Ken De La Bastide, The Herald Bulletin
October 11, 2023
ANDERSON — With heavy earth-moving equipment in the background, the official groundbreaking took place for a national seed company locating in Anderson.
Corteva Agriscience is locating on 30 acres in the 1900 block of East 67th Street, making a $30 million investment that officials say will create 41 jobs.
The developer of the project is Indianapolis-based Scannell Properties, which is constructing a 300,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center. Corteva has signed a 10-year lease on the facility which will distribute seeds to local farmers.
Corteva Agriscience has been in business for more than a century and is known to most people as Pioneer seeds.
Ryan White, regional production director, said the project has been moving very quickly and the hope is to have it completed by June.
“We picked Anderson as the location because of the proximity to our customers and our seed production locations in Tipton and Rushville,” White said.
He said the site is also in close proximity for their transportation partners to ship seeds to farmers in Indiana and Ohio.
“We’re excited to be a part of the community,” White said.
Anderson Mayor Thomas Broderick Jr. said Scannell Properties is an excellent developer.
Broderick said Corteva is a global leader and helps diversify the local economy.
“In the past three weeks we have announced new businesses coming to Anderson, investing $58 million and creating more than 200 jobs,” he said.
“This is a big day for Anderson,” Broderick said.
Rob Sparks with the Corporation for Economic Development, said the project took a lot of team work and was fast paced.
Justin Olashuk with Scannell Properties said the company loves to do projects in central Indiana.
“We were first approached in May,” he said. “They want us to complete the project by June. We have great partners in the city of Anderson that will help us complete the project on schedule.”
Olashuck previously told the Anderson City Council during the rezoning of the property that Corteva only was interested in locating in Anderson.
The Anderson City Council Thursday will consider a six-year tax abatement for Scannel Properties.
The city is offering a 65% tax abatement for six years.
The company is expected to pay $3.6 million in taxes over the next decade. The tax abatement will save Scannell an estimated $2.2 million over six years.
The facility would include 28 loading docks on the west side of the building with parking for 25 semi-trailers. It would generate as many as 125 semi-truck trips daily during busy months and about half that number during the down season.
Scannell Properties purchased 30 acres of the site from William and Cindy Mort.