» Washington County Indiana
Our strengths include our workforce, proximity to transportation thoroughfares, educational resources, and the overall health of our business environment.
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We're actively seeking private-sector investment in projects that complement our established business community.
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Our shovel ready 129 acre commerce park is located in Salem, Indiana and zoned for light industrial.
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Helsel Park has easy access to two Interstates and four state highways. Our park is 45 minutes from the Muhammad Ali International Airport and 90 minutes from the Indianapolis International Airport.
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WCEGP is a member of Our Southern Indiana RDA, RADIUS Indiana, South Central Indiana Economic Development and Greater Louisville Inc.
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We support local small businesses through tax abatement assistance, project assistance, the Small Business Development Loan program, and serve as a conduit to local, regional, federal, and state agencies.
Indiana designated "Crossroads of America" as the official state motto in 1937. The state is the hub for several major interstate highways that criss-cross Indiana, connecting Hoosiers to the rest of the United States. Washington County is conveniently situated with access to these Interstates that deliver freight to large metropolitan areas including Louisville, Indianapolis, Chicago, Cincinnati, Lexington and St. Louis.
Interstate I-65 (North - South Interstate in Eastern United States)
Interstate 65 delivers commercial vehicle traffic from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. Major cities along the route include Gary Indiana (Chicago Area), Indianapolis, Louisville, Bowling Green, Nashville Tennessee, Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama along the Gulf of Mexico.
Interstate I-64(East - West Interstate in Eastern United States)
Interstate 64 delivers vehicle traffic and commercial drivers to midwestern cities such as Greater St. Louis, Missouri, Louisville, Kentucky metropolitan area (including Washington County, Indiana) Lexington, Kentucky metro area, Charleston, West Virginia metro area and the Greater Richmond, Virginia area and many smaller towns along the route.
Our Indiana state roads deliver travelers directly to regional areas including: New Albany, Jeffersonville, Bedford, Bloomington, Corydon, Scottsburg, Madison, Nashville, Jasper, French Lick, Vevay, Paoli, Fort Wayne and more locations across Indiana.
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport / UPS Worldport HubWorldport is the world’s largest automated package handling facility. The sorting facility is 5.2 million square feet which is equivalent to 90 football fields. Louisville’s two parallel runways handle a constant arrival of aircraft each night – about one aircraft each minute during peak arrival times. During a sort, the UPS Worldport system processes 115 packages per second. A normal day is about two million packages, but that can more than double in the weeks before Christmas.
Worldport Statistics
Indianapolis International Airport / FedEx Express National HubThe 2.4-million-square-foot FedEx Express Indianapolis National Hub opened in 1988, and is the company’s second-largest cargo facility, trailing only the company’s SuperHub in Memphis. As of 2021, the facility employed about 700 full-time and 3,000 part-time workers, with the capability of sorting more than 2 million packages a day. FedEx’s presence in Indianapolis has helped the airport remain one of the top-10 largest cargo airports in the country. FedEx Express delivers freight and packages to more than 375 destinations over 220 countries across six continents each day
FedEx Express will move its heavy maintenance capability to its Indianapolis hub after the lease expires on their Los Angeles World Airports facility in June 2024.
FedEx Express National Hub Statistics
The Salem Municipal Airport is an important factor in the long-range development plans for the City of Salem.
The City of Salem Airport has embarked on a 9-Phase development and renovation plan that is receiving federal matching funds to support and complete the project. Central to the development plan is to increase the current runway length from 2,738 feet to 5,000 feet.
The additional runway length will allow for light to medium sized aircraft and specifically corporate aircraft to land at the City of Salem Airport. The enhanced airport will be a key factor in facilitating corporate and industrial relocation to the Salem area. The enhanced airport will also allow the City of Salem to take advantage of the overcrowding at the Metropolitan Louisville area airports by providing an alternative to corporate air traffic.
In recent years the airport has received several grants from the FAA through the Airport Improvement Program. The Salem Municipal Airport Board of Aviation Commissioners (BOAC) is cooperating with local economic development groups within the city and county to improve the potential job growth associated with expansion of their airport to accommodate larger corporate aircraft.
The J.F. Helsel Commerce Park is a 129-acre park located in south central Indiana. The business park is a certified Indiana Shovel Ready Site, zoned I-1 for light manufacturing. The park includes utilities on the site (water, wastewater, electric, natural gas, and fiber internet connectivity). The commerce park is under the zoning authority of the City of Salem and includes quick access to two interstates. The distances include 18 minutes to I-65, 45 minutes to Louisville, KY, 45 minutes from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, 90 minutes from Indianapolis, IN, and 90 minutes from the Indianapolis International Airport. This commerce park is a valuable resource to the community and a valuable economic development asset in the areas of both business retention and business attraction.
Total Acres: 129 acres
Zoning: Light Manufacturing
Flood Plain: No
Parcel ID: 88-24-09-000-002.000-021
Phase 1: Yes
Phase 1 Date: 01/17/02
Phase 1 Environment Report: Yes
Contiguous Acres Available for Development: 120
Geo-tech Report: Yes
In Washington County, you can take a step back in time in the Pioneer Village on the grounds of the John Hay Center or see a restored Gristmill churning out cornmeal and explore the region's rich history through exhibits, archives, and artifacts that tell the story of our vibrant past. Visit the birthplace of famed American Statesman, John Milton Hay and learn about his significance in the Lincoln administration and his guidance for five presidential administrations. Washington County has such a long history and there is so much to see it may be hard to know where to begin.
A lifestyle in Washington County allows you to leave the parking lots and traffic jams of city life behind you and leave the cellphone on mute while you embrace the sounds of nature, breathe the fresh, crisp air the circulates through our forests and wild spaces. Washington County is home to the Knobstone Escarpment. The Knobstone Escarpment is the most rugged and variable terrain in Indiana, which gives our county such an interesting topography.
Coming Soon - The longest continuous greenway trail in Indiana. The 57 mile greenway trail will offer dramatic vistas of the Indiana farmland and linkages to several regional natural destinations, including nearby state parks and recreation facilities. The greenway will allow for a connection through cities including Borden, Pekin, Salem, Campbellsburg, Orleans and Mitchell.
Blue River Natural and Scenic River SystemEnjoy a canoe or kayak trip on Indiana's first Natural and Scenic River System. The Blue River is home to a significant population of hellbender salamanders. The hellbender is the largest salamander in the Western Hemisphere.
The Knobstone Trail is the longest hiking trail in Indiana. Its southern terminus is located in the Deam Lake State Recreation Area. The northern terminus ends at Delaney Creek Park near Salem, however there are plans to eventually extend the trail another 80 miles north to Martinsville, Indiana. As it lies along the Knobstone Escarpment, it is a difficult hike, which is why many use the Knobstone Trail to prepare for hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Take a drive through the hilltop ridges of the 18,000 acre state Forest. The State Forest provides scenic views, old growth forest and breathtaking hiking opportunities.
A Tradition of AgricultureWashington County is home to more than 50 recipients of the Hoosier Homestead certification from the State of Indiana. The Hoosier Homestead Award Program recognizes families with farms that have been owned by the same family for 100 years or more.
Each summer the annual Farmers Merchants Fair takes place at the Washington County Fairgrounds and provides the opportunity for 4-H students to display their livestock and arts and crafts.
Family Friendly CommunitiesWashington County is where family memories are made, laughter is abundant, and adventure is just around the corner. Our diverse range of family-friendly attractions and activities ensures that every member of your family, from the youngest to the oldest, will have a blast. Join us for a memorable family getaway and discover why Washington County is the perfect place for family fun!
"Riley's Place" is located inside DePauw Park. DePauw Park is just a few blocks west of the Salem Square. Riley's Place was named after Riley Jean Tomlinson, a local toddler who accidentally drowned in a swimming pool, the park was built in 2001 by volunteers and contains two and three story wooden castles and other structures for children's play along with swings, slides, and similar playground equipment.
The Washington County Courthouse opened in 1888 and is one of the most iconic courthouses in the State of Indiana. The rockfaced Oolitic limestone used on the facade of the courthouse was locally quarried and cut, one mile southwest of town. In the nineteenth century, this was the first and only working quarry in the county. Rock quarried here was originally called "Salem limestone" before being renamed "Oolitic Limestone". The newels and columns incorporated in the courthouse design are all unique efforts of individual stone carvers.
Our community celebrates and supports the scholastic, creative arts and the athletic achievements our our local elementary and high schools schools.
Salem Community Schools
West Washington School Corporation
East Washington School Corporation
The Salem Speedway opened in 1947 and is a half mile oval track with 33° degrees of banking in the corners. The steep banks enable the high powered sprint cars to accelerate down the straights at speeds reaching nearly 140 miles per hour. Major auto racing series that run at Salem are ARCA and USAC. As of 2019, the track has held more ARCA races than any other track.
Salem Speedway has seen many great racers, such as Troy Ruttman, Pancho Carter, Bob Sweikert, Pat O’Connor, Parnelli Jones, A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, Mario Andretti, Rich Vogler, Bobby Allison, Johnny Parsons, Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Kurt and Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Ken Schrader, Joey Logano, and more.
Angie Buchanan
Executive Director
Washington County is where innovation meets opportunity, and your success knows no limits. If you're ready to take your business to the next level, look no further. Our meticulously planned J.F. Helsel Commerce Park is your opportunity to build or expand your business operations with unparalleled potential.
Location is everything in business, and our commerce park boasts the prime real estate you've been searching for right here in the heart of Southern Indiana. Our development offers convenient access to East-West and North-South oriented Interstate highways, and our community is situated between two of the largest airport freight hubs in the country. Our talented, eager workforce is ready to contribute to the success of your business and our community. Our county and state level tax structure is one of the lowest in the country and that brings more resources to your bottom line.
Your success is our success, and we're committed to supporting you every step of the way. I'm here to ensure your business development experience at the J.F. Helsel Commerce Park is nothing short of exceptional. Whether you're a seasoned industry leader or a budding entrepreneur, rest assured – you're in good hands.
I look forward to speaking with you.
Phone 812.620.5809
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