Project timeline
The New Castle-Henry County Economic Development Corp. kept this record of how the project unfolded over the last seven months:

Aug. 8 - Site consultant Phil Kennedy arrives in New Castle and visits the New Castle-Henry County Economic Development Corp. office. He provides a list of project details to Jeana Davis, office manager.

Aug. 16 - An impromptu brainstorming session is held in the City Council Chambers. Community officials and volunteers talk about the best ways to impress the company.

Aug. 18 - The EDC began preparing a preliminary offer for TS Tech.

Aug. 23 - EDC presented a preliminary offer to TS Tech.

Aug. 24 - EDC began compiling data about competing counties as they were discovered.

Sept. 8 - Kennedy asked the EDC to provide more information on major local companies statistics, such as wage and benefit information.

Oct. 11 - Henry County learns it is one of five counties in the state competing for TS Tech. The others were Rush, Jackson, Madison and Jefferson.

Oct. 17 - Bryan Coats and Jeana Davis take a one-day trip to TS Tech Alabama. Kennedy spent the day with them, showing them around the plant.

Nov. 16 - Coats shared with his board members that the county was being looked at by a Honda supplier.

Dec. 12-14 - Kennedy spent three days in Henry County visiting with potential contractors.

Jan. 8 - Aecon Engineering proceeded with topography work on the site.

Jan. 10 - The selection process is narrowed to two sites: Henry County and one in Ohio.

Jan. 26 - TS Tech submits letter of intent for Henry County to be the top site in Indiana.

Feb. 6 - The state submits the combined state and local offer, which is subject to approval of the county council's tax abatement.

Feb. 19 - The EDC receives information from TS Tech about moving forward on requesting a tax abatement from Henry County.

Feb. 28 - TS Tech receives approval for a 10-year tax abatement and awaits approval from its headquarters in Japan.

Information provided by the New Castle-Henry County Economic Development Corp.

Paul Hines, Courier-Times Staff Writer

Bryan Coats thinks people view him like a pre-Super Bowl version of Peyton Manning.

"People were saying I couldn't win the big game," said Coats, president and CEO of New Castle-Henry County Economic Development Corp.

Those critics might be silenced as TS Tech, a Japan-based Honda supplier, is one step away from locating in Henry County. The company received a 10-year tax abatement Wednesday from the Henry County Council but still needs final approval from its headquarters in Japan. The company would manufacture vehicle seats and interior products for Honda's Greensburg plant. In Henry County, TS Tech could employ 300 people by March 2009.

"I just can't explain what that means to this community," Coats said Wednesday.

In August, Henry County got its first visit from a site selector representing TS Tech.

Coats said he started to feel good when the company visited several times after that, sometimes unannounced.

"That's why we always need to have our best foot forward," Coats said.

Even though the project is close to being official, Coats is still a little nervous inside.

"I want to see dirt turning," Coats said. "That's when I'll know it's official.

"I'm so excited on the inside but yet there is still a part of me that's holding on to that. It's almost like it's too good to be true."

In the past, the EDC has received criticism for missing opportunities like Sallie Mae, which set up its business in Muncie. Coats admitted that sometimes in the past, his office has held back on things like Tax Increment Financing for companies. But he didn't this time.

"We thought it was a perfect fit for our community," Coats said.

Ultimately, the criticism did hurt him a little though.

"That bothered me because people don't understand how competitive this business is," he said.

Coats said the company's interest in Henry County is a positive start to what he thinks will be a great year for the city and county.

"I think it's going to be a great '07," he said.
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