Agricultural lab planning $12M facility near airport

Sure-Tech Laboratories wants to relocate its Indianapolis operations into a $12 million research and development facility it would build near Indianapolis International Airport, according to a tax-incentives request released Monday by the Department of Metropolitan Development.

Sure-Tech, also known as Winfield Solutions LLC, is a division of dairy products corporation Land O'Lakes Inc. that studies feed ingredients, soil, manure, water and plant tissues. It operates in leased space at 2435 Kentucky Ave., south of Raymond Street.

The company has identified a 5,832-acre site for the new facility in the Airport Tax-Increment Finance District at 7500 Miles Drive, west of South Girls School Road and north of West Washington Street, for the 40,000-square-foot facility.

The move and expansion would help Sure-Tech retain 24 workers making an average wage of $25 per hour and create an additional eight jobs paying the same amount by the end of 2019, the company said.

Once built, the facility would require an extra $1 million investment in new equipment over the next four years.

Sure-Tech said it has identified optional sites in Hendricks County, New England or Minnesota if the preferred site does not work out.

The company is seeking a six-year real-property tax abatement that would save it about $887,000 over the abatement period, a 59-percent savings.

It would pay an estimated $625,000 in real property taxes on the property over the abatement period and an estimated $252,000 annually after the abatement period ends. It would also be responsible for about $21,888 in annual taxes currently paid on the property.

Sure-Tech also is pursuing a six-year personal-property tax abatement on the new equipment that would save it about $44,700 over the abatement period, a 61-percent savings.

It would pay an estimated $28,500 in personal property taxes over the abatement period and an estimated $7,200 annually after the abatement period ends.

The Metropolitan Development Commission will hear Sure-Tech's request for incentives Wednesday. If approved, the incentives would need additional approval from the City-County Council because the company wants to locate in a TIF district.