Great Western Popcorn Company broke ground this morning on a new 100,000 square foot manufacturing plant in the Pana Industrial Park, replacing their Assumption facility that burned last May.   From the left:  Harlan Dyer, Job Superintendent, Wohlman Construction , Effingham, the general contractor for the new building; Jim Jones, Site Manager, Great Western; Tim Ferguson, Operations Manager, Great Western; Rocky Franklin, Vice-President and General Manager, Great Western; Paul Adams, Maintenance Manager, Great Western; Alicia Brookman, Food Safety Administrator, Great Western; Kirby Casner, City of Pana and Pana Industrial Development Corporation Economic Development Director; Tom Dean, past President, Pana Industrial Development Corporation; Dave Dorn, PIDC board member; Bob Holthaus, PIDC board member; John Gardner, President, PIDC and Christian County Economic Development Corporation; and Ben Koester, Wolman Construction, Effingham.

Here's the sound of a ground breaking:

That's the sound of shovels turning over dirt and rock as Great Western Popcorn Company broke ground this morning on a new one-hundred thousand square foot building inside the Pana Industrial Park northwest of Pana, that will be their new location for a popcorn oil manufacturing facility.  The bulding will replace their operation west of Assumption that burned last May.

Dignatries with Great Western and the Pana Industrial Development Corporation were on hand for the ground breaking.

Vice-President and General Manager for Great Western Rocky Franklin told Regional Radio News their company has been part of Christian County for many years.

Franklin added the new plant will have a start-up workforce with new jobs to be added.

Franklin expects to be in the new building in mid-first quarter of next year.

Kirby Casner, Economic Development Director for the City of Pana and the P-I-D-C, told Regional Radio News following the ceremony that she began working with Great Western after their fire to locate a temporary location at Pana.

Casner added the Great Western project will help begin other projects in Pana's Industrial Park and the Pana community.

And, Casner is pleased that Great Western will be bringing jobs to Pana.

John Gardner, President of the Pana Industrial Development Corporation as well as the Christian County Economic Development Corporation, explained how P-I-D-C got involved in getting Great Western to build in Pana's Industrial Park.

The Great Western Popcorn oil manufacturing facility is one of many projects happening in Pana.   A new Jumpin' Jimmy's Truck Stop is in the midst of construction in Pana's downtown along Illinois Route 16 and US Highway 51.