Company expected to finalize deal for Airpark land

James Mayse, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·2 min read

May 19—The city, county and Owensboro-Daviess County Industrial Foundation are set to close a land deal with an Ohio-based company that has plans to create a distribution center in the city.

RLR Investments, of Wilmington, Ohio, is expected to finalize an agreement Thursday, May 19, to purchase 24.58 acres at MidAmerica Park. The city, county and the foundation each own one-third of the site.

The selling price is $40,000 per acre, totaling $983,200.

Brittaney Johnson, president and CEO of the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp., said RLR plans to build a distribution center in the Airpark that will specialize in shipping items from different companies in the same truck, Johnson said.

Businesses using the service could ship loads together that, by themselves, aren't enough to fill a whole truck. Companies using the business would save shipping costs by sharing the cost of the truck.

"They are hoping, if everything goes as planned, that they will start moving dirt this summer," Johnson said Wednesday. "They have already completed a significant amount of due diligence on the site."

Negotiations with the company began last August, and company officials met with county planning and zoning officials in January, Johnson said.

Johnson said RLR Investments was looking for a site within 200 miles of many of their other distribution centers.

According to information provided by the EDC, the company has 130 distribution centers and employs 16,000 people, Johnson said.

"They like for all of their drivers to go home every night, so they look for centrally-located" sites, Johnson said.

The county is also attractive because it has a CDL program through Owensboro Community & Technical College and the Owensboro Riverport, Johnson said.

Although no timetable has been set for when the company will begin operations, the facility is expected to create 35 jobs upon opening and eventually expand to 80 jobs.

"Obviously, they look at who their customer base can be as well" when picking locations, Johnson said.

Companies located in the Airpark that Johnson has spoken to "mentioned this is a good opportunity for them too, because they could utilize this service."

James Mayse, 270-691-7303, jmayse@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @JamesMayse