County Seeks New Lease With Avery Outdoors

Allen Hughes of Avery Outdoors

By David Howell
Editor

COFFEEVILLE – A Memphis company that utilizes a county-owned building in Coffeeville could be on shaky ground after county officials have been unable to get company officials to sign off on a new lease.

    Avery Outdoors is one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of waterfowl hunting accessories. Avery has occupied a county-owned building  in Coffeeville for more than a decade, paying $100 per month rent after agreeing to employee 50 workers in Coffeeville.

     In recent years, the company has utilized less employees at the Coffeeville location, prom-pting county officials to renegotiate the contract with Avery Outdoors.

    Earlier this summer, supervisors and company co-owner agreed to execute a new lease, and supervisors proposed a $5,000 monthly fee based on an appraisal on the facility.

    The county has communicated with Avery Outdoors co-owner Allen Hughes.

    The matter was back on the agenda at last Wednesday’s meeting and Board Attorney John Crow reported that he was having difficulty communicating with Hughes.

    “I did all that work and did not even garner a phone call from him,” Crow said, explaining he had left numerous messages for Hughes.

    “That is a touchy situation down there, District One Supervisor Tommy Vaughn responded. “There are other parties interested in that building. We are not trying to run anybody off, but by the same token we can’t give it to them. That’s against the law.”

    Crow reported that the new contract was supposed to start August 1.

    “So that means August, September and October,” Crow explained, referring to the number of months the company has utilized the building without paying the monthly lease..

    “They are already three months delinquent?” Vaughn asked.

    “Yes,” Crow answered.

    “Do you need to send them another statement showing that?” Vaughn asked.

    “No, what I need to do is say either you pay up or you leave,” Crow said. You got to put them on notice to cure the problem. They said they wanted the lease. I prepared one and after that it was nothing,” Crow explained.

    During the meeting, McMinn attempted to contact Hughes, who answered the phone call, but said he was in a meeting and could not talk.