Tribe moves ahead with truck stop development

The Confederated Tribes are moving forward with the development of a truck stop at the tribes’ Madras property.

The truck stop will create between 40 and 60 new jobs, and will generate significant new revenue for the tribes.

At a conservative estimate, the truck stop will generate an average of more than $2 million a year.

The new jobs will have tribal member preference, following the policy at Indian Head, said Harold Baugus, casino general manager.

Tribal Council on Tuesday approved the funding proposal for the project, as presented by the Gaming board, casino management and legal counsel.

The tribes own 10 acres of trust land at the Madras Industrial Park. The property has not been used in recent years.

The Gaming proposal calls for development of a truck stop with gas pumps, a restaurant, convenience store, some Class 2 gaming, among other amenities.

The truck stop and Indian Head will cross-market their services, strengthening the brand of both establishments. Truck stop gas points, earned at the casino, are an example.

The Gaming feasibility study shows the truck stop as an obvious business opportunity for the tribes.

About 1,000 people work at the Madras Industrial Park, and many more travel by on Highway 26. The stop would be a destination for long-haul truckers, and other drivers looking for the best gas prices.

The truck stop could be in operation by the summer of 2016. During the first full year of operation, the revenue projection is close to $2 million. The following year the net income is over $2 million.

The Council action on Tuesday also approved an improvement plan for Kah-Nee-Ta Resort and Spa.

The resort has not seen significant improvement in about 12 years, while the resort industry standard is about half that time.