EVANSVILLE — Haier America left Evansville last month, laying off dozens of employees and leaving an unpaid bond behind.
Haier's local GE Appliances tech center closed Aug. 9 and research and development once done at its 900 W. Indiana St. office − a remodeled Coca-Cola bottling plant − were moved to its Appliance Park headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky.
Despite the company's exit from the city, a bond that helped pay for the Indiana Street building's renovations is still active − and has around $1.2 million left to be paid off.
According to Joe Atkinson, a spokesman for Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry, discussions with Haier are ongoing and the company has been "cooperative" about the city's inquiries into getting that bond paid off.
Julie Wood, a spokesperson for GE Haier, said the company didn't have a lot to share when reached this week.
"I can confirm that representatives of the city and Haier have been in contact," she said.
The outstanding bond payments were mentioned during Evansville budget hearings in August during the presentation from the Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development.
DMD Director Kolbi Jackson told the City Council the legal department was working through the agreement.
"They still owe the money for that bond. Unfortunately it is our obligation to pay if they don't pay that back," she said.
Currently for 2025, the budgeted payment to the principal of the bond is $55,000. There is also an interest payment of $52,063 and $1,130 in agent fees.
Haier announced its move to Evansville in September 2014 and opened its tech center about a year later on West Indiana Street. It was major economic news for the city at the time, with the ribbon cutting attendees including then-Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
The city had worked under then-Mayor Lloyd Winnecke's administration to help facilitate the company's settling in Evansville using economic incentives.
Some came from the state, as well as local organizations such as the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville and bonds through the city, according to Courier & Press archives.
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