Executive Correspondence – Letter dtd 06/22/05 to Chairman Principi from Anne Rathmell Davis, Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy for Base Realignment and Closure Page: 4 of 292

                                
S.I.B.A., Inc.
Southern Indiana Business Alliance
P.O. Box 1968, Bloomington, IN 47402-1968
(812) 336-7576  info@sibainc.org
3 June 2005                                          (
BJ Penn
Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment
1000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20350
Dear Honorable Penn:
As Executive Director of the Southern Indiana Business Alliance, I have been working for the
past three years to promote and protect Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane,
Indiana during the current Base Realignment and Closure process. The people of southwestern
Indiana have been very supportive of SIBA's efforts and are very pleased to have NSWC Crane
in this region of the state. NSWC Crane is the second-largest employer in southwestern Indiana,
providing nearly 5,000 direct jobs, as well as another 3,500 indirect jobs. The economic impact
of NSWC Crane on this area is staggering. A good example is the small town of Loogootee, the
county seat of Martin County (where the majority of the base is located). In Loogootee, nearly
67% of all wages earned are Crane-related.
I am very happy to present with this letter petitions from over 4,600 concerned Hoosiers voicing
their support for NSWC Crane. In addition, I am including copies of county resolutions in
support of NSWC Crane from Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe,
Orange, and Spencer counties. Although it's not one of the primary BRAC criteria, I know it's
important to the Navy to have its installations in areas where it is wanted. This letter and the
enclosures demonstrate how much the people of southwestern Indiana support NSWC Crane.
Respectfully,
SIBA Board Members
Jim Sheton, President  Steve Howard,        Steve Gootee,        Mike Gentile,
Vice-President     Secretary- Treasurer  Executive Director

Andrew Conner,             Dave Reece,             Nyle Riegle,          Jim Schonberger,           Paul Tedesco,
Member                   Member                  Member                   Member                   Member

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