Henry County pursues TIF carve-out for Lot 4 as Australian packaging firm pursues site; planning, financing steps begin

Corey, a county staff member, told the Henry County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday that Ennio, a South Australia–based food-packaging manufacturer, is pursuing a site on Lot 4 in the county industrial park and that county officials have opened a plan amendment and TIF carve-out process to support possible local financing.

Corey said the company expects to construct an initial 25,000-square-foot facility, expandable if the business grows, and commit to hiring 50 new employees over five years. He said Ennio hopes to start site work in late November or early December so the company can move before a lease expires on an existing U.S. facility.

The discussion matters because the county is proposing to carve Lot 4 out of the existing industrial-park TIF allocation area so the redevelopment commission can consider making a forgivable loan or similar incentive. Corey said the proposal would follow the same approval steps Henry County used on recent projects: a plan amendment reviewed by the county planning commission, a redevelopment commission public hearing, and a final action by the county commissioners. Baker Tilly will advise on the financing structure, Corey said.

Corey described the proposed timeline: the plan amendment goes to the county planning commission on Sept. 18; the redevelopment commission has a public hearing scheduled for Oct. 10; and final action by the board of commissioners is set for Oct. 22. The county official said the economic development commission’s separate bond-approval process and public-notice requirements will also apply where relevant.

Corey said the county took a first-step plan amendment on Sept. 8 to allow carving Lot 4 into its own TIF allocation area and to permit the redevelopment commission to offer a forgivable loan or a reimbursement agreement tied to performance. He said the legal and approval steps would mirror recent local projects such as Ashbury Fields and the Boar’s Head expansion and that Baker Tilly will attend an October council meeting to explain bond/loan options.

Corey also noted the redevelopment commission has entered a letter of intent to sell the existing Shell Building on Brooks Drive to the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, which will operate there under the trade name United Utility Supply; that sale and separate overlay-district compliance reviews are running on a parallel track.

Corey cautioned that the project could still fail for a number of reasons, including financing, and said the county is moving quickly to meet the company’s timetable. "We have a really good opportunity here for 50 new jobs in our industrial park," he said.

If the plan amendment and any financing approvals proceed, the redevelopment commission would be able to structure local assistance with performance requirements; the county will publish required notices to adjoining property owners and follow the standard review procedures for overlay-district uses and plan amendments. The county staff member said the contractor the company has selected is Run and Balm, but he added that the procurement and financing details are still being worked out and the arrangement could change.

The county will notify residents and publish notices as required by the planning and redevelopment processes; commissioners and staff said they will present more detailed financing proposals to the council and redevelopment commission as they become available.