FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Laura Walls, Executive Director,
Carroll County Economic Development Corp.: 765/714-7012
Stephen Hogan, President,
GEP Fuel & Energy Indiana, LLC: 317/601-0509
GEP Fuel & Energy Indiana Chooses Carroll County
More Than $300 Mil. Project Announced; 245 new jobs
Camden, Ind. – November 29, 2016 – State and local officials joined officials from GEP Fuel & Energy Indiana to announce its decision to build two facilities in Carroll County.
GEP Fuel & Energy Indiana will refine recyclable and non-recyclable waste plastic into renewable fuels by developing a recycling center and constructing a plastics to renewable diesel facility.
GEP Fuel & Energy Indiana President Stephen Hogan announced the recycling center will add 155-165 new jobs by 2020 with an average salary of $43,680-$49,920.
The decision to locate the recycling center south of Camden near State Road 75 was three-pronged.
“Carroll County made sense because of its close proximity to consumer plastic. There was also a logistics advantage in locating the project on a railroad operated by U S RAIL Corporation. Thirdly, state and local officials offered strong support,” explained Hogan.
The diesel refinery will be located nearby. Chief Operating Officer Tony Prehm announced the plans and timetable for the facility.
“The diesel refinery will employ 91 by the end of 2018. The facility will cost between $250-$350 million,” said Prehm.
“The project is using groundbreaking technology and environmentally-friendly recycling and manufacturing methods,” added Prehm.
The combined capital investment for the project is $303-$410 Million and 246-256 new jobs.
Texas and Pennsylvania were also considered for this project.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) offered GEP Fuel & Energy Indiana up to $2,000,000 in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives.
“Here in Indiana, job creation is job one, and we are pleased GEP Fuel and Energy Indiana chose to locate here in a state that works,” said Jim Schellinger, president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. “As the Crossroads of America, Indiana offers companies a central location and an infrastructure that ranks best in the nation, supporting companies like GEP Fuel and Energy as they ship their products across the country. Indiana’s low-cost, low-tax, limited-regulation business climate is now recognized as one of the top states for business, and as we enter our state’s third century, I am confident we will build on this momentum by advancing talent attraction and workforce development, allowing job creators like GEP Fuel and Energy to thrive.”
As Hogan noted, logistics was a deciding factor in the site selection process. The site is adjacent to the rail line served by U S RAIL Corporation. Gabriel Hall, President of U S Rail, said that the GEP Project was a long time arriving, and will be an asset to Carroll County as a job generator.
“We are very proud that U S Rail was able to convince GEP to give serious consideration to the Indiana site, and settle on Camden rather than Texas. The economics of building in Camden made all the sense in the world,” said Hall.
The logistics of the Camden site was important for transporting waste plastic into the recycling center, as well as transporting the finished product out bound.
“Rail is the most economical form of transportation, especially when it is served by a local railroad that connects to both NS and CSX”, Hall said. “These connections give GEP Fuel & Energy Indiana access to every rail served location in the lower 48 states, Canada and everywhere in the South American continent. It provides an economic edge over competitors with very competitive transportation rates which will be very attractive to customers,” added Hall.
Carroll County officials came together to put the most competitive offer on the table and to respond to the company in a timely manner, according to Carroll County Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Laura Walls.
“We’ve been working on this project since April and it’s required a total team effort from the get-go to win this major project. The Carroll County Council, Area Plan Commission, Commissioners, Town of Camden, Town of Flora, Camden-Flora Rail Corridor Commission and the EDC came together to work with company officials to demonstrate our business-friendly environment and commitment to the project,” said Walls.
“Today is celebrating a milestone, but the hard work and team effort continues,” added Walls.
The site selector for the companies is JM Tax Advocates of Fishers, Ind. Its president Josh Malancuk explained what put Carroll County at the top of the list.
“Carroll County officials stepped up to win this project. They were incredibly responsive to our requests and made this experience enjoyable and rewarding,” said Malancuk. “In my nearly twenty years of experience, this has been one of my favorite projects because of the people involved.”
Carroll County offered the companies a tax abatement on real and personal property, pending approval at a public hearing in December. Council Member Ann Brown congratulated the companies for today’s announcement and thanked them for choosing Carroll County.
“I’ve been on the county council for 14 years and this is by far the largest project we’ve been a part of in that time. This project brings high-paying jobs and will make our robust local economy more diverse and stronger. Congratulations to GEP Fuel & Energy Indiana on your announcement and thank you for choosing Carroll County for your investment,” said Brown.
Construction is slated to begin on the facilities in early 2017 as weather permits. A public groundbreaking will be held in Spring 2017.
About GEP Fuel & Energy Indiana, LLC: Founded in 2014, the company is dedicated to converting waste plastic materials into commercially viable products, utilizing environmentally-friendly recycling and manufacturing methods. GEP Fuel & Energy Indiana is committed to maintaining a friendly, fair and creative work environment for its employees, which respects diversity, new ideas and hard work.
About Carroll County Economic Development Corp. A nonprofit corporation, the Carroll County Economic Development Corp. is a proactive leader in a unified pursuit to provide a dynamic and prosperous economy for citizens and employers of Carroll County. Its offices are in the new shovel-ready Hoosier Heartland Industrial Park, 421 N. Heartland Dr., Delphi, Ind.
