Concept Packaging Group had once called Cynthiana home to its central Kentucky design, production, and assembly operations. In 2006 Concept moved out of its three Cynthiana facilities and into a larger structure in Georgetown, KY.
In discussions with employees at the Cynthiana locations, Derrick Cantrell, plant manager, had stated that the move to Georgetown became a necessity–that the operations had grown to a level which demanded more of the three smaller locations. Cantrell had also stated that meetings with Cynthiana and Harrison County officials concerning a possible plan for building a new structure in the industrial park on US 62 had gone well; however, in spite of the governments’ attempts to retain the manufacturer and secure deals on property, the operations would not be able to feasibly continue and remain profitable within the time-table for new construction.
As anyone may know, when moving one might never know what will be found. (The same is true when cleaning the fridge–though the finds might not be as pleasant!)
During the moving process, I discovered a document which I found to be rather interesting, and quite amusing. This document was printed on an 8.5 x 11 glossy sheet of paper, and was presented in the form of an ad slick or insert for a mailer. The text of the document was written by Becky Barnes, journalist and editor for The Cynthiana Democrat. To my knowledge, the article was never published in the newspaper (I cannot remember it being published, nor have I researched whether it was). The document doesn’t bare a date of publication, thought it does reference the fall of 2000 in a future tense, as the expected time-frame for construction of a new facility.
The text of the article follows:
Before the first block has been laid and the first shovelful of dirt has been moved, a Cynthiana manufacturing operation has announced that it will be moving to the new industrial park.
Concept Packaging, which has two facilities in Cynthiana, announced this week that it will be building a new plant and staying in Cynthiana.
“This is tremendous news,” said Joe Craig Smith, chairman of the Cynthiana-Harrison County Economic Development Authority.
Smith added that the Concept facility will be the first in the planned industrial park off U.S. 62 at Martin Lane. The initial park development is expected to begin off Connersville Pike and meet with Martin Lane.
Bruce Bowles, general manager of the Northern Area of Concept Packaging, said Monday that some consideration had been given to moving the operation outside of Cynthiana.
“Joe Craig Smith and the Harrison County Authority helped develop a plan so that we can stay in Cynthiana and participate in the new industrial park,” Bowles said.
Concept’s two facilities are located on White Oak Pike at the plant vacated when Bullard built its new facility, and on Riggs Avenue in the former Auger-scope building.
Bowles said the initial development for Concept will eliminate the Auger-scope facility. Phase II will consolidate the two operations at the new industrial park. The first development calls for a 150,000-square-foot building with a 100,000-square-foot expansion in Phase II within two years.
Bowles said that along with Concept’s planned new development, the community should also feel the benefits through an increased employment base. Bowles said Concept currently has 85 employees. Over the five-year development period, Bowles anticipates the work force to increase to 50 percent.
Because the site is not ready for development, Bowles said he anticipates that construction of the Concept plant should begin in the fall of 2000.
“This satisfies the local support of the community which has been good and kind to us,” Bowles said. ‘This is a good long-term investment for us and our company.”
Concept Packaging is a supplier of protective packaging serving the automobile, technical, paper and plastics industries. The company has a combined annual sales of $22 million.
Bowles said that within the next five years, and in conjunction with the development of the new facility, he anticipates annual sales to double.
“It has been so important for us to make this deal,” Bowles said.
I just can’t help but wonder what happened. I don’t recall ever reading or hearing any further information on the story, so, I suppose that I am left to make assumptions. Poor planning on the side of the EDA? I assume so. I can’t remember the park being ready by “the fall of 2000”. I don’t even recall it being ready by the fall of 2001, though I may be wrong.
I remember hearing rumors that the park’s utilities, mainly water and sewage, weren’t able to handle industry, initially. To my knowledge (which isn’t much, I’m sure that regular readers have discovered this by now) these issues, if they had any truth behind them, have been rectified. I would also swear that I had heard that at one time there were concerns of coverage by emergency services, primarily the Cynthiana Fire Department, as the park was annexed by the city. I thought that I had heard about discussion of the city building a third station at the park. I do not know of the outcome of those talks (though I can imagine it as being something to the effect of “why build a station when there’s nothing there yet?”). It’s also possible that insurance queries revealed that the department was suited enough to cover the annexed area. (Again, I don’t know.)
The only thing I do know is that a business that pledged to stay in Cynthiana is no longer here.