A painting, left behind by Ormet management, hangs in the main office of Hannibal Development Partners, LLC. It proclaims a Chinese proverb, “A great river runs through here.” While the proverb may state the obvious – the Ohio River runs along the former Ormet facility now owned by Niagara Worldwide LLC sister company Hannibal Development Partners [HDP] – it also states the value of the facility, which is at the center of a diverse transportation network and in the midst of one of the biggest modern American industrial booms. With those characteristics in mind, new owner HDP has placed upon the facility the moniker “Center Port Terminal.”
The aluminum mill may again see potlines producing the metal, or it may not. Regardless, the endlessly optimistic president of HDP, Eric Spirtas, is near certain that jobs will once again be provided at the facility. Spirtas said that whenever his company purchases a property, it looks for a common ground with the community. “Today, here and now it’s jobs,” said Spirtas of the common ground he has found in Monroe County.
At this point, HDP is marketing the facility to a diverse group of companies in various industries. The company is open to different offers and different plans for the facility. “If an opportunity presents itself with one user or 21, we have the construction knowledge, financial capital, human capability and the foresight to see how best to put the pieces together and create a viable economic hub,” said Spirtas.
According to Spirtas, interest is already piqued in the facility. When asked the question, through a fishing analogy about how much interest there is, Spirtas answered, “We have nibbles, bites and people whose mouths are watering. We’re dealing with a 1,700 acre industrial complex with 2.5 million square feet under roof, 12 miles of rail for use, a barge siting and mooring that can accommodate 50 barges and unfettered highway access. Those factors combine with what’s happening in this region with the shale exploration, permitting and processing, and we have a great opportunity to centralize activity for that industry.” (Go to site to read more . . . )
From Monroe County Beacon | August 20, 2014
Written by Darin Brown, General Manager
