| Hildale facility to be sold FLDS building scheduled for auction Feb. 27 | ||||
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By Patrice St. Germain patrices@thespectrum.com | ||||
HILDALE - It's a little remote, the workforce issue could be a problem and the electricity rates are some of the highest around, but for a bargain price, you could pick up a 55,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. Once the home of Western Precision Inc., the facility located on a 3.15-acre parcel in Hildale is not only built to a high standard but is "somewhat over-engineered," said auctioneer Tom Erkelens. Despite the downsides, the pluses include incredible views and a building less than 5 years old that is fully landscaped with many extras. The property will be auctioned off at noon on Feb. 27 on site and the money will go into the United Effort Plan Trust, now being run by court-appointed special fiduciary Bruce Wisan. The UEP is the financial arm of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a polygamous sect led by Warren Jeffs. The self-proclaimed prophet of the church is currently sitting in Purgatory Correctional Facility in Washington County, facing charges of rape as an accomplice for his alleged role in the marriage of an underage girl to an older man. Wisan, a CPA in Salt Lake City, said the property is being sold to pay some debts - namely the legal and accounting bills the UEP has run up. "We are running short of money and we need to sell it to pay the ongoing daily expenses of the trust," Wisan said. "Right now, the attorney is owed about $500,000 and I'm owed about $100,000, plus we have the quarterly assessment." The facility was built and operated by Western Precision, which has now changed its name and relocated to Las Vegas. The company operates as a general machine shop specializing in CNC, cutting, boring, honing, tool and die, lathe and millwork and centerless grinding services. Erkelens, who has been in the auction business for 35 years, said he doesn't expect to see a lot of bidders at the auction. "I only expect about five or six bidders," Erkelens said. "If this was Hurricane, I would expect 20 to 30 and in Salt Lake, 50 to 60." If there are few bidders, it won't be for lack of trying on Erkelens' part. Erkelens and his partner, who run Statewide Auction Company, are mailing about 8,500 brochures to a variety of businesses. Erkelens said the key selling points of the property are the quality of construction, lots of power, lighting and plumbing, sinks and drains, which make the property easy to use for several different purposes. The building also has an outdoor basketball court, two one-bedroom apartments, a conference room and executive offices with their own restrooms. In the cavernous shop area, small windows let in light and show off some of the spectacular mountains nearby. One wall bears the inscription:"In this hall are found the finest people in the world." The foyer area boasts a large built-in display case, circular staircase and chandelier. Plus, he said, there's little crime, no problems with pollution or heavy traffic. Hildale Mayor David Zitting said Western Precision did a lot of high-tech machine operations. He called it one of the most high-tech companies around. Anyone purchasing the business shouldn't encounter any problems with the city while setting up a new operation since it's marked in the master plan as a commercial zone, but there isn't any real zoning in the community. "As far as zoning regulations and designations, we don't have any and basically, it was because all the property was all owned by one landowner, but that's changing," Zitting said. Zitting said the facility is "very nice" but the big problem is that it is in Hildale. Hildale, along with its sister or twin city of Colorado City, Ariz., is predominantly settled by members of the FLDS church. The few others who live in the community are former members of the church and residents typically shun those who they consider "outsiders." Zitting also said high electricity rates may also pose a problem for someone looking to set up a business in the community. The current residential rates are about eight to nine cents a kilowatt hour, about double the rate that other suppliers charge. Scott Hirschi, director of the Washington County Economic Development Council, said the property will be a hard sell despite the fact that it's a great building. Wisan said he is hoping to get more than $2 million for the property. Hirschi said if the facility was in St. George or Hurricane, it would easily sell for about $4 million. He added that the cost to build the facility today would be more. Although Hirschi deals with all types of businesses looking to relocate to Washington County, he hasn't heard anyone express an interest in the building. He said a reliable and stable workforce may present problems for prospective buyers. Wisan is optimistic that the property will sell particularly because of the dearth of industrial space in St. George and Hurricane. "It's in an unusual community and it will take a special situation, but I do believe it will sell," Wisan said. | ||||
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TheSpectrum.com Originally published February 6, 2007 | ||||
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