Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

CCIC discusses Goodrich closing

A special meeting of the Clark County Industrial Council was called to discuss the closing of the Goodrich plant at Gum Springs.

Brown Hardman, CCIC president, said he didn't know when the company would begin letting people go, but it could be from now until two years from now.

Goodrich officials, he said, aren't calling this a shut down, but a "suspension of operations" because of the reduction in air travel since Sept. 11, 2001.

All equipment, he said, will be left in the building, as Goodrich is maintaining ownership of the structure. This means the CCIC will not be able to market the facility, though there have been prospects interested in a building with 200,000 or more square feet of space.

The problem, Hardman said, is related to the national economy. "We had been told the company would start hiring in August, but this didn't happen. I feel bad for everybody.

"The CCIC," he said, "needs to continue doing what it's doing  working to recruit new industry to Clark County and help existing industries."

Kevin Copeland, executive director of the CCIC, discussed the satellite park on Malone Drive with the board.

He said bids were let, then the CCIC had to get the city and project engineer to sign off on the project, which required bids to be let a second time.

The project engineer was pushed for an estimate and assured the CCIC the project wouldn't cost more than $375,000. The CCIC has $305,000 in grant money set aside for this project and will have to come up with the rest.

However, when the bids came in, nine of the 10 were in excess of $650,000, while the low bidder was $450,000.

The project engineer reworked the plans and shortened the scope of the initial project, then talked with the low bidder, who adjusted their bid to $323,000

The board, in a 3-2 vote Friday, Dec. 6, agreed to see if the low bidder would be interested in doing the revised project if the CCIC's attorney said it could be done without the entire project having to be rebid.

Rodney Moore, the CCIC's attorney, was unable to say the low bidder could be awarded the project with the changes made and it be legal.

The project, according to Freddy Lynch, a member of the boar, requires the contractor to have a performance bond so the job gets done regardless.

The low bidder provided references, checked by Copeland, who learned those the bidder had worked for would hire the company again.

The board also discussed 10 positions open on the board of directors. Those who are scheduled to go off will contacted to see if they would like to serve another term or not.

A decision will be made on who will fill the openings at the next meeting.