Construction Continues

Wind farms being built in the area could be leading to new businesses to help with the projects.

Construction is moving along on a new RSC Equipment Rental store at 960 S. Pagewood Ave. in the Odessa Industrial Development Corp. Business Park. The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company deals largely in renting heavy machines such as bulldozers, backhoes and front-end loaders.

"They're primarily coming here because of all the activity going on with the wind farms," said Gary Vest, economic development director for the Odessa Chamber of Commerce.

Currently, RSC's closest location is in Eunice, N.M. Vest said that makes sense because the company would get considerable business from the National Enrichment Facility being built there. The $3 billion plant will have 350 construction workers in that area through the end of 2014.

Vest said no incentives were offered to RSC. The area already has several companies that offer similar services.

"They're coming here because they need the business," Vest said.

Along with wind farms already running in Upton, Pecos, Martin and Howard counties, Duke Energy's wind farm is under construction along the Winkler-Ector county line. Ector County commissioners approved a tax abatement Monday for the first 11 wind turbines to be built in the county.

Construction projects like the wind farms helped draw RSC to Odessa. The company intends to open the store in March, RSC spokeswoman Heather Schlichting said. The 7,450-square-foot building will be built on 2.8 acres. It will employ between eight and 10 people.

According to City of Odessa building permits, it's being built at a cost of $1.11 million.

Kevin Williams, RSC's district manager, said the company has been serving Odessa for several years through its Lubbock and San Angelo locations.

"Business opportunities have increased, and we felt that the time was right to open our new RSC location in Odessa," he said.

RSC Rental Equipment

>> Headquarters: Scottsdale, Ariz.

>> Locations: More than 470 in the United States and Canada.

>> Employees: 5,300.

>> Sales: $1.79 billion in 2007.