Fish farm facing big court judgments, questions

MUNCIE – An Albany-area fish farm that fell out of contact with Delaware County economic development officials is now facing more questions — and more than $200,000 in court judgments stemming from lawsuits.

Bell Aquaculture has been sued by businesses owed money by the fish farm. In at least two cases, Bell officials lost in court because they never responded to the lawsuits, court records show.

People who have done business with Bell tell The Star Press the company’s behavior is baffling and wonder if it indicates a business in serious trouble. Companies that won court judgments hope that is not the case.

“No one wants a faltering business, especially an Indiana business,” Indianapolis attorney Mike McCrory told The Star Press. “If they’re facing challenges, we hope they turn it around.”

McCrory represents Lousiana-based Daybrook Fisheries, which supplied fish food to Bell. Earlier this month, Daybrook won more than $211,000 from Bell Aquaculture in a lawsuit filed in Jay County.

Whether Daybrook will be able to collect that money is another matter. Bell not only never paid Daybrooks’ bills, but it never responded to Daybrook’s lawsuit.

Scott Ramey’s trucking company similarly won about $3,800 in a lawsuit filed after Bell failed to pay its bills. Bell did not respond to Ramey’s lawsuit and a judge ruled in Ramey’s favor.

“I work with three or four companies, and they owed money to all,” Ramey told The Star Press. “They’re not paying their bills.”

New concerns about Bell came to light after the Walker/Roysdon Report column in Monday’s Star Press. That column noted that Bell hadn’t returned calls or emails from Delaware County economic development officials for five months.

Norm McCowan, identified as president and CEO on Bell’s website, spoke to The Star Press for that column and said that he had been away on sales trips.

“When we need to communicate, we do that very well,” McCowan said. The Star Press left messages for McCowan again on Thursday that were not returned.

When it opened in Albany and Redkey in the mid-and-late-2000s, the company promised to create jobs by growing millions of pounds of fish for consumers. Bell’s products have been sold in restaurants and stores.

The company has said it hoped to raise $15 million from private investors and, in 2012, Bell — through the Economic Development Alliance — asked the county to issue $16.6 million in economic development revenue bonds. The county created a tax increment financing (TIF) area for Bell and subsequently also agreed to build a $1-million-plus road to Bell to get truck traffic off Albany streets.

After hearing nothing from Bell this year, the county stopped that road project, although land had already been purchased for the road’s construction.

Ramey, who successfully sued Bell over his bill for trucking, said he was owed $10,000. The company is negotiating with companies it owes to bargain down its debt, Ramey said.

“They’ve got $20 million worth of equipment on the floor crated and not in use,” Ramey said. The Star Press was also told that electric service to Bell was cut off earlier this year for non-payment of utility bills.

Delaware County officials have told The Star Press they are monitoring the situation.

Contact Keith Roysdon at 765-213-5828 and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.