WS Chronicle

The Winston-Salem City Council approved up to $182,950 in incentives over five years to Bunzl Distribution USA Inc. to relocate to Forsyth County.

Bunzl is a subsidiary of London-based Bunzl plc, which supplies a range of products including packaging, disposable supplies and cleaning and safety products to food processors and stores.

The company currently has two locations in Guilford County it wants to consolidate into one new 200,000 square foot facility it would build next to Herbalife on Union Cross Road. There are 66 employees with salaries ranging from $32,000 to $200,000 who would be transferring to the new location. The company is also considering Richmond, Virginia, or Greenville, S.C. The incentives would help to offset the higher local real estate taxes.

As usual, the incentives, are based on the number of jobs that will be at the new facility and will equal up to half of the annual property tax that would be paid on it. If employees at the facility fall below a certain level or if Bunzl shut down that location, then there would be clawback provisions to ensure the incentive is paid back.

“This is a necessary part of closing the deal to have them come here and have them provide taxes and jobs in the Triad and Winston-Salem and not take their jobs and investment out of state,” said City Council Member Dan Besse.

Forsyth County commissioners plan to vote in their Feb. 1 meeting on giving Bunzl up to $228,065 in incentives over five years, which is half of the estimated county property taxes the company will pay.

Also during the meeting:

*The City Council awarded a contract of $1.6 million for Miller Park Phase I renovations to Hodgin Construction Co. Inc. The project was part of the 2014 bond referendum.

*The City Council awarded a contract of $280,000 to Dalton Contracting LLC to construct a new park at the intersection of Second Street and Shady Boulevard. The small park is on a vacant city-owned lot that was the site of the first public waterworks system in the American Colonies.