Fanestil wants to move to Lenze building
By Joey Berlin
Originally published 02:20 p.m., February 26, 2008
Updated 02:21 p.m., February 26, 2008
Fanestil Meats’ position on a floodway is something owner Dan Smoots has wanted to change for almost 10 years. He’d like to acquire the former Lenze Corp. plant and move Fanestil there, and he’d like some government help to do it.
Smoots recently sent a letter to City Manager Matt Zimmerman and Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas President Kent Heermann inquiring about grants that might be available to help Fanestil move. He said the letter explained that a Fanestil move to the Lenze plant at 1730 E. Logan Ave. would be an opportunity to create about 10 more jobs for the company.
“We’re not exactly sure what may be available through the city or the county, like from a community block grant, or from FEMA or something like that,” he said. “But without some considerable help, it probably wouldn’t be something that we’d be able to do on our own.”
Smoots isn’t sure what it will cost to buy the building.
“Rumors range anywhere from a million to a million and a half,” Smoots said, “but the other side of the coin is that it would probably take another million and a half for us to add the refrigeration, do the remodel that would be necessary to move over there.”
Smoots said moving away from the Fanestil building is something he’s had on his mind ever since Nov. 1, 1998, when the locally famous flood of that year filled the plant with 14 inches of water. The Fanestil building’s position by the Cottonwood River makes it difficult for the facility to expand much further, as the 70-employee company faces regulations against doing so.
“In fact, we’re not just in a flood plain, we’re in what’s called a floodway, which is a little bit worse than a flood plain,” he said. “We’re right in the current of the river practically when it floods, so expansion capabilities here are very, very difficult from FEMA’s standpoint.”
Heermann said he had received Smoots’ letter a week ago. He said further study would be needed to see whether Fanestil would qualify for any performance-based incentive grants.
“I know he’s expressed to me he’d sure like us to buy a building and give it to him, and that’s a nice wish to have,” Heermann said. “But whether it’s realistic or not, I don’t know.”
Heermann said Smoots received a $200,000 loan from the city a couple of years ago that required him to create eight full-time jobs.
“He’s had three loans from the city on purchasing equipment and adding jobs — that’s what he’s qualified for in the past,” Heermann said. “He still has an outstanding loan with the city with the requirement of creating paid full-time jobs.
“In any future incentive consideration, we’d have to see what his employee base is prior to that loan, and if he’s added those eight jobs. Based on that, if he has, I think it’s 72 employees or more, he may be eligible for future incentives. But we have to study it.”
If Fanestil did qualify for an incentive, Heermann said, the RDA would make a recommendation to the county, since Fanestil isn’t in the city limits.
Smoots said his situation would be perceived differently than that of an employer bringing a new business into town.
“If I was a company that was interested in looking at Emporia, and I was from another community, it might be something that would be exciting to the local people to bring those jobs in,” he said. “But since the jobs are already here, there’s not a lot of incentive to do much for local companies. It doesn’t help the tax base any. I guess you might say it’s not near as sexy as bringing in 100 jobs from someplace.”
Smoots said he knows the city has a number of things on its plate right now, and he isn’t expecting a formal response to his letter immediately. He joked that he would like to move into the new building “before the next severe flood.”
sciguy (anonymous) says...
We need to support our (few) strong local companies as best we can.
Kudos to Fanestil, they clearly have great workers and leadership.
February 26, 2008 at 5:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
sciguy-Same here.... I think that would be a great move for them.You always hate to leave the"old way" behind,but the place by the river gets wet pretty fast when the water comes up.
February 26, 2008 at 5:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
slipandslide (anonymous) says...
would it be easier for his business to grow if hes in a bigger building? how can his building be flooded so often without the foundation being washed out? dont the floods errod the ground?
February 26, 2008 at 7:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wanderer (anonymous) says...
slipandslide, I can't speak to whatever structural damage Fanestil or its grounds may have taken, but I've seen that place when the heavy rains come down and the river rises. It pretty much becomes an island. Dan and Jan Smoots have wanted to leave that place for ages, and I don't blame them.
February 26, 2008 at 10:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
slipandslide (anonymous) says...
yeah ive seen it flooded too, i was just curious what keeps the building from being damaged, maybe it gets damaged but we dont hear about it whoever built it did a good job huh?
February 27, 2008 at 7:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bjnemp (anonymous) says...
I would suggest our city leaders(?) hurry up and eat the "number of things on its plate right now" and deal with this issue. Considering Emporia's current economic situation, I would think it would be wise to assist an existing employer wanting to not only stay in the area but expand and grow, creating good jobs. I have only lived in Emporia for 12 years. Has this city EVER had leadership capable of thinking outside the box or seeing further than the end of their nose?
February 27, 2008 at 12:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )