Scott Petroleum is making preparations to bring business to Highway 84 in Prentiss. The company is currently in negotiations with the Town of Prentiss to lease the blue KLH building on John Street Extension.

Senior Business Development Manager Gary Murphree was at the Jefferson Davis County Board of Supervisors meeting Monday morning and said he was expecting the one-year lease to be signed this week.

Scott Petroleum Corporation is a full-service petroleum company and offers a complete line of petroleum products including LPG, gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, oil and grease. It compliments its petroleum products by also offering attendant fittings, appliances and equipment. It was founded in 1935 by Solon Scott Sr.

The company will use the blue building for distribution but plans to build a gas station and convenience store in front of the building on the highway.

The distribution center will start out with 10-12 employees in the first two years, with an increase to 20 in year three after drivers and other positions are added. Murphree said the center will house 2,300 wholesale and bulk products.

“We are on the front end of this thing, but we are planning on coming,” said Murphree. “We would love to be here.”

Murphree says the company has already started looking at traffic counts and other data in the area. “When they make plans for these things, it means they are serious,” he said. Also in Phase 1 will be environmental plans, soil counts and a hydro study.

“The economic impact to your community in the first 1-3 years should be $9,875,000,” said Murphree.

“We should make some good money here and we will invest back into the schools and the community because if we come to the town, we want to be a part of the town.”

JDC Economic Development Director Gary Bass couldn’t be more thrilled with the possibility of an anchor business on the highway.

“It has been my goal since day one to get commerce out on Highway 84,” said Bass. “It will bring more businesses to the community, and this is the seed planted to make the county grow.”