Veolia North America to invest nearly $600 million, 125 jobs near Arkadelphia

Veolia North America says it will host a groundbreaking in Gum Springs (near Arkadelphia) on Wednesday, Oct. 12 for a new state-of-the-art thermal treatment facility. The operation is part of a nearly $600 million investment, the company disclosed in a press release Friday (Oct. 7).

A subsidiary of Veolia group, Veolia North America (VNA) offers water, waste and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery.

According to its website, VNA helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Mass., Veolia North America has more than 7,000 employees working at more than 250 locations across the continent.

The project in Gum Springs is expected to add more than 125 full-time union jobs to the company’s payroll and will provide opportunities for hundreds of trade contractors during construction.

“The event will feature remarks from Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to mark the investment of nearly $600 million to support economic growth and environmental innovation in Arkansas. Once completed in 2024, the new facility will be the most advanced, environmentally efficient facility of its kind in the United States,” the press release said.

“The new facility, the first of its kind to be built in the U.S. in over seven years, will significantly contribute to Veolia’s mission of leading the ecological transformation of the planet by safely and responsibly handling and disposing of waste materials that otherwise would pose a threat to the environment.

“The new facility will replace the two thermal plants currently in operation on the site, which Veolia acquired in 2020 before embarking on an ambitious effort to set a new standard for the safe, sustainable handling of waste materials,” the company stated.

In addition to the governor’s expected appearance, Veolia said its North American President and CEO Fred Van Heems will be in attendance.