One of the world’s leading lawn and garden companies is considering purchasing a vacant commercial building in Wright City.

It was disclosed at last Thursday’s Wright City Board of Alderman meeting that the former Kaplan Lumber Company building is one of three sites in the running to house a processing center for Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.

Tom Glosier, a spokesman for Kaplan Development, acknowledged that negotiations are ongoing, but the company hopes to finalize a deal within the next two to three weeks if progress continues to be made. Should it be finalized, the company is looking at opening in September.

To help make the Wright City property more attractive, aldermen unanimously approved a conditional use permit to allow raw and finished materials to be stored outside. The property is located on the South Service Road near Stracks Church Road.

The permit was needed since city code sets the maximum outside storage of materials at 40 percent. According to Glosier, the 25-acre property would be regraded and fill dirt hauled in to make the entire site usable for the company’s purposes. 

Three days prior to the aldermanic meeting, the city’s planning and zoning board recommended passage of the permit. 

While the company prefers 30 acres, according to Glosier, the building’s large size and highway visibility caught the attention during a site visit. 

The approximate 160,000-square-foot building has been vacant since Kaplan Lumber Company closed in January. It moved most of its operations to Wright City three years earlier, taking advantage of the housing growth in the area only to see the economic downturn reverse the earlier trend.

Glosier noted that the permit approval is contingent on Scotts purchasing the property.

“They want to be on Interstate 70,” he said.

The company is the world’s largest marketer of branded consumer lawn and garden products. Founded in 1868, the company operates primarily in North America, but does business overseas in areas such as Europe and Asia Pacific. Scotts employs more than 8,000 workers worldwide.

Should Scotts open a facility in Wright City, Glosier said 25 to 50 jobs will be created.

Scotts would use the facility to process raw material through hoppers, bag it and store it on pallets. Glosier said the finished product would then be shipped to Home Depot, Lowe’s and Wal-Mart stores throughout the Midwest. The company has similar facilities in Chicago, Louisiana and Colorado, according to Glosier.

“Since the site is marginal (in acreage), they need to use every acre for their processing,” he said. “Everything will be behind the building. What will be seen from I-70 is somewhat limited.”

It was estimated that 75 trucks would visit the company daily.

“At the peak of the lumber company, that is about what we had,” Glosier said. “If there are more trucks than that, that is a pleasant problem. That means they are doing well and could be hiring more people.”

Glosier said Scotts indicated an interest in having a second entrance to the rear of the property. He said it’s possible that a gravel road that splits the property to the east could be upgraded or a request could be forwarded to MoDOT for a second entrance onto the South Service Road.

Following approval of the permit and resolution, Glosier thanked city officials for their support.

“This sends a strong message to a very, very worldwide company that your city intends to do business with them. I can guarantee you that they will be great neighbors. We, as a community, will be proud that they are here.”