Gary Gentry, Linda Derr and Brian Hasler, pictured above, are the full time professional staff of the Economic Development Department of Warrick County. The primary objective of their office, as established by the elected leadership of the County, is to foster “industrial diversification, expansion of the tax base and the retention and creation of employment opportunities for all Warrick County citizens”. Their diverse backgrounds allow them to bring a unique approach to their efforts to recruit and ease companies’ entry into the area.
Gary Gentry, Executive Director, comes from the private sector where his experience in real estate acquisition, speculation and development has given him a deep appreciation for the real needs of clients and the value of their time and money. His can-do attitude sets the standard for Warrick County’s development efforts.
“A commitment to locate is just the beginning”, he states. “We will do whatever it takes to assure that every company locating in Warrick County receives as much assistance as required to help their business get up and running as quickly as possible.”
Gary states that the development of any product begins with the land. His background assures that companies real estate needs will be fully met.
He provides hands on assistance from land acquisition through tax abatement, permitting and employee training funding. He and the department, have been instrumental in developing a local training grant, unique to Warrick County, which companies can use in tandem with the state’s Training 2000 incentive program. The funds from this grant can be used to assist in recruiting, hiring, interviewing, testing and training. His economic development efforts are a labor of love. They are his way of repaying the county which has, in his words, ”given me so much”.
Marketing Director Brian Hasler has been involved in economic development since 1986 when he served as Economic Development Director for Indiana Congressman, Frank McCloskey. He has also worked as Regulatory Ombudsman for the Indiana Department of Commerce and an economic development consultant. He is currently a Representative in the Indiana House. Brian's governmental expertise enables him to assist clients in understanding and utilizing regulations and incentives to their best advantage.
“Much of the recent development in Warrick County has involved the retention of businesses,” Brian says. “Three Indiana companies that were considering a move to Kentucky (Integrated Systems, Spectronics, and a division of Kimball) have been, in the past two years, induced to stay and expand in Indiana through the conscientious efforts of this office.”
Both extol the excellent quality of life in Warrick County as a a major draw, stating that executives of many area companies such as Bristol-Myers, Toyota and AK Steel choose to live here for the fine schools, recreational facilities and unparalleled views of the Ohio River.
Administrative Assistant, Linda Derr, is credited by Brian and Gary as instrumental in keeping the office on track and freeing their time to concentrate on projects essential to future growth, such as the recently launched feasibility study for an Ohio River port, the INDOT study to upgrade the Elberfeld I-164 interchange and the slated 4 laning of highways 66 and 62 in 2001.
Scott Larsen, President of Integrated Systems observes, “The experience of moving to Warrick County has been a good one. Every pledge and promise made by the county, county officials and local officials has been met. Everyone that we have come into contact with has extended the hand of welcome. Of the critical decisions that have been made by my partner, Terry Winters, and myself regarding the health, welfare and growth of our company, I believe that I can safely say that the choice to build the facility here in Warrick County was among the best we ever made.”
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Warrick County at a Glance
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| First Settled in 1805 |  |
| Area - 388 square miles | |
| Population (1999) - 52,227 | |
| County Seat-Boonville | |
| Unemployment Rate ( June, 2000) - 4.3% |
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| County Labor Force (June, 2000) - 29,120 |
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| Regional Labor Force (January, 2000) 249,565 |
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For more information about Warrick County contact:
Sue Gibbens 812-858-3555
gibbens@warrick-edd.org
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