Fry Fastening seeks 75% tax abatement for eight years to fund 50,000‑square‑foot expansion in Forest Park

Fry Fastening is proposing a 50,000‑square‑foot addition to its existing Forest Park facility and is seeking a 75% property tax abatement for eight years to support the roughly $5.5 million expansion. County meeting participants were told the project would double the building’s footprint, expand warehouse capacity and preserve jobs.

City and company officials told the County Commission the project matters because it would be the first major investment in Forest Park’s Carillon Business Park in about a decade and would “elevate” local wages. Chris Lewis, assistant development director for the City of Forest Park, said city council approved a resolution supporting the incentive on Aug. 4 and that applicable school districts were notified and did not object.

Project details presented to the commission described a total new investment of about $5.5 million, with a breakdown of $3,200,000 for new construction, $200,000 for machinery and equipment, $100,000 for furniture and fixtures, and $2,000,000 for additional inventory. The company said it would retain 34 full‑time positions and create eight new full‑time positions; presenters also estimated roughly $525,000 in new annual payroll and an average salary of about $65,000. Company representatives and the city recommended a 75% tax abatement for eight years as the incentive to keep the project in Forest Park rather than Kentucky.

A contractor who joined the meeting by Zoom, Jeff Hagledge of Hagledge Construction, identified himself as the general contractor for Phil Burkhart, owner of Fry Fastening, and described the planned work as doubling office and warehouse space. "We built [the existing building] about 10 years ago for Phil, and it's gonna double his office," Hagledge said, adding that the owner "really is hoping to expand in Forest Park." The transcript records him speaking in support of the firm’s intention to expand.

Forest Park staff said there were no public comments at the city council meeting when the project was proposed. Commissioners asked about proximity to new residential construction along Caroline Boulevard; Lewis replied the expansion site is separated from those homes and surrounded mainly by commercial property within the business park.

Next steps discussed during the meeting included scheduling a county vote on the proposed incentive. Presenters asked staff to place the incentive on an upcoming agenda, ideally next Thursday. No formal county vote on the Fry Fastening tax abatement was recorded in the transcript.

Separately, the commission moved and approved a motion to enter executive session to discuss collective bargaining and property acquisition under the cited RC provisions; that motion passed on a roll call with affirmative responses from the named commissioners.

The proposal remains at the discussion and approval‑planning stage: city council in Forest Park has passed a support resolution, presenters requested a county incentive package and staff were directed to schedule the county vote. The transcript contains no final decision on the requested tax abatement.