Page 10 - Flathead Beacon // 12.4.13

10 | DECEMBER 4, 2013 NEWS
FLATHEADBEACON.COM

Judge Orders Stinger Cranes to Stay in Libby

Sayin’.
Just

Embattled welding

company moved one
“The message to
those who seek to crane out of Libby in
hide in the shadows
early October
while using
despicable tactics to
con Montana voters By JUSTIN FRANZ of the Beacon

is clear: you’re not A Lake County judge has told Stinger
welcome here.”
Welding Montana Inc. that it must stay

Gov. Steve Bullock away from the Kootenai Business Park in
responding to the decision Libby after the company removed a 25-ton
by District Judge Jefrey crane valued at $183,000. The removal of
Sherlock to penalize the crane in October is just the latest in a
American Tradition yearlong dispute between the embattled
Partnership $260,000 for welding company and Lincoln County.
“dark money” tactics in After the crane was moved, Lincoln
the 2008 election.
County iled a restraining order against

Stinger because it believes the port au-
“Retailers were
thority owns the equipment that was pur-
pretty successful
chased with government grants.
In October, a judge in Virginia City
in drawing the
said he could not determine who owned
consumers into the
the seven cranes formerly used by Sting- Stinger Welding completed a massive bridge beam factory in Libby in 2011. Since the company’s
stores on Thursday,
er and lifted the initial restraining order. bankruptcy and closure of the Libby facility the building and seven cranes inside it have been in dispute.
One crane was removed by Stinger in October. PHOTO COURTESY CARL CHENERY
but Thursday’s
But on Nov. 14, Lake County Judge James
sales came at the
Manley reinstated the order that prevents
expense of Black
the company from entering the Libby to keep the cranes in Lincoln County. Stinger completed the building in May
business park. According to attorney Al- “We intend to seek the return of the 2011. In hopes of repaying loans, Stinger
Friday’s numbers.”
lan Payne, who represents the Lincoln crane, but right now isn’t the time,” he
sought funding through the New Market
County Port Authority that oversees the said.
Tax Credits program. During that process,
ShopperTrak founder Bill business park, the order will remain in ef- Legal disputes are nothing new be-
according to the lawsuit, Stinger allegedly
Martin on the trend of fect until the judge says otherwise.
tween Stinger and Lincoln County. In misled the port authority by claiming it
opening more retail stores
on Thanksgiving.
“They would have to violate the re- 2009, the two signed a development agree- needed the title to the property it occu-
straining order to get the cranes and I ment to bring a bridge beam building facil- pied. On July 18, 2011, the port authority
don’t think they are going to do that,” he ity to Libby that would eventually employ conveyed the title to Stinger for $186,000.
“Guilt and shame
said.
more than 200 people. But problems arose A year later, in October 2012, the Lin-
are the biggest
In early October, Stinger employees almost immediately.
coln County Port Authority iled a lawsuit
things guys bring
drove two latbed trucks into the massive Part of the agreement stated that alleging that Stinger failed to comply with
and now unused bridge beam factory in Stinger would construct a large welding the 2009 development agreement and that
back with them.”
Libby. Over the next few days they slow- facility on the old Stimson Lumber Co. the building belonged to the county. Then
Taki Telonidis,
who worked on the ly dismantled a 25-ton crane and loaded site and, once complete, the port authority on Dec. 18, 2012, Stinger Welding CEO Carl
it onto the trucks. On Oct. 16, under the would purchase it at the cost of construc- Douglas died in a plane crash near Libby.
documentary “Healing the cover of darkness, the two trucks slipped tion and lease it back. However, Stinger The company went into bankruptcy soon
Warrior’s Heart,” which out of the business park and headed for failed to obtain the funding for the facil- after and it closed its Libby bridge build-
explores Native American Coolidge, Ariz., Stinger Welding’s head- ity’s construction and in July 2009, the ing facility earlier this year. The building
traditions that may be the quarters. Later that day, Lincoln County county provided a $3.4 million grant to and cranes are now at the center of a legal
key to helping veterans Sherrif Roby Bowe talked to Stinger em- the company to start the project. Payne dispute that some say has no immediate
with post-traumatic stress
disorder.
ployees who said they planned on mov- said at that point, the port authority still end in sight.
ing the other cranes to Arizona. On Nov. 1, planned on purchasing the facility from [email protected]
Payne iled a temporary restraining order
Stinger, minus the $3.4 million.

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