ANDERSON — Barber Manufacturing received approval from the Anderson City Council for a three-year tax abatement for the purchase of new equipment.
Two other firms will also have hearings before the council on Oct. 8 concerning resolutions for tax abatement requests.
Greg Winkler, executive director of the Anderson Economic Development Department, said with the latest requests local businesses have invested $203 million in the past 3½ years as a result of expansions.
Barber Manufacturing is requesting the three-year tax abatement on personal property taxes for $173,000 worth of new equipment at its 303 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. facility.
Barber plans to create one new job with an average salary of $16.83 per hour and to retain three jobs.
The company has been family-owned since 1894 making springs for the furniture industry.
The council set Oct. 8 for the final hearing date for tax abatement requests made by Geer Properties, operating as Cabinets Plus, and MoFab Inc. for a three-year tax abatement.
The standard abatement starts at 100 percent of personal property and real estate for the first year and is phased out over three years.
Geer Properties purchased the former 39,150-square-foot American Playground property at 6406 Production Drive for $850,000 and is spending an estimated $200,000 on improvements.
Council members asked about granting the tax abatement since American Playground was provided a tax abatement when it was first constructed in the 1990s.
Ashley Hopper, Anderson City Attorney, said there is a special tax abatement provision in the state statute that allows an abatement for an abandoned building.
Cabinets Plus intends to add five jobs with an average salary of $14.42 per hour.
MoFab Inc., 1415 Fairview St., is requesting the three-year abatement for $302,438 of new equipment. The family-owned business has been operating for more than 50 years.
The company plans to create two new job opportunities with an average salary of $18.70 per hour.