A public hearing over tax abatement requests from Standard Industrial was held during the Winamac Town Council meeting Monday night.
No public comments were provided but President Bryce Brumm spoke during the hearing and provided a bit of background information about his company.
He stated they began in 2004 with distribution and started manufacturing in January of 2015. Over the last three years, the company has seen some significant growth, going from 8 people initially to 38 employees today.
Brumm said he expects even more development in the coming year and he wants to make sure the Town of Winamac will see the benefits since manufacturing is a highly competitive market in the area.
“This next phase of our growth honestly has the potential to double. We could be going from 38 to 80 people in 2019 and that’s why I’ve started to look at what’s available to help us as a community to keep these jobs. That’s what we’re trying to do is keep jobs local right now.”
Pulaski County Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer was present at the hearing and explained that back in 2014, the Michigan Street property was declared an Economic Revitalization area and was determined to be eligible for tax abatement for a period of 20 years.
The council had four different resolutions to consider that were related to the company’s requests.
One request was for a real property tax abatement that would help with a potential construction project that would include a building addition on the south side of the property.
Another request asked for a personal property tax abatement for pieces of machinery that they’re planning to purchase.
Additionally, Origer presented the members with a waiver of non-compliance that would grant the company permission to receive an abatement on three pieces of equipment that were installed and made operational within the last six months in anticipation for the expansion, as well as the subsequent request for tax abatement on those items.
Council President Tom Murray said the council members would take the information under advisement and noted that they’d like to give Town Attorney Justin Schramm a chance to look over the documents since he was not at the hearing.
Brumm thanked the council for their consideration and Origer noted that if the members wait to decide until after the first of the year, language within the documents will need to be amended to reflect the new dates.
Councilwoman Judy Heater noted that Schramm should be present for their final meeting on Friday, December 28th so there’s a chance they may reach a decision before the end of the year.
