director, and Joe LePage director
of marking and communcation for the
Boone County Economic Development
Corporation. (Photo by Dawn Pearson)
Our area positions itself to reap rewards of new developments
By Dawn Pearson
The expansion and location of businesses in Boone County are signs of more good things to come, according to Wayne Delong, AICP, Director of Planning and Economic Development for the Town of Zionsville.
“Be it to the employers themselves, their employees, the suppliers, the customers, or the community, Zionsville and Boone County are open for business, DeLong said. “Zionsville views new businesses as being beneficial to the community as a whole.”
Household names choosing Zionsville and Boone County for development include Buckingham Realty, Ltd., Duke Realty Corporation, Browning Investments, Kite Realty, Tom Wood Automotive Group, GNC, HC1.com, Mobi Wireless Management, Meijer, and Bub’s Burgers just to start the list.
Bryan Brackemyre, executive director of the Boone County Economic Development Corporation, is excited about nationally known companies choosing Boone County for expansion or relocation. There are a few key reasons.
“Getting national companies here is hard work, but once they come and visit they see the value of our workforce and excellent location, we have the edge to win,” Brackemyre said. “There is a lot of competition out there, and it’s about our local government being proactive and business friendly.”
According the Brackemyre so far in 2013 there have been more than 1,000 new jobs created in Boone County along with $100 million in new capital investment. And Zionsville is all part of this growth and development.
Joe LePage is the director of marketing and communications for Boone EDC and is amazed at the county’s new business.
“It’s refreshing to see this kind of new business development contacting us and choosing Boone County, and then moving forward with their commitments,” LePage said. “Our community and local government are so proactive and willing to have partnerships, we want growth and we are fighting for big jobs and national companies.”
Digging in to the future
“All the new development in Zionsville and throughout Boone County is exciting and interesting,” said Chris Bucher, Zionsville Village Residents’ Association president. “Zionsville has been primed for development for a while and there has been a lot of work done by a lot of people to set the table for this over the last few years. As always, it is important to make certain that these developments have positive impact in the quality of life that residents have in Zionsville, especially considering the importance that the village has to our community.”
Here are some of the new businesses already signed and committed to Boone County.
- Pittsburg-based GNC at Anson bringing 225 jobs by 2017; the Town of Whitestown and Boone County approved a seven-year personal property phase-in for GNC that will create 225 new jobs with a total capital investment of $25 million.
- HC1.com in Northwest Technology Park; the Boone County Redevelopment Commission approved a grant not to exceed $80,000 to purchase software and equipment, 62 new jobs created with an average wage of $45 per hour, for a total capital investment of $1.5 million.
- Mobi Wireless Management in Northwest Technology Park; will be creating 190 new jobs with an average wage of $25 per hour by 2017, the Boone County RDC approved a grant not to exceed $70,000 to purchase software and equipment, for a total capital investment of $2.5 million.
- Tom Wood Automotive Group has purchased 15 acres in the Anson development; plans are still pending.
- Meijer; will open in Anson between Central Boulevard and Whitestown Parkway (S.R. 334), in the Business District of the 1,700-acre development, slated to open next year, number of jobs created unknown.
- Bub’s Burgers; opening soon.
- Buckingham Reality project on old Citgo lot; it could break ground September 2015 by company officials; project still in very early stages.
- FedEx broke ground on a 300,000 square-foot distribution center at 106th Street and Bennett Parkway in Zionsville, and is expected to open in August 2014, with a five-year growth plan.
