The Rushville Truth

Another Big Loss for Rushville

Rushville’s business community took another big hit over the weekend when the Flatrock Grill Restaurant permanently closed its doors.  On a weekend known for resurrection, this was not the case in the Rushville restaurant work.  The Flatrock Grill, formerly known as Miller’s Family Restaurant, was an upscale dining choice that will be missed by the City. The Flatrock grill offered Rush County a more formal dining experience with a menu focus on a fine dining slant. 

The note of the closing offered by the owners is as follows:

"Thank You
 
Brian and I are sad to announce that the Flatrock Grill has closed effective Sunday April 12, 2009.  This was not a long term plan, but a painful decision made in the light of the severe economic slowdown, both locally and in the U.S. We wanted to express our great sorrow at the loss of the Grill, and our opportunity to serve your family.
 
The Grill began some three plus years ago as a family dream.  It also sought to improve the infrastructure of Rush County, and our ability to develop a stronger economic stance to attract service and industrial businesses to the area.  While this chapter in the Grill has come to a close, we believe that there is a real success story here in the training we've offered local residents, the money we've raised for truly worthwhile entities like the Boys and Girls Club.  We've been honored to serve you, to celebrate your birthdays, weddings, your lives.
 
We love you so, and wish you all of the best.  I apologize for any time that we've let you down or not fulfilled your expectations.  Please know that our intentions were always to care deeply about you, and to do a great job.
 
We hope to sell the building to develop retail or office space, to another restaurant entity or to a development company.  Any interested persons should contact Thomas Cortese of the Acorn Group.  Mr. Cortese can be reached at 317-231-1000.
 
Again, thank you for the opportunity to be part of your lives.  Be blessed in your future, and know that we care deeply for you!
 
Alli Rodgers and the Crew"
 

Although the restaurant will be missed, it may be consummate community players, owners, Allie and Brian Rodgers. They both have donated time and energy to the pursuit of a health growing community. They gave in many ways that the community will probably never fully realize until the void is attempted to be filled. I wish them well and hope they stay a part of the community

The grilling questions:

1. Could have being a host of the famous town hall meeting by the present administration have saved the business effort?

2. With the confirmation of this closing and the rumored closing of another eating establishment adjacent to the campus, what options does that leave for Rushville and Rush County residents?

3. Can you say “coke and taco”?

4. Should we have altered the chamber line of “Shop local” to read “shop local and eat local”?

5. Who is in charge during Rush County’s epic economic exodus?

6. If we turn the light on, can you see them scurry, until there is credit to accept?

  

 

Are times changing?

Finally! Some good news for the Rushville community! An existing concrete products manufacturer is expanding its Rushville operations. McCreary Concrete Products Inc., a manufacturer of concrete materials for a variety of residential and commercial applications, announced today that it will expand its operations here creating up to 14 jobs by 2012.

The above is a reasonable facsimile of the opening lines of the press release handed out to the media outlets on April 3, 2009. There are a few details to the story that the press release does not shed light on, but I will do my best.

McCreary has been an under-appreciated contributor for a number of years. If you have ever had any doubts, you should ask the locals about the hardworking blue collar McCreary family. Their business was one that most in our community never really knew existed. They just knew the McCreary family made something that dealt with concrete. McCreary Block, LLC was eventually bought out by a larger concrete supplier. The new parent company was founded in 1945; the company recently purchased with the assets of McCreary Block, LLC and Carmel-based concrete component manufacturer Carmel Concrete Products, Inc. Due to the companies favorable reputation, the McCreary name has remained a part of the new ventures name.

In early 2007, then Mayor Bob Bridge’s was informed that parent company was considering relocating the company to their Indianapolis region headquarters. Mayor Bridges and the city were in negotiations for the purchase of what is now referred to as the North Industrial Park. Without an economic development director, Mayor Bridges aggressively spearheaded negotiations to retain the local company. These negotiations grew fruit at the end of the Bridges term with the new owner of McCreary Concrete agreeing to an option to the property that sits directly west of Carter lumber on property that was made available due to the prior administrations insightful notion that buying the industrial park could cultivate future opportunities for the community. The option for purchase of the property apparent has progressed to a point where announcements can be made public. What we see as happening is nothing that should be stripped from the current administration, but the credit to those past contributors should not be made light of either. 

There is the history, and now back to the story. McCreary Concrete manufactures concrete tanks, commercial manholes and storm structures among other concrete products for residential use, municipal services and commercial customers, will invest more than $2.3 million to construct a 20,000 square-foot concrete batch plant, precast concrete products production and office facility in the city's North Industrial Park.

The Rushville-based McCreary Concrete Products facility, which employs 12 associates at its current Fort Wayne Road facility, plans to begin hiring additional production workers and drivers prior to the completion of construction on the new facility.
 
"The decision to relocate the Rushville manufacturing operation will allow our employee team to expand and diversify our current product lines," said Christopher Elbrecht, president of McCreary Concrete Products. "Greatly expanded production potential in Rushville will allow us to grow our area of service into neighboring states while maintaining our current customer base. We look forward to maintaining our manufacturing presence in Rushville as we position ourselves for anticipated future growth in the onsite wastewater industry."

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered McCreary Concrete up to $60,000 in performance-based tax credits and $15,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. Additional infrastructure assistance will be provided from the state's Industrial Development Grant Fund. The City of Rushville will consider additional property tax abatement at the request of the Rush County Economic and Community Development Corporation.

"The expansion of McCreary Products, Inc. is a big plus for Rushville. Not only are we retaining an established business, we are gaining 14 new jobs," said Rushville Mayor Mervyn Bostic. "Hopefully, McCreary's decision to build its new plant in our North Industrial Park will entice others to locate there."
 
For more information, visit www.mccrearyconcrete.com.

Here are the questions we should ask:

1. So which administration will get credit for this one?

2. Who gets credit for the kill -- the lion or the buzzards?

3. Do you have anything to market without selling the citizens on a calculated risk?

4. In the local paper, who will give the quotes taking credit for the whole shootin’ match?

5. Do we ever wish we could just turn back the clocks?

6. When the local paper went to three days a week, were they just mimicking an already established internet presence?

7. When did the property sale close?

8. Is this what they mean when they talk about “making your name off of other peoples sweat?”

9. Will anyone stop Bob on the street and say, “Thanks!”?
 

I have a plan! I have a plan!

I read the story on the recent strategic planning meeting held by our local ECDC. The first thing I noticed was it was written “For the Republican.”

This is just one of the interesting things I took away from the controlled article.
The last strategic meeting was held two years ago? Seems to me given the economic climate in the city and county this would have been a little higher on the agenda of items to get accomplished. Isn’t putting yourself in charge of you own strategic planning session (given that the current plan based on results has been less than average) kind of like putting allowing the AIG executives to formulate a strategy to turn their company around? Nice, fresh perspective.

The development of a GIS system seemed to be a focus, but the city has suspended their program and the county transferred its data entry person.

We all might want to make note that the ECDC also talk vaguely of trying to get multiple properties under control by one entity to “to meet the time frames of today’s companies trying to get a consensus from multiple land owners.” Now what that means, I am not exactly sure. It could mean buying options, it could mean the ECDC is going to start buying property, or it could mean that an “investment” group could start buying land that would be marketed by the taxpayers via the ECDC. Tidy little arrangement if you can get the community to sign-off on it. Seems a little insider-ish, but maybe they will put an ad in the paper to see if the general public wants to invest. This maybe totally off-base, but what else do we have to go by? I could ask the paper these questions, but they didn’t write it. 

Another thing I found interesting was the sentence about accepting comments on ways to better serve existing businesses as well as in bringing new ones. This strikes me as a plea for community participation and buy-in. So, that comment brings me to another point I found a little confusing. In a recent Chamber Beat ad (article?) in the paper, it mentioned that the Chamber would be part of a new program related to business retention. So if I am an existing business, do I talk to the Chamber or to the ECDC?  Maybe this is where the confusion came in for Fujitsu Ten, Intat, etc. … (Oh! And this is in addition to the confounding and reassuring tour of local industry that the Mayor, city Council President and Clerk Treasure took of local industry). If it is confusing to me, well imagine how an outsider would feel!
 
The whole article strikes me as, well maybe, capricious. I hope the planning session gave the committee the direction they were looking for. I think this direction is of great gravity to a shrinking and struggling community. I am not the most versed on the topic, but I am concerned when I compare our local development to that of Greensburg, Shelbyville, Connersville and Greenfield. And before you say it, I understand the economy is not the best. But the aforementioned cities are building new projects ranging from Wal-Marts (after ours was canceled), foreign-backed manufacturing facilities, large retail chains, and a police car manufacturer. They seem to be growing their tax base.
 
Can local business leadership separate new businesses from the misconception of competition? Would an existing business stifle competition to grab any additional market share?

So, fellow concerned citizens, how do we fix the problem? How do we bring out a long range vision for this community? Better yet, (besides a story of generalities) when are we going to hear the full degree of plan? Ok, so we have a plan, can we have an article about how we are going to implement it?

As you can see this, like so many, a “For the Republican” article has led to more questions then answers:

1. Are the decisions being made by the ECDC in the best interest of the community?
2. Does anyone else find it interesting/insulting that the writer of this article wanted a cookie for devoting personal time to a community cause?
3. How are ECDC members determined?
4. By the way, didn’t the show and tell tour by the Mayor, City Council President and Clerk Treasurer assure the community that all was well?
5. Do we put community before self-interest?
6. Hey…is the regional theme because of the director?
7. Does Rushville have a lack of vision and a lack of sincere leadership?
8. If “regional” is not just a buzz word, then why do board members stifle their competition based in surrounding communities when they consider relocating here?

The Breaking News on F-10

I am sure this press release will be much more direct and less verbose than what you will see in the other news source. 

 A representative from Detroit came to Rushville to announce F-10 will be closing effective the end of September 2009.
 
This news is much rumored and comes with much regret.  F-10 in its day was a great corporate citizen who was respected and admired for their business practices, administration and employees.
 
This is a truly a sad day for the community.

Please insert a few futile quotes from the Mayor, the ECDC Director and the President of the ECDC.

With that filler, you should now, in essence, have the local paper’s story!

So here are the questions that will arise:

1. Whose leadership will bear the burden of this loss?

2. So are we excited yet about the empty building?

3. Hey -- can Copeland use the newly vacant building?  If they can, I hope I get the credit.

4. If we paint it and put a sculpture outside, can we call it a Pediatrics Center?

Officially gone!

On Friday, Morristown Material Handling Park, LLC hosted an open house to unveil the three material-handling companies which it houses, which includes (this is the part that you might care about) CraneWerks! Along with Service Crane Co., Harriman Material Handling Co. and AccountingWerks, the four companies employ about 31 workers.

This is the official adieu-bidding ceremony for Rush County, the former home of CraneWerks. Remember that? Rush County helped them out with tax abatements and did a nice ribbon cutting ceremony for their new facility and they seemingly packed up and left overnight?

Well, Shelby County was lucky enough to receive them. Last December, the company moved their operations into a building that formerly housed Nabisco and the Detroit Steel Company.

CraneWerks has been in business for 11 years and was formerly located in Arlington. The company specializes in fabricating, servicing, repairing and installing overhead cranes. The company experienced 35 percent growth in 2006 and 37 percent growth in 2007.

Questions, questions, questions:

1. Will any of the people that said this site did not post true and relevant information please step forward?

2. Is this not what the site said was happening months and months ago?

3. Will there be more breaking news in the works?

4. What will happen when the lights go on?

Go Spartans!

As I was driving to work the other day, I heard some intriguing news on “Kicks 96 Radio.” They reported that a company named Carbon Motors is considering Connersville for a $2 to $3 billion (yes kids, that is with a “B”) plant to locate in the former Visteon facility. They said the direct and indirect employment could be up to 10,000 people. The catch is that there are 4 other states including Michigan, Georgia, and North and South Carolina vying for the plant.

Well, this fascinated me. Who (or what) is Carbon Motors, and what do they do that could produce this kind of economic impact?  So I went to their website at www.carbonmotors.com and was blown away. They are planning to build a purpose built police car of the future. It looks like a cop car out of some futuristic movie. You almost expect to see Arnold Swarzeneger or Sylvester Stallone step out of it! This car is supposed to revolutionize police work. If what they say about it is true, then it very well could. It has a diesel engine that uses 40% less fuel than typical police cars, but its performance stats rival a Dodge Charger Hemi. It has all kinds of bells and whistles that would make Barney Fife drop his one bullet. All of that, and they claim the cost will be in the same range of current police cruisers.

So what does this mean to us? Well, if Connersville is fortunate enough to get this, we are talking about a financial impact on scale or bigger than Honda, which would be tremendous to have. But unlike Honda, this company does not have ready-made suppliers nearby. So the potential for tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers in the area is much greater. This would be another major economic gem for our region and could have a major effect on Rush County. The website says that they will make a decision this summer, but word on the street is that it could be as soon as 60-90 days. Already representatives from Connersville and the state are at the company’s headquarters in Atlanta attempting to woo them. So here’s hoping that Indiana can pull off another big coup and draw them here and that this time, Rush County can get a bite of the economic pie being possibly awarded to our neighbor to the east.

This is one time when you will hear a Lion fan say, “Go Spartans!”

Here are the perplexing questions:

1. Do you think Rushville and Rush County would buy a car made in Fayette County?

2. Oh, what could you do with a suicide doors?

3. Could this be the best thing for Rush County to ever come out of Fayette County?

4. Oh my, Missy (mercy), I hope we don’t miss out on this one!