Search brought national attention to Fithian site

June 30, 2006

Commercial-News, Danville, Ill. The Greensburg Daily News Fri Jun 30, 2006, 08:16 AM EDT

As the saying in business goes, it’s all about location, location, location.

And the deciding factor behind Honda choosing a site in Greensburg, Ind., instead of Fithian was location.

Fithian was one of four sites in the Midwest vying for a new $400 million auto assembly plant that will produce 200,000 cars a year and create 1,500 new jobs when it opens in 2008.

State Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, said Honda obviously thought roads, utilities, railroad and labor market were adequate.

“We put together a world-class site,” Black said. “It came down to some direct cost issues. They’re very cost conscious.”

Black, Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer and Vermilion Advantage President and CEO Vicki Haugen talked about the Honda plant that got away at a news briefing Wednesday morning at the Vermilion Advantage office.

Haugen said incentives and workman’s compensation did not deter the project from locating here, which were factors in Dollar General’s decision not to open a distribution center here last year.

“Everything that could be done was done,” she said.

“Geography got us into the search, our site kept us there for 10 weeks and geography was ultimately our demise,” Haugen said.

The proximity of Honda’s suppliers to the east side of Indiana dictated the automaker’s decision, she said.

Talks with Honda were still active as of Monday.

Haugen, who became teary eyed during the press conference, said she’s proud of the process that took place.

“It was truly a team effort,” she said. “Obviously, we wished for different results.”

Ten weeks ago, Illinois was invited to get involved in a project named “Project Hercules.” Haugen said. The project sought a site in a very defined area in east-central Illinois.

Vermilion County had the opportunity to respond within 48 hours, and Haugen said her staff did so in 24 hours.

Haugen said she didn’t know what the project was at first.

It was an understated request. They did not want to draw attention, she said.

The first request was for 1,300 acres, and Fithian Farms — 1,100 acres with one owner situated southwest of Fithian — fit the bill.

On May 2, the project widened its scope and needed 2,000 acres.

“Our local team was able to secure options on 2,000 acres in eight working days,” Haugen said.

“We could have been out of the game early by the lack of willingness to participate by land owners,” she said.

But the land owners cooperated.

“We had outstanding cooperation from folks,” she said.

Haugen also worked with nine land owners for a potential rail line to serve the site.

Other sites in Vermilion County, such as Southgate Industrial Park, were not submitted for the project because only 640 acres are available, she said.

If there is a silver lining to the whirlwind experience, Haugen said it would be the international and national attention the area received.

Eisenhauer said that attention makes the community stronger and will carry the area into the next project.

“We were there. We learned. We’ll continue to learn. We’ll continue to fight,” he said.

Black agreed. “It hurts not to win, but I’m very heartened we’re on a national map.”

Black said the area has seen some big businesses come here and he thinks in his lifetime “we’ll win a big one.”

Haugen said, “It was an invaluable process.”

Local officials again learned how prepared a community must be.

“We’re disappointed, but certainly not defeated,” she said.

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