NATCHEZ — Delta-Energy is moving forward with its announced industrial project on the former International Paper property.

The company announced in early February plans to invest $45 million in a 91-job facility that will render shredded rubber for carbon solids and hydrocarbon liquids to be used in rubber compounds.

The facility will be located in a warehouse on the former IP property, which — along with 30 acres — will be purchased from the county for $3.75 million.

The company is currently leasing the property from Adams County, but Natchez Inc. Executive Director Chandler Russ said Delta-Energy should be finalizing its purchase in the next couple of months.

“We feel like we will be working towards the final closing document and within the next 60 days we should finalize or close on that facility,” Russ said. “We don’t foresee any issues there.”

While the company works to finalize its purchase of the property, Delta-Energy is making improvements to the site.

“They continue to make significant improvements in the building and facilities, and they are in the process of doing electrical upgrades to accommodate their machinery and equipment,” Russ said. “They are receiving shipments on their machinery and continue to get their project up and running.”

Russ said the company has also expressed interest in the scale house on the IP property to weigh its trucks.

The scale house was leased to Go West, a company that would have supplied operations in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale. The Go West project did not materialize because oil and gas market prices have fallen significantly in the last year.

Before allowing its lease to lapse, Go West made $160,000 in improvements to the scale house facility.

“The bottom fell out of the oil market, but the improvements are ours,” Russ said.

When Delta-Energy announced its plans, its Chief Executive Officer Paul Lee said the company looks to have production started by the third quarter of this year, and will do its hiring through the WIN Job Center.

“This is not a venture that is a pure startup,” Lee said at the time. “We already have committed customers and a good portion of this plant is sold out.”

The Adams County facility will be Delta-Energy’s second plant.

Applications for employment can be made at the WIN Job Center’s 107 Col. John Pitchford Parkway location.