Gov. Phil Bryant cited the resurgence of the railroad Thursday morning as he formally announced American Railcar Industries will locate a repair facility plant in Brookhaven, bringing an estimated 30 new jobs with it.

     The Brookhaven facility represents a $7 million investment.

     “I believe rail is returning; there is a resurgence we see,” Bryant said from the podium in the Lincoln Civic Center.

     Rain forced Thursday’s announcement indoors but couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of state and local leaders for the project.

     “I’m glad we can announce today we are expanding into Brookhaven,” said John Ward, ARI director of business development. Ward previously managed Bude’s ARI facility for 21 years.

     “The work ethic of the people in this part of the state takes a back seat to no one,” Ward continued.

     Ward explained part of the reason for the new plant’s home in Brookhaven is due to its location on a main CN line.

     “Folks want railcars in service, not in shops,” he said.

     The Brookhaven facility will provide light maintenance activities, cleaning and simple repairs for up to 100 railcars at a time.

     Activities in the Bude facility include wreck repair, wheel and axle repair and cleaning, and it has the capacity to house 250 railcars at a time. The Bude facility, which dates back to 1974, currently employs approximately 100 workers.

     ARI plans for the Brookhaven plant to be operational in early 2014.

      Ward said the Bude plant would continue to specialize with heavier repair while the Brookhaven plant will concentrate on lighter repairs.

      “The Bude and Brookhaven plants will work together to broaden the company’s customer base,” he said.

     The new Brookhaven repair facility site will be located on Industrial Park Road at the former Homelite South building. The site is currently a slab dotted with several piles of debris.

     Bill Jacobs, chairman of the Industrial Development foundation discussed the site’s long history as a manufacturing spot in Brookhaven.

     “Today is a rebirth of this site,” Jacobs said. “Jacobson lawnmower plant used to be there.”

     The Mississippi Development Authority is putting approximately $650,000 in Community Development Block Grant money into the project.

     Ward said state grant money will primarily be used to pay for construction of the rail spur from the main line into the future plant.

     “American Railcar industries has been a fixture in the Southwest Mississippi business community for nearly four decades, and the company’s expansion into Brookhaven is great news for the region,” Bryant said in a press release provided at the event.