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FOR RELEASE - AUGUST 20, 2002 Contacts: Brian Scebold, Executive Vice President NCSGGA - (919) 562-2155 Ron Day Marketing Chairman, NCSGGA (336) 292-5821 Bo Stone, President, NCSGGA (910) 422-0715 NCSGGA ANNOUNCES NEW STRAW PLANT TO BE BUILT IN ROBESON COUNTY Today the North Carolina Small Grain Growers Association announced that Magna Entertainment Corp. (MEC) has agreed to build a one of a kind straw processing facility in Lumberton, North Carolina. MEC has committed to make at least a $3 million capital investment in the facility within three years and to establish a yearly average of 30 full time jobs at the facility within five years. MEC, one of the largest operators of premier horse racetracks in the United States, acquires, develops and operates horse racetracks and related pari-mutuel wagering operations, including off-track betting facilities, and owns and operates a national account wagering system call XpressBetä. The plant will use a proprietary process to convert locally grown wheat straw into an all-natural horse-bedding product that will be used at MEC's horse racing properties across the United States. The plant will initially utilize 3,000 - 4,000 tons of wheat straw but when fully operational could consume 15,000 - 20,000 tons of wheat straw annually. "The MEC project is the culmination of a coordinated effort involving NCDA&CS, NCSGGA, MEC, NC Department of Commerce, Robeson Economic Development and many other agencies and companies." "We are very excited to have MEC locate the agricultural value-added processing plant in our state. The straw processing plant will create a new straw market for the wheat producers of North Carolina" said NCSGGA Executive Vice President, Brian Scebold. The plant will hopefully break ground in the fourth quarter of 2002 and plans to be operational by April 2003. Links available: Magna Entertainment Corp. NC Small Grain Growers Assn. NC Dept. Of Agriculture Robeson County Economic Development Virtual Marketing Systems, Inc. |