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Town may get new industry

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MENTONE - A new light industry wants to move into Mentone.

Monday, Richard Dickerhoff introduced Randy Norman to the Mentone Town Council. Dickerhoff said Norman wants to bring a business to the town, hiring about six to eight people, but the business needs "a lot of consideration."

Norman said the company is Ace Industries LLC. A relatively new business, they already operate in Milford. He said he is buying the property at 104 W. Jefferson St., Mentone, from Dickerhoff. In the future, Norman said, they may hire up to 18 people for the first shift and he wants to have three shifts.

He would like to receive a tax abatement for his business, which is light industrial. The property now is zoned commercial and will have to be rezoned. Ace Industries remanufactures OEM bumper covers so they don't go to landfills. He has distributors in Indiana and Michigan for their product. It's a clean product, he said, and they need a building for storage.

Councilman Jack Simpson told Norman that Norman will have to meet with the local zoning board. After the property is rezoned, Simpson said, the council then can talk about a five- or 10-year abatement for the business.

Norman said he is planning to close with Dickerhoff on the property within the next week. After that, they'll be ready to start moving in and running production possibly by Aug. 1.