April 2002

Construction is underway for the new Wood County Bottling Facility! The plant site has been cleared and foundation work for the plant should begin by the end of this month. Additionally, the Piney Woods road construction is in progress. Although the scheduled completion date for the road is late June, the road should be open to heavy traffic to the plant area by the end of April. Temporary power lines have been installed and the pipeline ‘road’ has been cut.
The “Every Drop Counts” Scholarship Fund is now available to students in Texas for the 2002-2003 school year. Wood County students are eligible for two $2500 scholarships and two $10,000 scholarships. The two $10,000 statewide scholarships are available for graduating high school seniors pursuing a college degree in the Earth Sciences (geology, hydrogeology, environmental science, forestry, etc.). In Wood County there will also be a $2500 scholarship for Hawkins ISD graduating seniors and a $2500 scholarship for Harmony ISD graduating seniors.

Additionally, September 27th is our Project W.E.T. “Make A Splash” Festival Day and Ozarka would like to hold a festival in Wood County for fall 2002. The festival is designed for upper elementary students – 4th, 5th, & 6th graders – and consists of structured learning stations and exhibits where students actively engage in hands-on water activities and investigations. Station topics can include the hydrologic cycle, ground water, spring water, water quality, wetlands, water management, water conservation, soils, living history and much more. Ozarka has designated a Project W.E.T. (Water Education for Teachers) Fund for Wood County and this program is a Texas Education Agency-accredited curriculum.

We will begin accepting employment applications in late May/early June and we will begin hiring in the fall. Currently Ozarka is completing the policies and procedures for the employment process, and we will be advertising locally and notifying the media when we begin accepting applications and resumes.

In recent news, on April 12th, The Perrier Group of America, Inc. (of which Ozarka is owned) announced that its name will change to Nestlé Waters North America Inc. In the U.S. and Canada, the name, Nestlé Waters North America, better reflects the association with Nestlé and its global leadership in foods and beverages. Since 1992, The Perrier Group has been able to benefit from the 135-year heritage of Nestlé, its financial resources, technical expertise and the integrity of its corporate culture. The new name also signifies the shift of the bottled water industry from a focus on imported sparkling water to domestic, non-carbonated brands. Nestlé is rated among the world’s 50 most admired companies by Fortune magazine in 2002.

Please check back with us as we will also be posting our most current employment information on this site. As we have been in the past, we remain absolutely dedicated to maintaining open and earnest communications with the community and are always available for your questions and concerns.