Business & Industry

Annual Report for Madison County | March 27, 2012 Section 1 of 2

A look at news and people in business and industry over the past year.

Area auto dealers are seeing an increase in sales | See Page 11

Pictured: The Flagship Enterprise Center continues to grow off Interstate 69’s Exit 22. City wants to bring foreign Healthy growth along I-69 corridor companies, jobs to area | See Page 2 in the past year | See Page 4 Phoh tot by DonDonon KnK ighigghht 2 Annual Report for Madison County: Business & Industry | The Herald Bulletin City wants to bring foreign companies, jobs Big economic development announcement last year wasThe Farm, now city wants to pursue food processing and IT communication companies By Melanie D. Hayes Anderson already has with offi- The Herald Bulletin cials there, and because of the By the Numbers market activity in those coun- The number of building One of last year’s biggest eco- tries. permits approved in: nomic development announce- “China desperately wants 2011: 2,227 ments in Anderson was the news access to U.S. markets to manu- 2010: 2,160 that a 72-acre baseball and soft- facture here,” Winkler said. “We Total construction invest- established a relationship with ball training and competition ments in Anderson, based on China under Smith’s first admin- complex would be built along estimates included in permit Interstate 69. istration, and (former economic applications: The Farm drew praise — that it development director) Linda 2011: $75,930,149 would bring in visitors and money Dawson and (former deputy may- — and concerns that it could cost or) Greg Graham continued it.” 2010: $4,838,083 the city a lot of money and use As far as the European compa- Number of commercial prime real estate. nies, their interest in the United new starts in: The $7.5 million complex is States is they can produce and 2011: 9 expected to host more than 70 manufacture items here cheaper 2010: 6 tournaments a year and draw in than they can at home due to the Industrial new starts in: 1,500 people per weekend, said Euro to U.S. dollar exchange rate. 2011: 0 Brad Benbow, a partner in the Traveling to make direct con- 2010: 0 project. It is estimated that 10,000 Don Knight / The Herald Bulletin tacts with potential companies Residential new starts in: rooms will be filled by visitors per The site of the Farm sports complex development on the south will continue to be a part of the 2011: 23 year, he said. side of Anderson. economic development strategy 2010: 26 The groundbreaking was in late for the city, Winkler said. But the October — more than six months to pay $6 million toward the proj- term. He hopes to work together city also has plans to bring for- Source: City of Anderson Munici- past its original schedule. So far, ect, even though the city would with the Anderson City Council, eign business people to Ander- pal Development Department construction hasn’t gone very far. not be an owner, said Greg Win- the Corporation for Economic son. Last year Benbow said that a sig- kler, the interim economic devel- Development and other entities Construction of new buildings nificant portion of The Farm opment director. The city is not to bring jobs to the city. — industrial, commercial and “If the first two months have gone would be completed this spring comfortable having taxpayer The industries that Winkler is residential — has also been on this way I wonder what we can do and would be available for use for money cover so much of the proj- targeting are food processing, IT the move this year. About 19 per- the next 10 months this year.” a meaningful portion this year. ect, and then also be financially communications and data stor- cent more construction permits So far this year, the city During groundbreaking, Ben- responsible for it if it fails, he said. age, since Anderson has the ame- were issued in January and Feb- announced in January that Tele- bow said that a study showed that “It is still in negotiation,” Win- nities that those types of com