An open letter to potential employers, including EnerDel -- the maker of lithium ion batteries that is expanding an Indianapolis plant, building in Noblesville and rumored to be considering Anderson for a 478-employee plant.

You won’t regret it. Here are just 10 of the reasons to come to Madison County:

1. We’re great people. We have a reputation for being hardworking, hospitable and honest. Thanks to our legacy in the auto industry, a trained work force awaits you.

2. We’re right on your way. Anderson, Pendleton and other Madison County communities are located next to Interstate 69 and within a half hour’s drive of Indianapolis. Chicago, Louisville and Cincinnati are only a few hours away.

3. We want you. Our economic development officials will work with you to create an enticing incentive package.

4. We’re motivated. Madison County needs new jobs, and we’ll roll out the red carpet to get them.

5. We’re moving forward. Anderson University. The Flagship Enterprise Center. Nestlé. These are just a few examples of local institutions that are drawing attention to Anderson and helping usher in a new age.

6. We care. Saint John’s Medical Center. Community Hospital. St. Vincent Mercy Hospital. The Madison County Community Health Centers. These and other health-care institutions serve all the community’s needs.

7. We’re inexpensive. Madison County has a low cost of living. You and your employees can live here without being crushed by million-dollar property leases, huge home mortgages and out-of-control expenses that characterize the business climate in many parts of the country.

8. We’re fun. The new Hoosier Park Racing & Casino is already a winner. The Paramount in downtown Anderson is a great venue for culture and comedy. We boast the world’s coolest high school basketball gym (the Wigwam). And Verizon Wireless Music Center is just a shout away.

9. We have space for you. Find the perfect spot at the Flagship, move into an old auto plant or find the right office space in one of Madison County’s downtowns. Take a look, and you’ll find an inviting location.

10. We’re traffic-snarl free. Are your managers, employees and distributors wasting thousands of hours a year in traffic jams? We can get you on the fast track in Anderson, where you’ll find nothing worse than a 20-second wait at a stoplight.

So, EnerDel, we have to ask: Why wouldn’t you come to Madison County?

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