Auto seatmaker buys Gladeville land near 840

February 8, 2006
Michigan-based Lear Operations Corporation, one half of a joint venture known as TACLE Seating U.S.A., has paid $1.2 million for a 20-acre tract inside the Nashville-East Logistics Park off State Route 840, according to property transaction records filed Tuesday.
Documents in the Wilson County Register of Deeds office revealed the company – forecast to bring a 90,000-square-foot factory and 160 high-paying jobs – signed off on the purchase late last week, acquiring the property from Couchville 840 Investors LLC.
Late last month, the Wilson County Planning and Zoning Committee swiftly approved preliminary plans for the factory without debate. Plans indicated the new facility would neighbor the logistics park's primary tenant, an ALDI distribution center.
Along with an American subsidiary of Tachi-S Company, the Lear Corporation formed the TACLE partnership in October 2005. The company is slated to produce seats and related components for the Nissan North America plant located a short drive down S.R. 840 in Smyrna.
Hank McCall Sr., who is listed as the registered agent for Couchville 840 Investors LLC, was unavailable for comment Tuesday. McCall is president of Prime Properties Inc., the company behind Nashville-East Logistics Park and the Dell Computers-anchored Eastgate Business Park off Highway 109.
Prior to their January meeting, Wilson County commissioners received handouts entitled "Project TACLE" along with information regarding proposed guidelines for tax incentive programs aimed at luring new industries to the county.
The handouts indicated TACLE would bring 160 full-time jobs to Gladeville – 30 salaried employees earning an annual average salary of $65,000 and 130 hourly employees paid $28 an hour.
An analysis of the company's economic impact suggested TACLE would likely have a far-reaching impact on the county, creating an additional 203 jobs "indirectly."
New capital investments of almost $18 million related to the project are expected to have a one-time economic impact of $26.9 million and create $168,476 in new local tax revenues during the construction and set-up period, according to the analysis prepared by Sharon Younger, president of Jackson-based consulting firm Younger Associates.
"Wages and benefits paid to these new jobs will result in an annual economic impact of $14.4 million, generating $548,383 in new local tax revenues," Younger wrote.
A statement released by Tachi-S last fall stated the new factory will produce roughly 130,000 units each year, generating about $15 billion in annual sales by 2009.
Calls to Lear Operations Corp. Director of Corporate Communications Andrea Puchalsky and Tachi-S Company Director of Engineering Graeme Stewart were not immediately returned Tuesday.
Staff Writer Brian Harville can be reached at 444-3952 ext. 16 or by e-mail at brian.harville@lebanondemocrat.com.