Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves with OSB Services LLC CEO Andy Osborne at Friday’s groundbreaking event in Olive Branch. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
OSB Services LLC CEO Andy Osborne said Friday, Sept. 15 was a special day for him and the company because he was bringing the commercial and industrial building modernization company home to DeSoto County.
Osborne, a DeSoto County native and resident, said the company was started in 1999 in Memphis, because Memphis was a better fit to locate it, “but I’m bringing it home where it belongs,” Osborne said about the $9.2 million corporate investment that sets the company’s headquarters at 7333 Maygan Drive in Olive Branch.
Groundbreaking for the construction project was held at the site Friday morning with Gov. Tate Reeves among the dignitaries on hand for the event. It was one of several stops the governor made in the area on Thursday night and again on Friday.
The project will create 116 jobs, a growth from the current 85 positions now at the current Cherry Road location in Memphis. Osborne said there could be as many as 150 employees within five years. He added up to 65 percent of the employees live in north Mississippi, which Osborne noted was another reason why the move of the headquarters back across the state line was made.
As an office, the Memphis location will close, but Osborne said he expects there will still be a company presence there.
Construction on the new headquarters will take about 18 months to completion. The building will be 34,000 square feet in size and there will be room for expansion.
“Projects like this that are creating over 100 jobs and really good-paying jobs for the people of north Mississippi are really the lifeblood of what’s happening in our state,” said Reeves. “Given the law enforcement community in DeSoto County and the business climate here, we’ve seen huge growth in, not only businesses, but also population here in the past 20 years.”
During the ceremony program ahead of the groundbreaking, Supervisor President Ray Denison represented the Board of Supervisors.
“We are going to do all we can from a county perspective to nurture your company for growth and offer you the best of DeSoto County,” Denison.
Mayor Ken Adams spoke on behalf of the City of Olive Branch.
“OSB Services’ decision to settle in Olive Branch is a testament to the city’s growing reputation as a hub for thriving businesses in our supportive community,” Adams said. “As we welcome OSB Services to Olive Branch, we’re excited about the opportunities and possibilities their presence will bring to our city. We believe that OSB Services will not only thrive in our city, but also contribute to the economic progress and overall well-being of Olive Branch.”
When OSB Services started in the 90s, DeSoto County just wasn’t big enough to sustain its business.
But that’s no longer the case, and that’s why the company is moving from Memphis to Mississippi, investing $9.2 million, and creating 116 jobs here at home.
Olive Branch Mayor Ken AdamsSupervisor Ray Denison
The groundbreaking was not the only stop for the governor in DeSoto County. Reeves also visited the site of the new Army National Guard Armory/Readiness Center being constructed on Star Landing Road in Nesbit.
“The Armory project is one that I started working on as far back as when I was lieutenant governor and provided the funding in 2019,” Reeves said. “I came up here and visited and our soldiers were at the time in an old Walmart, which in my view was not commensurate with the quality of a workspace environment that our men and women in uniform deserve.”
During the visit, Reeves thanked state lawmakers for approving $500,000 needed to build a staging area on the site strong enough to handle the weight of tanks to be housed on the grounds.
When finished, the Armory, located next to the County Agri-Education Center, will become the new home for three local armories, consolidating operations and accommodating about 350 National Guardsmen.
Gov. Tate Reeves with local legislators and Army National Guard officials
