Leaders in Hendersonville are set to consider a multimillion-dollar incentive package Thursday night for a company whose name the public still does not know.
The Hendersonville City Council will hold a public hearing on a proposal to offer up to $2.27 million in economic development incentives to a business referred to as "Project Vert," described in city documents as a global mobility and energy solutions company.
According to the city's agenda packet, the company is considering building a 140,000-square-foot manufacturing facility within city limits to produce a clean energy product.
The project would include about $5 million in real property investment and $95 million in equipment, with plans to create 378 jobs over three years starting in 2027. The average annual wage is listed at about $67,000 plus benefits, which is higher than the county’s median wage.
If approved, the incentives would be paid out over five years and funded through general property tax revenue. Payments would be tied to whether the company meets job creation and investment benchmarks.
The facility itself would be constructed by a third party and leased to the company, according to the documents.
Despite the scale of the proposal, the company's identity has not been disclosed. City documents state the company requested anonymity due to competitive reasons.
Efforts to get more information ahead of Thursday's meeting have been limited. In a statement to News 13, Hendersonville Communications Director Allison Justus said the city does not provide interviews on economic incentive projects before public announcements.
"We don't provide interviews on economic incentive projects, especially not ahead of any public announcements coordinated by the Partnership for Economic Development," Justus said. "The only information I have to provide is what was listed in the public hearing notice/City Council agenda."
City Council is expected to take up the proposal during its regular meeting, which begins at 5:45 p.m. at the City Operations Center on Williams Street. The meeting will move to City Hall for the Project Vert public hearing to meet open meetings requirements. That part of the meeting will not be streamed, so residents must attend in person to watch or comment.
If approved, the city manager would be authorized to enter into an economic development agreement with the company.
The Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development has agreed to speak with News 13 ahead of the meeting. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOS