Our History

Pemiscot Progressive Industries opened its doors by the late Martha Viar Stevenson of Caruthersville, MO in 1979 in a 20,000 sq foot abandoned warehouse. Today we have grown into one of the largest recycling Sheltered Workshops in the state of Missouri occupying over 100,000 sq feet of warehouse, office space and production area. PPI recycles several different materials such as cardboard, card stock, folders, plastics, seed bags, and provides secured document shredding. In the past, the Workshop has worked with local companies with assembling and packaging various types of products.

PPI also provides janitorial and yard maintenance for the Hayti Welcome Center and both the Southbound and Northbound Truck Parking Facilities in Steele MO. We were the first Shelter Workshop to contract with MoDOT to provide these services for them and as a result , all Rest Areas in Missouri are now maintained by Sheltered Workshops.

Today we employee on average of 40 employees at the Workshop and the Rest Area combined. Our workshop employees work Monday – Friday from  8 am – 2 pm and the rest area from 7 am – 9 pm, including supervisors hours, 7 days a week. We provide a snack and lunch daily, transportation to and from work, and to local doctor visits, all during working hours at no cost to the employees.                       ​

PPI Employees

Title VI Disclaimer

Title IV

It is the policy of Pemiscot Progressive Industries Shelter Workshop not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, or disability in its programs or employment practices as required by Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Parties who wish to file a complaint against the Pemiscot Progressive Industries Shelter Workshop  for violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or any other federal and/or state law may direct such complaints to the Director of the Shelter Workshop.