[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=25937

The Issue:

The County Council approved using $6 million for improvements.

Our Opinion:

La Porte County needs the jobs very much. This is a great opportunity.
Logistics
Incentives may bring warehouse

Editorial

Government never should have gotten into the business of tax incentives and other giveaways to lure businesses, but it's a reality in today's world of economic development. Thus, there is precedent for the La Porte County Council to spend $6 million in the county's share of state Major Moves funds to make road and railroad track improvements at the Kingsbury Industrial Park in hopes of bringing a $50 million ICS Logistics warehouse here.

The development could bring 135 full-time jobs paying $35,000 to $43,000, plus nearly 500 transportation related jobs, as well as 500 construction jobs starting next year, if the Kingsbury site is selected, and that's a significant economic development for La Porte County, particularly as the nation emerges from a recession that is feared to be a recovery in which hiring will lag.

With roughly one in 10 La Porte County workers unemployed, the county desperately needs to find employers who want to locate or expand here. Any company, particularly in transportation and warehouse, expands where the markets and the transportation networks dictate, and La Porte County is ideally situated for expansion of the logistics industry. Sometimes, however, incentives make the difference in the employer's choice of this county or that.

Talk of a major intermodal facility in southern La Porte County was a hot topic a couple of years ago, but that didn't materialize. The idea drew opposition because options to purchase farmland were being bought, rather than consideration of the Kingsbury Industrial Park, which is underdeveloped.

Now, however, the ICG Logistics firm has a need for a refrigerated warehouse where produce from Central America could be brought by rail from the port at Jacksonville, Fla., then split into truckloads for distribution in this region, and it would be at Kingsbury Industrial Park. This is a great opportunity, and it's at the right place.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=25920

County Council backs proposed development

Craig Davison
For The News-Dispatch

LA PORTE - County officials on Monday threw their support behind a proposed development that could bring hundreds of jobs to the community, as well as tens of millions of dollars in investments.

The County Council pledged up to $6 million in improvements for a refrigerated warehouse factory in the Kingsbury Industrial Park. That money is combined with $3 million from the state and $3 million from CSX Transportation, county Economic Development Coordinator Matt Reardon said.

The initial phase of the project, in which La Porte is a finalist, will require $50 million in investments from ICS Logistics, a supply-chain solutions company that provides transportation, warehousing and maritime services to national and international customers. It serves clients in a variety of industries, including food manufacturing, retail grocery, forestry, steel and metal industries.

The new facility would create an expected 135 new full-time positions, as well as nearly 500 transportation-related jobs. Construction would require about another 500 jobs.

Reardon said the 135 new full-time positions would be paid between $35,000 and $43,000 annually.

Local economic development leaders said this project and the improvements to the area could spur growth from other leaders.

"That is a park that's been underutilized for years," said Tim Gropp, Greater La Porte Economic Development Corp executive director.

The proposed facility will be in the Kingsbury Industrial Park and require infrastructure improvements, including a connection to the CSX Transportation rail line and upgrades to Hupp Road. The $6 million from the county's Major Moves will help pay for those improvements up front.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring, but the company is still considering alternatives sites in Indiana and Illinois.

Councilman Scott Ford said logistics projects such as this are a good fit for the county.

"La Porte County's future is directly linked to logistics, distribution and transportation," Ford said. "These new jobs will give La Porte County a much-needed boost in this recession."

Developer Chris McGrath congratulated the council, local economic development workers and local state representatives for help bringing the project to this point.

"It's been a team effort," McGrath said.

Before taking the time to vote, Councilman Richard Mrozinski said he hoped the council was establishing a legacy for future citizens of the county.

"This is a big deal," he said. "I feel like we're making history."