Boone County’s outgoing presiding commissioner praises EquipmentShare expansion; says Chapter 100 has worked

Boone County’s presiding commissioner is praising EquipmentShare’s decision to build its $100-million  new headquarters in Columbia.

Presiding Commissioner Dan Atwill tells 939 the Eagle that it’s an exciting time, adding that they’ve had good fortune with Chapter 100 allocations, which are tax incentives.

“That’s a tax that’s on real property and personal property. And right now the area that’s going to be developed is taxed at the lowest possible rate with no personal property at all. So over the course of ten years that would come back up to the standard rates. So it’s an incentive that’s very helpful to a business that wants to invest a lot of money,” Atwill says.

EquipmentShare will break ground in a few months on its new corporate headquarters by the former Ashley furniture building near I-70’s Lake of the Woods exit. They plan to add 555 new jobs over the next five years, as part of the expansion.

Columbia’s mayor is also praising the expansion. Mayor Barbara Buffaloe tells 939 the Eagle that this shows what can happen when you have an idea and a community that supports the idea and invests in you for growing the idea.

“And then the idea that like we’re (EquipmentShare) staying here, we’re staying home. It’s going to recruit people, it’s going to retain people who go to any of our universities or high schools here. And I’m really excited,” says Atwill.

The new jobs are expected to pay an average salary of $42,000.