There’s not much to see on this November afternoon in a field located in rural Gentry, Arkansas. Just a mound of dirt, shovels, and excavating equipment.
But there’s a crowd gathered nevertheless, and excitement for what the shovels and dirt represent – the future.
The groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of construction for Liberty’s new substation that will serve electric customers in Gentry and the surrounding area. Among those on hand to take part are Arkansas State Rep. Delia Haak, Gentry Mayor Kevin Johnston, and representatives from the local Chamber of Commerce and local businesses.
“Investments to modernize our system like this one help us to meet the growing needs of our customers and communities,” says Tim Wilson, Liberty’s Central Region President-Electric. “We also recognize this investment is important to the community.”
The great need for a substation in Gentry has become evident in recent months, says Drew Landoll, Liberty’s Senior Director for Engineering and Project Management.
“The area has had extreme growth,” he says, noting that Gentry currently receives service through a substation in Decatur. “We have overrun our capacity and have had to support it with a portable substation. We realized it’s time to invest and build a new substation to provide safe and reliable service to our customers.
“Today, we begin building for the future of Gentry and the surrounding area.”
The new substation will serve more than 2,000 customers through three circuits – one of which will be dedicated to supplying electricity to McKee Foods Corporation, one of the area’s largest employers. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2024, along with the new circuits and other improvements, says Landoll.
Having a dedicated circuit is extremely important for McKee Foods, says Phillip Cameron, the company’s Engineering Manager.
“We have 2,700 employees, and it’s all highly automated,” he says. “We’re always upgrading, so the electricity needed for our operation – and having reliable service – is very important to us.
“We’re looking forward to having the available capacity should we expand.”