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Abatement requested for Hills New Vision expansion

By
Mavis Fodness

New Vision Co-op is seeking to merge its two current Hills locations into one under a $9.2 million planned expansion and relocation plan.
A joint Rock County and Martin Township tax abatement public hearing will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 5, in the commissioners’ room at the Rock County Courthouse.
Commissioners set the time and date at their March 8 meeting after County Administrator Kyle Oldre briefly talked about New Vision’s proposed project.
Oldre said co-op officials asked both the county and Martin Township officials to forego collecting property taxes on the expansion project for the next 10 years.
“It (tax abatement request) doesn’t impact the current taxes that it pays,” Oldre said. “What he is requesting is abatement on the new bin.”
Under the plan, New Vision would construct a new 1.2 million bushel grain bin at a cost of $3.4 million and a 9,300-ton fertilizer plant. The plant would cost $5.7 million and would replace the current 800-ton plant in the city of Hills.
Frank McDowell, New Vision’s chief executive officer, made the request.
“It's a $9.2 million investment project and that’s a considerable stake in the community,” McDowell said in a phone interview last week.
“It’s a responsibility of the government to support these successful local businesses and to support these local investments.”
If granted, the abatement could save the co-op about $7,300 in annual tax payments for 10 years.
Co-op officials are not asking to abate taxes to the Hills-Beaver Creek School District. The district is expected to collect an additional $9,000 annually.
Under New Vision’s plan, its in-town location would close and the bins and buildings offered for sale. All operations would move a mile north to the out-of-town location.
Along with the expansion, the co-op estimates it would add six additional full-time employees and one-and one-half full-time equivalent in part-time positions over the next three years.
The facility currently employs 10 people.
Commissioners and Martin Township officials will make a final vote on the tax abatement request at the April 5 meeting. Martin Township officials have indicated they support the proposal.
“The township board was favorable because there still would be funds coming into the school district,” said Doug Bos, a Martin Township board member who attended the March 8 commissioners meeting.
Besides Hills, New Vision Co-op has facilities in 14 other locations including Ellsworth, Magnolia, Adrian and Beaver Creek within the Star Herald coverage area. Its main office is located in Brewster.
New Vision purchased the Hills terminal location along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway in 2003.
This is the second expansion project New Vision has undertaken in Rock County in the past five years.
In 2011 New Vision constructed a new feed mill near Magnolia. The county granted a five-year tax abatement of $18,500 annually for that $16 million expansion project.

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