Council approves abatement for local business expansion

Charlotte Pipe will soon be expanding its Cameron operations.

The Cameron City Council will approve a tax abatement agreement with the company for expansion during its meeting on May 21. The first readings of the agreements and a public hearing were held at the council’s meeting on May 7.

“This is really exciting,” Cameron Industrial Foundation Executive Director Ginger Watkins said. “One of our existing businesses is looking to expand. Charlotte Pipe is looking to expand and do an investment in excess of $2 million of equipment over three years. They are ready to start working as soon as this is approved.”

Watkins said the first investment will be this year at $2 million and there will be slightly over $1 million in investment for 2019 and 2020.

“As a manufacturing company today many things are automated,” she said. “When we do capital investment in manufacturing we don’t typically see job growth, so we are retaining the current employees they have, which is 48. This enables them to continue expanding and continuing their presence in Cameron.”

Council also approved a variance request to place a manufactured home at 1108 Vogelsang; approved a request for use of the downtown mall on May 20 for the Mary Lara Memorial Car Show; and approved the use of Ledbetter Park on June 23 for a Community Wide Faith Fest.