jklinger

News
Monday, August 4, 2003 10:03 P.M.

One man creating jobs in his community
Greg Hilburn / Business Reporter
Posted on May 26, 2003
Paul Meeks can' t walk down the street without one of his fellow Tallulah residents asking him if he has plans to build another business.

" It happens every day," Meeks said.

Now, Meeks can say yes.

Meeks built his reputation as an entrepreneur as he grew API Outdoors, a company that manufactures deer stands, into a Tallulah business that employed 350 at its height.

After Meeks sold the company to Outland in 1999, those numbers steadily declined as the economy turned sour and much of the company' s manufacturing was sent overseas.

Today, API Outdoors' work force has dwindled to less than 25, and within two weeks the remaining workers will be laid off as Outland sells API to an undisclosed buyer who will retain the rights to the stands and discontinue operations in Tallulah.

But Meeks, who remained with Outland as the local spokesman, still owns the 100,000-square-foot manufacturing plant on Kimbrough Avenue, and he intends to crank up another company, this time with his son Ilar Paul Meeks as a partner.

" We want to put some people back to work," Meeks said. " When I started API (in 1978), unemployment in Madison Parish was more than 20 percent, so people were even more desperate for jobs than they are now. One of my goals then - and now - was to create good jobs."

Meeks said he will manufacture ATV ramps and other accessories at his new operation, which he and his son hope to begin within 10 months.

" We probably won' t ever be able to ramp up to the kind of employment numbers we had with API, but I think we can start with about 50 jobs and build on that," Meeks said.

Tana Trichel, president of the Macon Ridge Economic Development Region, said economic development in poor regions is often best done by people like Meeks who belong to the community.

" His is the most likely scenario for economic development," Trichel said. " He' s dedicated to the community, so he wants to create something in his community and see his neighbors have a chance to work."

Meeks is confident his new company will succeed.

" This isn' t what I' d call a risky venture," Meeks said. " If I wasn' t confident, I wouldn' t put my son in that position. We can start out as a success.

" We have a distribution network that' s been groomed for years and the manufacturing knowledge. I want to bring as much manufacturing here instead of finding cheaper ways overseas."

Meeks has the credentials to back up his confidence. He was recently named 2003 Businessman of the Year by the National Republican Congressional Committee.

" The people who worked at API had their hearts in it," Meeks said. " For many of them API was a chance they' d never had before. I want that chance to be there again."