LINCOLN — The owner of a Syracuse animal supplement plant recently spent $550,000 on industrial land in Melbourne, Fla., another sign that the business may be on the move.
A check of real estate records with the Brevard County, Fla., Tax Appraiser's Office showed that Mark Pieloch bought three parcels totaling nearly 22 acres in June. The tax appraiser's website described the property as "vacant industrial land."
The purchase is the latest indicator that Pieloch seems determined to move his Pharma Chemie factory out of Nebraska, despite local and state efforts to keep the business and its 40 jobs. Last week an economic development official in Florida said her agency was in discussions with Pieloch, who apparently is considering three other locations as well.
The factory produces nutritional supplements and flavorings for dogs, cats and horses. It is a significant employer in Syracuse, a community of 1,942 about 60 miles south of Omaha.
It remains unclear whether Pieloch's legal troubles in Nebraska may have prompted him to consider the move. The 53-year-old Lincoln man faces one felony charge for allegedly failing to pay $2,900 in sales tax on a Chevrolet Avalanche he bought new in 2009.
Investigators also were checking to see if he skipped paying sales taxes on some of the dozens of collector cars he owns, according to court documents.
In a July 22 application for tax breaks in Brevard County, Fla., Pieloch wrote that he plans to offer his Nebraska employees the chance to relocate to Florida, and anticipates eight to 12 will.
In all, the business would employ at least 40 workers earning an average of $51,000.
He said he hoped to have production under way in Florida later this year or early next year.
The application also stated that Pieloch plans to spend $3�million on an existing 35,000-square-foot building in Melbourne for supplement production while investing an additional $1 million on new equipment and facility modifications. He also mentioned constructing a 10,000-square-foot building in Florida for the flavorings division of the business.
Contact the writer: 402-473-9580, [email protected]
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