Farm equipment manufacturer Bush Hog will
be moving to the Washington County
Industrial Park officials announced Monday
February 26th, bringing with it hundreds
of jobs and millions of dollars in
investments.
Washington County
Executive George Jaynes announced Monday
at the County Commission meeting that Bush
Hog decided to move the the park off U.S.
Highway 11E in Jonesborough after closing
two plants in Kansas.
Bush Hog said it
expects to employ 450 people in it's
future 300,000 square-foot facility, which
is to be built on 45 of the 138 acres in
the Industrial Park. The company
said it also plans to invest approximately
$25 million in the facility and to have an
annual payroll in excess of $12 million.
The company plans to
begin some work at the facility as early
as August.
"We could no have
gone out and hand-picked anyone better
that Bush Hog," Commissioner Pat
Wolfe said at the meeting.
"This is a benchmark company . . .
this is a winner."
Along with production,
Bush Hog plans to include research and
development, sales, distribution and
customer service at the the facility.
In order to lure Bush
Hog to the area, Jaynes said the county
had to give numerous incentives to beat
out other competing areas.
"When you've got
25 other . . . areas that could reach out
there and grab these people, you've got to
play it and play it tight,"
Jaynes said.
Jaynes said the county
offered the 45 acres of land to the
company at $8,300 per acre at a total
cost of $373,000. In lieu of yearly
property tax payments, the company will
receive the first three years at the site
tax-free. Beginning in the fourth
year, Bush Hog will pay 10 percent of the
normal property tax for the site, with an
additional 10 percent each year until 100
percent is being paid yearly after the 12
years.
"It will be a
savings of about $1 million to them,"
Jaynes said, adding Bush Hog will receive
about $1,750,000 in overall savings
through the deal.
Jaynes said the county
is also waiving the cost of permits for
the facility, including water, sewer, gas
and building. The county will
also provide the building, which must
be installed by August 1, Jaynes said, or
the county must pay a penalty.
The county must also
provide a rough grading of the property as
well as an industrial grade road for about
1,500 feet.
Though many of these
costs can be paid for through grants by
the state, Jaynes said it was important to
make the deal work.
"We're very
fortunate and we're proud of it because
with losing 500 jobs in Burlington and
other areas, that's all you hear around
the county: cutbacks,
cutbacks. But this is a strong
company. They are selling their
products and they're making money at
it."
Officials with Bush Hog
said Monday they chose Washington County
after looking into sites in several other
states.
"This new facility
is part of our plans to expand business
and provide our customers with additional
Bush Hog products and customer
service," Bush Hog President Bobby
Middlebrooks said. "After
several months of extensive research,
Washington County was selected as the
location to build the new plant for
several reasons. The
opportunity to expand our marketing base,
availability of a skilled work force and
assistance from local and state economic
development agencies were major
factors."
Bush Hog's product line includes rotary
cutters, front-end loaders, finishing
mower and wide variety of other
implements. The products are
distributed to 4,400 dealers throughout
North America.
source - Johnson City
Press, February 27, 2001, Press staff
writer James Watson
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