Last Thursday, city and county leaders welcomed Eovations, a division of Universal Forest Products.

During Monday’s Dallas County Commission meeting, that welcome grew even warmer as the board voted unanimously to offer tax abatements.

Selma-Dallas County Centre for Commerce executive director Wayne Vardaman made the request for the group, which owns 62 companies across the United States.

The group, Vardaman said, sent a “thank you” letter after last week’s announcement.

“This isn’t a small company,” he said. “That’s what makes this even more important. It’s very abnormal because I think this is the first one I have ever gotten.”

The abatements include $7.3 million on property tax and $4.3 million in sales and use tax.

The abatements, Probate Judge Kim Ballard said, will not impact money allotted for education. In fact, with added jobs, he said it could generate more money for education.