer for our community! We have been blessed by the vision of John Correnti; the dog bone mentality of Dickie Kennemore; the hard work of Clif Chitwood; the financial wisdom of Dave Strickler; and dedication of Dan Brown... just to name a few of the players which have brought us to this point.

Game changer? Yes, indeed.

Sandra Brand is the editor of the NEA Town Courier and The Osceola Times. She may be reached by phone at 870-563-2615 or by email at brand@osceolatimes.com.