First French Lick Casino Contract Awarded

Less than a day after the casino groundbreaking at French Lick Resort & Casino, Blue Sky's general contractor for the site work, Lauth Construction, LLC, awarded the first $1 million contract to Paoli, Ind.-based Cave Quarries Inc. The firm is using local workers and equipment for the mass earth work and excavation as a first step in the casino construction.

"We are keeping our promise to bring jobs to Orange County," said Steve Eppink, senior vice president development operations for Lauth Group, Inc. "By doing so, local companies and local people will be some of the first to benefit from this project."

Cave Quarries Inc. began work on Wednesday, Aug. 17. The company, founded in 1918, has 60 employees and specializes in excavation and mining work.

"As soon as the contract was finalized, our team was ready," said Joe Knies, president of Cave Quarries Inc. "We are honored to be a part of this historic project."

More work for local contractors

More than 250 contractors from Indiana and Kentucky attended an outreach forum designed to inform companies interested in bidding for future work at French Lick Resort & Casino on Wednesday.

The forum, advertised in local media, far exceeded the anticipated attendance of 50.

"We created this forum to inform local contractors about the project and the proposal process," said Eppink. "We want to reach out to everyone who wants to be involved, providing them an opportunity to have the same information at the same time."

The Blue Sky team is using Lauth's web-based system, Project Link, so contractors can use the Internet to check the status of bid scheduling, review logistics plans and drawings, and access key contacts.

Within the next few weeks, Lauth Construction, LLC also will schedule a local job fair for individuals to submit information about their work experience. All contractors hired will be encouraged to use these applications to select local craftsmen.

Local community will benefit most from project

The project will employ approximately 1,400 employees, providing an estimated $32 million in annual salaries and benefits between the two resorts. The casino itself will generate an estimated $32.6 million in annual admission and gaming tax revenue, as well as $3.2 million annually in local incentives.

Completion of the casino, parking garage, event center, golf courses, and the first 200 rooms at French Lick Springs Resort and related amenities is slated for December 2006. In the project's second phase, the Blue Sky team expects to finish restoring the 240 rooms at the West Baden Springs Resort by July 2007. The final 240 rooms at the French Lick Springs Resort will be finished by December 2007.

The Blue Sky Team comprises Lauth Resorts & Casino, LLC, an affiliate of Lauth Group, Inc., and Orange County Holdings, Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit organization formed by the Cook Group family of companies, as well as gaming company Majestic Star Casino and hospitality management company Benchmark Hospitality International.