Bank CEO says selling his land for data center will bring 'huge benefit' to Franklin County

L.B. Eckelkamp Jr., a Franklin County businessman and bank CEO, is publicly defending his family's plan to sell hundreds of acres of their land near Interstate 44 at Gray Summit, Missouri, for a proposed data center development. The project has attracted significant "vocal public opposition," which Eckelkamp admits surprised him. Despite the community backlash and the considerable public attention the proposal has received, Eckelkamp stated he remains fully committed to the data center project. He believes the development will bring "huge benefit" to Franklin County.