Skip to main content

Two growing companies receive boost from county

Much of the agenda of the Huntington County Council meeting on Monday, July 28, was devoted to economic development, as council members approved a tax abatement for one company and heard plans about expansion at another one.

The council voted 6-0 to award a 10-year tax abatement to Gladieux Trading & Marketing Co. after the company filed a request involving plans to install two new storage tanks with a combined capacity of 4.2 million gallons. Councilman Jaime Miller was absent from the meeting.

Huntington County Economic Development Director Mark Wickersham says the improvements represent an investment of $1.4 million.

"While the project itself is not intended to create new jobs, it will retain 78 incumbent workers and add to the overall capacity, competitiveness and profitability of the company," he said.

Wickersham added the Huntington County Council Tax Abatement Advisory Committee voted to recommend approval of the tax abatement request.

In another item on the council's agenda, Wickersham was joined by Huntington County Commissioner Larry Buzzard and Roger Kilty of Huntington Aluminum to describe a project the company is considering that Wickersham dubbed "Project Melt 2.0." He said "Project 1.0" helped the company get its start.

"There was a fire at their warehouse this summer that destroyed their warehouse facility, so they're in temporary warehousing facilities," he explained. "But also they honestly need to increase capacity and production for the company."

The proposal requires more than $2 million in capital investment and $1.2 million in additional real estate costs. Wickersham said the expansion would create 41 new jobs and retain 43 existing positions.

Wickersham asked that the county match the city of Huntington's offer of $125,000. He said the county commissioners supported the expansion, but did not have enough unencumbered funds in their three-year County Economic Development Income Tax (CEDIT) plan and needed a supplemental appropriation from the county council.

"It's a great opportunity for us to continue to watch a company grow with a local owner who has started a startup that is actually turning away business because they need this extra opportunity," Wickersham said.

Buzzard said the commissioners' budget began the year at just more than $1.1 million. He said funding for other projects and commitments leaves about $73,000 in the account for economic development projects that are not obligated.

"We need some additional funds that have been unbudgeted in the previous three years and I daresay longer than that," he added. "We have a balance of $474,508.61 that's never been budgeted, never been appropriated. That's what we need to access, and that would include the $125,000 for Project Melt 2.0."

The council voted 6-0 to put $125,000 into the commissioners' CEDIT account for only the Project Melt project.

"It only makes sense that we would allow the $125,000 that they need now and if they need something later on we need to know what's going on with it," said Councilman John Hacker.