GREENWOOD, Ind. — Monsanto Co. is planning to invest about $31 million in a storage facility to be located in a Greenwood industrial park.

 

The 143,000 square-foot warehouse will be used to package and distribute seeds between field testing sites, said Charla Lord, a company spokesperson. The building will also be used for storage and maintenance of farm equipment such as planters, tractors and combines.

The facility will help Monsanto meet its research and development operational needs in central and eastern states, she said. “This warehouse will enable advanced automation and increase the speed and standardization of seed operations required for our field testing operations in the research and development organization,” Lord explained.

Becknell Industrial, based in Carmel, Ind., will build the facility in the Southtech Business Park on Greenwood’s east side, said Mike Campbell, president of the Greenwood Common Council. Monsanto will lease the building from Becknell, Lord said.

Becknell and Monsanto have both requested tax abatements for the project, Campbell added. The abatements have been approved by the Greenwood Redevelopment Commission, and at press time awaited a vote by the Common Council. A vote on Monsanto’s request was expected at the June 19 council meeting, while a decision on Becknell’s abatement was delayed after the company resubmitted its proposal. Campbell expects the council to vote on Becknell’s request July 5.

Monsanto has asked for a 10-year, $1.6 million abatement, while Becknell is requesting a 10-year, $1.4 million abatement, Campbell said. Construction is expected to begin once the abatements are approved by the council, he added.

The facility will have 6-10 full-time employees and additional temporary workers depending on operations, Lord said.

About 40-70 temporary workers are expected in 2018 and 2019, and about 20 in 2020. The Council has been told some workers will be paid in the $60,000-$90,000 range, Campbell said.

“These are good-paying jobs,” he noted. “Any time a national company comes into our area, it’s going to draw attention. People are going to notice this. I’m not saying we’ll get more businesses, but we’ll get into the discussion.”

During a council meeting in early June, Campbell said a resident raised a concern about Monsanto’s environmental record and how the facility might impact Greenwood. The warehouse will be located in a business park with commercial buildings, light industrial and other warehouses.

“We did ask the Monsanto representative to have more information on the (environmental) concern at the (June 19) meeting,” Campbell explained. “We’ve been assured the project is not going to involve chemicals. Environmental issues are a legitimate concern. It appears this facility won’t fall into that category. We’re looking forward to having them.”

That Monsanto chose Greenwood for the facility is a plus for the city and the area, said Dana Monson, interim director of the Johnson County Development Corp. The organization began working with the builder a few months ago before it knew which company would be leasing the structure, she said. “Our role is that of a mediator and go-between with the company and city,” Monson explained. “A company may need information about the various necessary permits, and we help them so they don’t have to contact 15 different people. It’s also our job to do due diligence to be sure this is a good fit.”

Anytime an area can attract an innovative company such as Monsanto, it’s good for the community, she said.