JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The chairman of a Missouri House committee investigating the collapse of a Moberly artificial sweetener project says state officials need to help find a new tenant for the factory.
Jefferson City Republican Jay Barnes says the committee he leads will take time to decide whether the state needs to change its procedures for vetting economic development projects as a result of the failure of Mamtek U.S. Inc.
But Barnes says the Department of Economic Development should immediately make it a top goal to help Moberly find a new business to take over the partially built factory.
Moberly issued $39 million of bonds to help build the facility but has said it will default, because Mamtek has been unable to make its payments.