NEWS

Vroom! Monster Moto adds horsepower to Ruston economy

Greg Hilburn
USA TODAY Network
La. Gov. Bobby Jindal and Monster Moto CEO Alexander Keechle show off the mini bikes the company will assemble in Ruston.

RUSTON — Monster Moto, a motorcycle company that manufactures mini bikes and go-karts for children and teenagers, will move its headquarters and production facility here and create almost 300 jobs.

"These products make you want to be a kid again," said Gov. Bobby Jindal, who also said his 8-year-old son Slade would want one of the mini bikes for Christmas.

The company, which sold 20,000 units last year, is currently headquartered in Dallas and produces the vehicles in China.

"In 'kidspeak,' we build fun," said Alexander Keechle, Monster Moto's chief executive officer. "We're beyond thrilled to be in Ruston."

A group of investors led by the Graham family of Lincoln Builders will construct the 100,000-square-foot facility at the former site of the city's municipal airport. The city will provide the land and guarantee the lease.

"It's a historic day in our city's life," newly elected Mayor Ronny Walker said. "I kept telling (Keechle) there's something special about Ruston."

"This is absolutely the best place for us to be," Keechle said. "It's a place where handshakes still matter."

Construction will begin in June and is scheduled to be operational by the end of the year.

"We're talking about bringing manufacturing jobs back from China," Jindal said. "This company started in Texas and looked at other states, but it chose northern Louisiana. It shows we're winning the battle with other states in our region and the country."

The project will include a minimum $4 million capital investment as part of a public-private development to build a 100,000-square-foot facility housing Monster Moto's operations at the former site of Ruston's municipal airport.

North Louisiana Economic Partnership President Scott Martinez, whose agency made the initial pitch, credited the mayor and the Graham family with closing the deal.

"This company had a chance to go to multiple states, but at the end of the day the leadership displayed here rose to the top," Martinez said.

Monster Moto will continue to have its components produced overseas for now but will engineer and assemble the products in Ruston.

Keechle said he envisions a partnership with Louisiana Tech University's College of Engineering to help develop new products or improve existing ones.

"What Louisiana Tech has here is unparalleled," Keechle said.

Tech President Les Guice said the collaboration will benefit the entire region.

"It's exciting to see the I-20 corridor light up with this project and many others," he said.

The average annual wage for the jobs will be $46,800, Jindal said, and the project will create 290 additional indirect jobs.

Wednesday's announcement, which was first reported at thenewsstar.com, was held at the Old Central Station Historic First Station at 200 E. Mississippi Ave.

Follow Greg Hilburn on Twitter @GregHilburn1