Boar’s Head Provisions Company came to New Castle in 2014.
Over the next seven years in the community, the company added two more facilities to County Road 400S.
Now, Boar’s Head has decided that it would like to expand again.
At the January Henry County Council meeting, New Castle Henry County Economic Development Corporation President Corey Murphy spoke on the possible expansion and introduced the idea to County Government.
Expansion details
Murphy said the company wanted to invest $126 million, including $61 million to build a Deli Processing Facility and $65 million for equipment for the building. The plant expansion would be around approximately a 136,000 sq. ft. addition to the original Boar’s Head plant.
The expansion would create jobs for New Castle and Henry County. It would add a total of 120 jobs by June of 2024, Murphy said. The wages for the new facility would be $19+ an hour. The wages do not include the benefit package.
Murphy told the county council Boar’s Head has invested at least $113 million into its Henry County campus since 2013 and employs approximately 540 people. He said the proposed project continues the strong relationship with the company and the community.
The EDC is recommending a Tax Increment Economic Development Commission Bond as an incentive to encourage the local expansion.
According to Murphy, the timeline would include a public work session between the Henry County Council and Commissioners around noon Tuesday, Feb. 8. The joint public work session will include the County Council, Commissioners, and County Redevelopment Commission (RDC), along with the EDC. Consultants firms Baker Tilly and Ice Miller will be in on the proposed incentive structure.
Council member Betsy Mills made the motion to allow Murphy and county attorney Joel Harvey to work together with others to plan the special joint public work session. The motion passed 7-0.
After the work session, the bond ordinance would be introduced at the Feb. 24 County Council meeting. After that, the bond ordinance would come up for adoption vote at the March, 24 2022 County Council meeting.
The project isn’t guaranteed as of right now. Plans and more discussions about the expansion will be coming soon.
Murphy said, “That is why they bought all of this land. When it was built ,we all wanted this day to come. For Boar’s Head to want to expand.”
– Story by Dakota Locker (DLocker@TheCourierTimes.com) of The Courier-Times. Read more local stories at TheCourierTimes.com.