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Anderson council approves tax abatement for Fit US expansion, endorses incentives for Unified Group
Summary
At its Dec. 11 meeting the Anderson City Common Council passed two final confirmatory resolutions to designate economic revitalization areas for Fit US and Double M/Unified Group, approving a 6-year, 70% abatement on Fit US’s new 80,000-sq.-ft. warehouse and confirming support for a ~ $4.1M office expansion expected to add about 115 jobs.
The Anderson City Common Council on Dec. 11 approved two final confirmatory resolutions that clear the way for local expansions by Fit US and Double M Properties/Unified Group.
Fit US, located on Raybel Avenue in a former Guide parking lot, sought an abatement to support an 80,000-square-foot warehouse addition. City staff told the council the expansion represents roughly $8.2 million in new investment and about 31 additional jobs. The resolution approved a six-year tax abatement set at 70% that, according to staff, applies only to the new construction. Staff also noted the county assessor had not completed an assessment of the existing property, so the total dollar value of the abatement is to be determined. City staff reminded the council that the project previously received a $2,000,000 tax-increment financing bond related to the original facility; the new investment was described as being added to the existing ~$22–$23 million already on site, which will dilute the relative value of the abatement for the expansion.
Emilio Paduan, vice president of operations at Fit US, said the company makes garden hoses sold under private labels including Home Depot and reported local employment of more than 50 people. “We will deliver to Home Depot around 2,000,000 pieces of garden hoses,” Paduan said, and told the council Fit prefers to move warehousing into Anderson to reduce inefficiencies from staging product out of Chicago. A resident expressed concern about the diversity of hires at Fit’s grand opening; Paduan said he would take the question personally with human resources and that the company intends to hire locally.
On a related matter, the council approved Resolution 18-25 for Double M Properties / Unified Group, a planned office expansion on East 67th Street estimated at about $4.1 million that city staff said could enable roughly 115 additional jobs at an average salary near $44,990. Rich Moose Deep, president of Unified Group, described the work as local, in-office claims processing and said the company seeks local and diverse hiring as it grows.
Both resolutions were approved by recorded voice votes with each council member voting yes: Councilors Turner, Dixon, Freeman, Cole, Landers, Graham and President Stevenson.
Next steps: both resolutions are final confirmatory actions establishing the economic revitalization areas; details about total incentive dollar amounts and final assessments were described as to be determined by the county assessor and follow-up administrative work.
