North Manchester Town Council approves Midwest Poultry Services abatement
By David Fenker | The Paper of Wabash County
After several months' work, Midwest Poultry Services's headquarters relocation is finished moving through the North Manchester town government.
The egg producer first approached the county government in March, asking it to designate a recently purchased property as an economic revitalization area. MPS then requested that the town annex that property, located along the Eel River east of State Road 13, in June.
At its Sept. 5 meeting, the North Manchester Town Council unanimously approved a resolution designating the property as an economic revitalization area and granting a tax abatement to MPS, the last step in the process.
“We are happy to finally bring this process to a close,” MPS Director of Continuous Improvement Sam Krouse said. “It's been a long time getting here for our family and for the company.
The project will relocate MPS's headquarters from Mentone to North Manchester, in a brand-new facility on the southern bank of the Eel between Wabash Road and SR 13. The move brings 27 existing jobs to North Manchester, with potential for up to seven new jobs in the next three to five years.
“We're looking forward to building our new headquarters in North Manchester, and we thank the town council for their consideration of our abatement,” Krouse said. “We look forward to moving home here.”
The council also approved the town's 2019 budget, suspending the rules to approve it on first, second and third readings at the request of Clerk-Treasurer Carrie Mugford, as well as a Constitution week proclamation and agreements with Jones & Henry Engineers, Ltd., for engineering services regarding two upcoming projects: utility relocation and improvement for Precision Medical Technology's planned expansion, coming in 2019, and extension of sewer lines on Wabash Road for MPS's new headquarters facility.
“There's been a lot of busy growth in town with projects recently,” Town Manager Adam Penrod said.
