By Brian
Sanders, The Republic Reporter
Jennings County officials are striving to be more
competitive with other states and Hoosier communities in attracting new industry
and jobs.
“It’s very competitive out there,” said fourth-term North
Vernon Mayor John G. Hall.
The county suffered major setbacks this decade
with the closure of North Vernon fixture Regal Rugs, then major employer
Muscatatuck State Development Center.
It rebounded with the
transformation of Muscatatuck into a National Guard urban training center for
homeland security missions, a development Hall termed “icing on the
cake.”
“This could be a very busy place in the next few years,” said
Hall.
The center opens opportunities for small businesses and vendors
specializing in military equipment repair.
“They can tear up a lot of
equipment,” said Hall, referring to the projected 6,000 troops who will come
through Jennings County each month.
Hall would like to see a TIF district
at the training center’s entrance — 145 acres owned by Purdue University.
“The future is
unlimited,” said Hall. “We hold the keys.”
Tax-incremental financing
districts have been successful in North Vernon, and Hall believes it takes such
investments to grow a community.
Taxes collected from industries should
go toward helping them grow, thus keeping them within the county, said
Hall.
North Vernon Industrial Park is within a TIF district, the same
area that would house — and finance — a proposed education center.
Hall
called tax abatements a “no-brainer,” especially if they lead to the creation of
a few hundred jobs.
“You have to invest or fall behind,” he
said.
While Hall has been a constant since 1992, Jennings County Economic Development
Commission, created in 1990, experienced a leadership change with Kathy
Ertel replacing Trevor Lane, who left after three years for a similar state
position.
JCED, created in 1990, has brought in $10 million in new
wages and around 309 new jobs over the past four years, according to Ertel.
In 1987, Sonoco Products Co., now Hilex Poly, was established in Jennings
County.
The plastic bag manufacturer currently has about 240
employees.
In 1993, Jennings County landed the Lowe’s Distribution
Center; it is the county’s largest employer with about 800 workers.
A
Lowe’s expansion, slated for next spring, is expected to add an additional 40
jobs.
Also among Jennings County’s development priorities:
A
trained work force, as indicated by the planned education center.
Developing land with utilities.
“We have lost industry in the past due to
a lack of water,” said Hall.
Low costs of doing business, including
land prices.
Keeping crime rates low.
Hall said southeast
Indiana is unique, as it feeds into three major markets — Indianapolis,
Cincinnati and Louisville all about an hour away.
Hall has focused his
overseas attention on Japan, which helped net CMD Manufacturing in
2004.
Officials also have worked to keep existing industries from moving
out of the area.
When Metaldyne,
which employs 312, eyed Mexico, an incentive package including state training
funds, helped retain the company.