As part of its regular meeting Tuesday night, the Brady City Council approved what may be the largest funding project the Brady Economic Development Corporation’s has ever undertaken.
Appearing on KNEL’s Morning Program Wednesday, Brady City Manager, Erin Corbell, explained that the Council and EDC approved a plan to provide two loans and a grant to Odyssey Manufacturing to support expansion of the company’s production in Brady of heavy duty semi-trailers used for transporting liquids. Odyssey Manufacturing is a subsidiary of The Western Group, and operates out of the former Loadcraft plant adjacent to Curtis Field.
Funding by the EDC will total $500,000 and will be spread over three years. And, specific employment targets have been set for each of the three years that would total the addition of 60 new employees at the Brady facility.
The EDC will provide an initial $250,000 loan to Odyssey, with a target of 15 new jobs to be created at the plant in the first year. The second loan will be for $125,000 after year one, with a target of adding another 15 new jobs in the second year. After year two, a grant of $125,000 would be provided, with a target of an additional 30 workers to be added in that third year to bring the total to an increase of 60 employees over the term of the agreement.
In 2022, The Western Group announced the formation of Odyssey Design and Manufacturing in Brady. At the time, Odyssey was the sixth business to join The Western Group in serving the gas transportation and equipment manufacturing industries.
Western President, Mark Griffin, said at the time that Odyssey would focus on transport trailers, including gas transport units equipped with carbon composite pressure vessels, along with oilfield equipment and basic containers.
