A pair of entrepreneurs who plan to bring an industrial hemp industry to Rockdale have selected a site in the Rockdale Industrial Park.
And its CEO says the facility could be up and running as soon as September.
Jerry Walters II, chief executive officer of Oppidian, and company co-founder Timmie Lane have moved to Rockdale and are currently talking about their selected site with the Rockdale Municipal Development District (MDD) and the City of Rockdale.
‘PROMISE’—“We are not one of those companies who say they are coming to Rockdale and then it doesn’t happen,” Walters said. “We are going to come as we promised.”
In July, Walters said Obsidian was looking at two potential sites, the industrial park and a rural tract on FM 487 near Valhalla Farms.
They are now concentrating on the industrial park.
Walters said the 30,000-square-foot pre-fab building will include processing, manufacturing, maintenance and warehouse/distribution sections.
“It’s going to bring 35 to 50 jobs,” he said. “We will be getting with the Texas Workforce office here so people can apply for employment.”
Walters said skills needed to work for Oppidian will be taught.
HEMP EDUCATION—
Industrial hemp is a brand new industry for Texas, made possible by recent action of the Texas Legislature.
“We have a lot of education to do,” Walters said. “The biggest initial task will be to emphasize hemp is not marijuana and that it is legal.”
Walters noted that while both are derived from strains of the cannabis plant, industrial hemp does not provide a “high.”
While Oppidian’s stated goal is to develop pharmaceutical formulated products derived from hemp, Walters says hemp has “a multitude of other uses that includes clothing.”
“We will, with the assistance of Texas A&M, teach farmers how to grow this new crop with which they won’t be familiar,” he said.
Oppidian envisions land-lease agreements. “They won’t need crop insurance, We will provide that,” Walters said.
COMMUNITY—He said Oppidian plans to be part of the community and target a number of issues, including hunger.
“We want to work with the schools and also with Pack Pals, which provides meals for children,” he said.
Oppidian also plans to target community issues such as restoring the Aycock Center and parks.
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