WestGate grows; more county buildings planned for tech park development in 2009

LEARNING ABOUT WESTGATE -- Greene County Council candidate Rae Della Craves, county councilmen John Wilkes and Ken Gremore along with Jasonville Mayor Roy Terrell, Sr. were among the host of guests who received an update on the WestGate at Crane Tech Park on Tuesday afternoon. Cravens and Gremore are involved in a Recount to their council race that gets underway at 9 a.m. Wednesday. (Greene County Daily World/Nick Schneider) [Order this photo]

Today, several buildings are up and in use daily, others are now being built and plans are underway to expand the tech park even farther into a first class economic draw for the state of Indiana.

Some of the expansion will include a pair of new building contructed in the Greene County sector of the tech park in the early spring of 2009.

SAIC Senior Vice President Steve Gootee addressed a gathering of elected officials and private citizens on Tuesday and presented an update on the WestGate Tech Park project. (Greene County Daily World/Nick Schneider) [Order this photo]

Since the park's inception, defense contractors and other engineering companies have made commitments for about 275 new jobs in the tech park.

On Tuesday, representatives from several private agencies now located at the tech park and governmental bodies, who have helped the dream become a reality, gathered at the EG&G Technical Services building

The meeting was a year-end update for area elected officials and members from the public sector.

The new $2.4 million SAIC building will open in January at WestGate Tech Park. (Greene County Daily World/Nick Schneider) [Order this photo]

Current tenants in the WestGate Tech Park include defense contractors Technology Service Corporation, MLE Enterprises, NAVMAR, EG&G, SAIC and STIMULUS Engineering Services. The park is also home to the headquarters operations of the Crane Federal Credit Union, which directly serves NSA Crane base employees and residents of the region.

Current state-of-the-art Class A office and commercial space (including lab and light manufacturing/warehouse) is currently available in the tech park. Custom build-to-suit opportunities are also now being leased.

A major retail center, including a hotel and fiber-optic-linked conference center, is being planned and construction is expected to begin soon.

A building that will be occupied by MLE Enterprises in the Greene County sector of the WestGate Tech Park is under construction and should be ready for occupancy in early 2009. (Greene County Daily World/Nick Schneider) [Order this photo]

By early 2009, the WestGate is expected to offer about 90,000 square feet of new mixed-use facilities.

Four new building are now planned for next year.

A 20,000 to 24,000 square feet facility in Greene County, an 18,000 square feet building in Greene County; a 60,000 square feet building in Daviess County; and a 30,000 square feet facility in Martin County.

Architect Dale Ankrom said negotiations are continuing with several major companies to be tenants for the two Greene County-based facilities -- including a major Louisivlle, Ky. defense contractor.

"We have tried to be a part of this community. We love this community and all of the counties that make up and surround this tech park. You should be commended for your efforts, for what you are doing," Ankrom said. "The year 2008 was terrific and we think we'll have a better 2009."

To date, about $9 million in private equity has been invested in the tech park.

Joe Erler, who serves as EG&G Vice President for Readiness and Sustainment Engineering Services, declared without hesitation that much physical work has been completed in the last year and more will unfold in the coming year.

"This is just the beginning," Erler told the gathering.

He explained that his company has been a tenant in the tech park since last September and already the defense contractor needs more space. They have immediate plans to add on to their facilities.

WestGate Technology Park, the first multi-county certified tech park in the state, is a joint effort of officials from Greene, Daviess and Martin counties. The project is administered by the WestGate Authority and is being developed by Hamilton County-based WestGate Development, LLC -- a division of Throgmartin-Henke Development, Inc.

WestGate at Crane Development Co. is expected to invest more than $35 million of private equity over the next 24 months for initial design and construction of the tech park.

Steve Gootee, who serves as senior vice president for Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) -- another major defense contractor at NSWC Crane and Greene County's largest employer with more than 700 workers, echoed Erler's sentiments.

"This (tech park) is the most exciting thing going economically in the area that I know of," Gootee stated.

SAIC, with an annual local payroll of about $40 million, maintains several leased satellite offices and labs throughout the town of Bloomfield and also has an office in Indianapolis.

The firm, which is directly involved in support of U.S. military personnel around the globe -- including special forces -- has under construction a 37,800 square feet new $2.4 million building at the tech park. The new building will employee about 150 additional workers in early 2009.

A grand opening in planned for March.

"We will have a nice ribbon cutting in March when the weather is a little better. We are thinking about having another building," he announced.

Gootee stressed that SAIC will maintain its current staffing levels in Greene County -- even after the new facility located in the Martin County sector of the tech park is open.

"We're not planning on getting out of Bloomfield and Greene County, which is the good news," he said. "We are going to stay in those facilities and expand out."

SAIC, according to Gootee, will continue to look first to local employees from the immediate to satisfy its staffing needs. Currently, 460 of its employees live in either Greene, Daviess or Martin counties.

"We have a long list of customers and the most important one here obviously is Crane.

"They support about 90 to 95 percent of the local employees," he pointed out.

Gootee asked the public officials who attended to reflect on what progress has been made at WestGate and how they as a group can help to further future expansion.

"Help us make this a world-class facility...help us in any way you can and help us upgrade the infrastructure here -- the roads, the schools and all of that so we can continue to attract," he said.

Ray Darnell, representing MLE, said his company is thrilled to be a part of this project.

"We're excited about the future and even more excited about the teaming spirit of all the people here," Darnell said.

WestGate Authority member John Mensch, from Bloomfield, says the tech park has and is providing good jobs -- other than just engineers and technicians.

"There is a very positive impact on our counties. It's economic development. In Greene County, we've enjoyed some very strong support from the county commissioners, the county council and the Redevelopment Commission," Mensch said. "We've enjoyed the cooperation of the other counties."

He continued, "We need these good jobs and support Crane for its continuance, be a strong partner with the Defense Department and the Navy. Those BRACs (Base Relignment and Closures) were serious business. We some times don't realize how close Crane came a couple times being on the chopping block. The financial commitments made by the contractors and the developers. They are putting their money where the mouth is. There is a big commitment there for this park and their work at Crane. We need to get out and support them as much as we can. They are doing a work for us."

The administration of the tech park is overseen by seven-member WestGate Authority that includes three representatives from Greene County -- Ron Toon and John Mensch, both from the Bloomfield area and Brian Sparks, from Linton. Other members include: president Gene Shaw (Martin County), Loogootee Mayor Don Bowling (Martin County); vice president Kent Parisian (Daviess County) and Tim Johnston (Daviess County). Mensch serves as secretary.