By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Fuller Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of commercial cleaning supplies and chemicals in Great Bend, received a 10-year property tax exemption from the City of Great Bend in 2012 as a new industry took over Fuller. The tax exemption is given to allow larger businesses to get established and are focused on new investment.
In September 2021, a Canadian investor took over ownership of the manufacturer and the name changed from Fuller Industries, LLC to Fuller Industries, Inc. In the process, the tax exemption ceased, and Fuller General Manager Joe Mann told the Great Bend City Council Monday night that the work to fill out a proper application for a new tax exemption was lost in the shuffle of new management.
Mann wants the city council to grant Fuller another exemption to be placed retroactively when new ownership arrived in 2021.
"If we have to go back now, and it's hundreds of thousands of dollars, that's going to hurt us big time," said Mann. "We have not been planning on that based on what we thought was in process. We've made a lot of investment with employees, facility and the business here."
Great Bend city officials noted Fuller Industries' property tax last year was approximately $190,000.
The Economic Development Incentive Committee reviewed Fullerās request for an additional exemption and found the application was not worthy of further consideration. City Administrator Brandon Anderson said it is rare for businesses to get an extension on a tax exemption as they are meant for new business.
City Attorney Allen Glendenning said the city could ask Fuller to provide more thorough information on how the manufacturer plans to increase jobs and show growth a second time.
"I think the application is deficient in several different ways," said Glendenning. "Maybe those could be corrected and fit within the guidelines. As it now sets, I don't think the application is sufficient. The committee can go back and negotiate with Fuller and leave this application pending to get more information to try to beef it up, or you can deny this application and Fuller can submit a new one."
The council voted 4-1 to table the request for a month and allow Fuller to provide more information in their application.
Listen below to the discussion regarding Fuller Industries' economic development incentive request at the Great Bend City Council meeting on March 4, 2024.