Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 3:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Here we go. *Sigh*

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 26, 2008 at 3:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, as Old Gomer Pyle would say, Surprise! Surprise!

Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 4 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Once again.....rentech has played adams county......

Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 4:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Can we get any kind of reason why?

Posted by woodduck (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 4:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, Here we go again! I had a bad feeling about this deal, just didn't hold up to scrutiny. I hope for the sake of all the folks who live and work in this area, it is just a temporary "hold" but I'm afraid something is afoot.
In an article on the internet last week, it looks like the US Air Force is trying to entice coal to Oil production facilities on some of the Air bases out West. I bet RenTech is looking to get a sweetheart deal from Uncle Sugar! Free land and probably some generous Govt grants and/or low interest loans for construction and start up.

Posted by mike8427 (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 4:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Everybody keeps saying Rentech is playing us, somebody please tell me what they have gained by NOT opening a business here. I am so tired of people complaining about there not being jobs here, then when a company looks at locating here, and starts getting the infrastructure setup for a land purchase the people on here blast them with comments of being a fraud. What are they gaining by looking at the Ntz? NOTHING. They will make no money unless they open a plant here!

Posted by NtzMom55 (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 4:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Why is optimism hard to come by around here?

Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 4:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Looks to me somebody will make money off of the land deal....nobody will say how much adams county will be buying the land for or what rentech will be paying adams county for the land.doesnt look like rentech has any intentions or the money to build a multi billion dollar plant here.

Posted by csguidry (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 5:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This is business and regardless of what anyone promises the other, companies build buildings all the time and never move in. They start to develop land and then stop. The company is not worried some do this strictly for a tax write off.

Nothing is official until they business is running and people have been hired and even then there are no guarantees of how long the business will last. My guess is they will play this little game back and forth till someone caves or they grow tired of it and move on to greener pastures.

It does not make any sense right now why they are delaying the closing and until more is revealed we can only guess. It does make people nervous and frustrated when there is rumor of a plant or business coming in and there is one delay after another. People need jobs bad and good paying ones at that and this simply frustrates people when this happens. I am sure some are trying to stay around to wait on this opportunity but it is hard when you are already struggling to make ends meet I am sure many will end up moving to other towns and states in search of work.

I would think the land sales as being a matter of public record not until it is all signed and closed but I know private land is a matter of public record so why would a business be any different?

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 5:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Am I shocked? That would be a NO

Posted by 2runnels (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 5:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Could it possibly be that Rentech wants to see how things are going to "wash" with the Mighty Mississippi on the rise. Just a thought....

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 5:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm betting all the things they had "insisted" on getting fell thru.

Posted by csguidry (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 5:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It could be any number of things as to why it has not closed yet but then again it is not written any where that it won't go through either. We will just have to wait for more details. Right now all we can do is guess!

Posted by John (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 5:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Does anyone know if Rentech has a tract record of doing what they are here, at least on the surface some kind of shell game? If you are prepared to give somebody the farm, they can take all the time they want in acquiring it.

Posted by ijohnson (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 6:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

A little optimism would be refreshing!

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 26, 2008 at 6:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, unless there are more details in the morning, the only optimistic thing than can be said: "The closing MIGHT happen in another 30 to 60 days."

Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 8:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

rentech doesnt have a pot to p in or a window to throw it out of....so how can they think they can build a multi billion dollar plant....or maybe they have a magic wand

Posted by xenon314 (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 9:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

For all you conspiracy theorists out there:

Business 101

Profit = income - expenses

Look up Rentech's income statement - it's a matter of public record since it is a publicly traded stock (RTK on American Stock Exchange).

Rentech lost about $106,000,000 in 2007 - that's $106 MILLION. They are a startup company that is going to have growing pains. Cash flow is a problem. For example: in the 2007 4th quarter alone, Rentech had about $47 million in revenue, but their cost of goods sold was about $37 million. This leaves but $10 million for all other operations. They spent about $16 million on research and development alone, which puts them in the red before they've paid for anything else!

Sorry to break this to you, but it ain't always about Natchez. If they come, they come - but if they don't, it is a strict business decision. I'm thinking they have a small cash flow problem that needs to be worked through.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 10:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Why would competent lawyers,politicians,businessmen in Adams county overlook such an issue? This whole county acts like the dark ages,as if suddenly things appear from outer space or they are so shocked at things that just pop up or they couldn,t foresee plant closures at some point in time so for my 40 or so working years, Natchez has turned away more industry and investors than anyone can imagine.
The ones that they didn,t turn down they gave such a hard time over some building design or wanted it to look like it came out of Gone With The Wind that the people just got sick off the whole mess and built in other towns. Do the math.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 10:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Any self respecting idiot on the brink of insanity or any business people over the years that have had to deal with all of this sleepy southern town hoopla probably think that this county puts itself on self destruct mode and just leaves it there. The reasons are mostly if they can,t get their sticky fingers in the pie, then they don,t give a squat about anything or anyone else. With the economy the way it is we don,t have a snowballs chance in Alpha Centuria. That,s the closest star, well actually excluding the sun that is.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 11:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well we might have a meteortie hit the land and it will be full of gold, so then it will be another 30 years before they close. Then global warming will cause the Mississippi to rise enough to flood all the IP land because it,s at low sea level or river level....whichever.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 11:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

And if they do close and stay in business for a while, they will siphon what they can and leave just like Titan.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 11:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh and Brookhaven got our Sam,s warehouse..ha

Posted by xenon314 (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 11:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

texasranger -

What industry has been turned down? What investors have been turned away? Which ones were forced to build Tara and instead built in other towns?

Give us some examples, o negative one. You're no better than Supertrucker with his paranoid rantings of conspiracy theories.

As for "outsider" companies doing business here - where do you buy gasoline? Exxon? BP? Shell? Doesn't matter - all profits leave town except for the local distributor's cut. Do you shop at WalMart? Same thing - straight to corporate HQ in Arkansas. Ever eat at McDonald's? Burger King? Ruby Tuesdays? Ryan's? Sonic? Wendy's? Popeye's? Church's? Drink a Coke or Pepsi? Are you getting the pattern here?

Welcome to capitalism, my friend. In case you haven't noticed, that's the American way. We live in a Darwinian environment where the fittest survive, and it ain't about you and it ain't about me.

If you don't like it, then either lead, follow, or get out of the way.

Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at midnight (Suggest removal)

I can tell you Rentec will come. I know. They have got the same problem any major business that has ever wanted to locate here has had. When the deal gets close, the hands that need to be paid off open. Kickback City Natchez is. Now, if the hands want to be too greedy, Natchez will shoot it's self in the foot, again. I will just sit back and watch what goes down. Same thing happened when we were the first to legalize gamming. Every casino wanted to locate here. Some people got greedy and the rest is history. That's why everybody else ended up with more casinos than us. Anybody want to place bets on Rentec opening here?

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 27, 2008 at 12:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)

OUCH!

Posted by Let_us_think (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 1:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It's hard to get loans now with a credit crunch going on, especially for this kind of project that only works when the price of oil is at a high level. I suspect the problem is lack of definite financing. About 12-18 months ago the Wall Street Journal printed a long article, mentioning Rentech and other similar companies working with this kind of fuel. These companies were trying to get Congress to guarantee a floor under the price of their product in the event oil prices collapsed. To my knowledge they've never got that guarantee. The lack of this guarantee may be hurting their ability to get the financing they need.

Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 5:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

why is the mineral rights so important in this deal? ip operated without mineral rights so why is it a big deal now...

Posted by thetinman (Keith Reynolds) on March 27, 2008 at 6:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Sounds like to me, they want there cake and to eat it too with balloons . clowns whistles, etc. If the land sale from the county does go through? I wonder, Being that Natchez Regional Hospital I do believe is owned by the county, will they bail the hospital out of there 5 million Bankruptcy fiasco?

Posted by Mucasplug (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 7 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Somebody must have elbowed Boo in the ribs and awaked him to make a comment. Rentek is an enigma wrapped in a riddle.

Posted by Username (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 7:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Zero emissions and no plume of black smoke that's as green as gets!
Go Rentech!
Maybe they will get a green award for there zero emissions snake oil plants scattered across the country.

Posted by Termite (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 8:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Most of the people that comment on the democrat's article should go to work or just shut up. Rentech is a business and will not buy any land or build a plant until all the red tape created by local politicians, owners of mineral rights and all the other criteria that is part of a project this size. If any business that creates jobs for a community like Natchez is interested in coming to Natchez, the citizens and politicians should try to support them. It's not like we have a abudance of industry here. Also quit complaining about the casinos. They bring jobs and money to Natchez. As I said get a job, if you can find one.

Posted by LdyBreez (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 8:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This sounds like a problem with the original mineral rights owners. IP does not own those. IP can only sell the land, the mineral rights belong to someone else. From this article it seems there are quite a few people who do own the mineral rights and they are spread out. Each person has to get a copy of the proposal and agree to it.... Does not sound to me like Rentech is stalling, sounds like what normally happens when an inheritance is involved with many inheritors...
is stalling, sounds like what normally happens when an inherritance is involved with many inherritors...

Posted by niderbip (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 8:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)

How did a mineral rights issue just "pop up" (especially in Adams County)?

I thought the City was paying someone for some kind of oversight with this transaction.

Posted by VillageIdiot (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

There must be something more here than reported in the Democrat. Mineral rights issues shouldn't hinder the transaction in any way.

As far as mineral rights are concerned, Mississippi cases have established a clear dominance of the mineral estate over the surface estate. The mineral owner or lessee may use as much of the surface as is reasonably necessary for the exploration, drilling and production of oil and gas. The mineral owner or lessee may enter, occupy and use as much of the surface as is reasonably necessary to explore, mine and market his minerals. Blue v. Hayes, 215 So.2d 426 ( Miss. 1968); Larco Drilling Corp. v. Lee, 207 So.2d 634 (Miss. 1968); Cities Service Oil Company v. Corley, 197 So.2d 244 (Miss. 1967); Central Oil Company v. Shows, 246 Miss. 300, 149 So.2d 306 (1963).

The right to enter upon land to ascertain the presence of minerals is necessarily implied from the ownership of minerals. McNeece v. Renner, 197 Miss. 203,210 So.2d 7 (1945). Consequently, the general rule is that the mineral owner is the proper party from whom geophysical permits should be obtained.

It is both public knowledge in general and appears from the record in particular that the right to explore for minerals has a considerable monetary value and it thus follows that it must generally be vested exclusively in either the mineral or the surface owner (or at most jointly in both) since if each had the independent right to explore or to permit exploration the right of neither would in fact be protected. Since mineral rights are in the first instance almost always purchased as speculations and are often resold as such a number of items, it would be a peculiar rule that would permit the owner of an entirely different estate, the surface to reduce or to sell the right to reduce to a certainty, and thereby change the whole basis of the valuation of information about property belonging to another that can only be obtained by investigations carried out at the site of the mineral estate. Phillips Petroleum Company v. Cowden, 241 F.2d 586, 590 (5th Cir. 1957).

Posted by SayItRight (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 8:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Property is sold all the time without the buyer purchasing the mineral rights. Who is it that wants the mineral rights in the end? Does Adams County feel a legal need to have everything lock, stock and barrel, to transfer to Rentech or is Rentech demanding them as part of deal? Or did the owners of the mineral rights want to sell them and found a way to infer that there may be future complications for everyone if they weren't bought out?

Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)

here we go again LATHAM TO THE RESCUE THANKS BOARD OF SUPERVISIORS PRESIDENT WATTS FOR FIRING HIM AND MAKING HIM RICH AND THE COUNTY POOR AND BROKE

Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 10:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Listen to me people. I TOLD YOU WHAT THE DEAL IS. GO back to work. I knew this story was going to be out a week and a half ago.

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 27, 2008 at 10:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This game will go on until Rentech decides that Natchez is not the place to build or they cannot secure the funding to build.

Think about it, there is one "big trump card" that can be played by Rentech and the Rentech deal is DEAD! They just walk away.

Someone commented about Business 101. Well, that was a good comment but it may take a PHD to figure out how Rentech could possibly build a plant in Natchez. The stars, moons and planets will have to align for the deal to happen.

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 27, 2008 at 10:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I should have included this sentence in my post: I sure hope I am WRONG!

Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I fear that the longer this drags out the lower Rentech's stock will slowly fall.

I hope this land deal is completed soon and I hope then Rentech's stock will turn around and start working up. As a matter of fact, Rentech stock is up a little today, that's good news (just checked their investment relations link on their website). Word must be getting around the investment community that their land deal is going through. Also those of you that don't know, Rentech does have facilities in Colorado, and does have an extraordinary patent for hydrocarbon conversion, check out their website. This is what we need to combat the high price of OPEC oil, ALTERNATIVE sources of hydrocarbon energy. Every reasonable thinking and intelligent person wants this company to take hold and be successful.

This sign off on mineral rights agreement is normal procedure, heirs must be reached and all necessary signatures must be accumulated, time consuming and a headache but necessary. It'll happen.

I'm sure this was considered previously but now the actual logistics must take place, normal red tape.

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 27, 2008 at 12:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I am not so worried about the price of Rentech stock as I am about their credibility. They seem to be good at talking a good game and very damn short on performance.

Again, I hope I am WRONG!

Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 12:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I told you people the deal!. Lets say, too many cheifs in this town and not enough indians

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 1:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Too many chief-wannabes.....I hope Rentech will come through without bankrupting Adams County in the process....

I would like to see my friends that still live there with decent jobs from Rentech for a while...

Posted by grrbrts (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 3 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Who owned the mineral rights to begin with? Were they not owned while IP was in production? Have the rights (cost) risen? Have the rights (minerals) been explored, already? If not tested recently, is there a possibility of contamination? Is Rentech expecting the need of what lies beneath? If so, purchase what is needed, and move on. Just like geology, it's going to take "pressure and time".

Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 3:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

i wonder if they still need a 4 million dollar railroad tressel

Posted by ITSME (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 4:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Haha what a suprise no wonder it was scheduled for April 1

Posted by LdyBreez (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 4:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I sure hope Rentech does not read our online paper. With all the negative comments about them that I see in here, I would call a halt to the deal. If this community thinks so little of them an their ethics, why would they want to move here? So many doubting Thomas' it might just be you who cause this deal to fall through.

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 27, 2008 at 4:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

LdyBreez, I am not concerned with Rentech reading these comments.

Apparently, you have never attended a meeting/session for a capital budget/expenditure proposal at the corporate level.

There is always those straining at the bit to get it going and there are those pulling back on the reins. Somewhere in between, the two sides have a meeting of the minds and the project goes forward or is canceled.

Posted by LdyBreez (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 5:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

No Gary I have not, but I also realize that there are other comminities that would welcome the oportunity to entice Rentech to their town. And the citizens would not bad mouth them.

I would rather open my business in a friendly community and leave the doubting Thomas' behind. Natchez is a funny community, Most of my clients are out side of Natchez and for the most part I am happy about it, except for the gas prices. If you are not in the clicks, then people here dont want to deal with you.

I have no experience with large corps. I am a small business owner and all I am saying is Natchez is not a new business friendly town.

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 27, 2008 at 6:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

LdyBreez, I have to disagree with you about business friendly as far as Rentech is concerned.

We have offered tax breaks, have agreed to the railroad modifications, have secured funds to support their operation, etc.

Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 7:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

There is a "Rotten Apple" somewhere in the bunch! It seems that the mineral rights question was settled at one point? There is something else involved, probably we will not find out, unless someone comes forward with the "truth"! Politicians of this sort makes strange bedfellows!

Posted by oldriverrat (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 7:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Has anyone stop to think that IP may be thorn in the side. Look at whay happened in 2003. That mill was making money with dissolving pulp. I heard not long ago that IP was planning to use the Bastrop Mill to make the pulp made in Natchez. IP maybe trying to get rich off of Natchez again.

Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 8:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Just remember International Paper left Natchez! Natchez did not leave it!

Posted by VillageIdiot (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 8:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To quote Stanislaw Lem, "Cannibals prefer those who have no spines".

Posted by VillageIdiot (anonymous) on March 27, 2008 at 8:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I believe it was John D. Rockefeller that said, "Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great".

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 27, 2008 at 8:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"IP may be thorn in the side"

I doubt that IP is the thorn in this transaction. I figure IP would like to get out of Natchez.

Louisiana Mill does not have the capability to make the product that Natchez produced. LA mill is a white papers mill.

Just my opinion,