Maryland business transfer to Greencastle makes up for welshed bet for Gov. Daniels

Thursday, March 8, 2012
Gov. Mitch Daniels discusses Wednesday's jobs announcement at FB Distro with Mayor Sue Murray and Charming Shoppes Executive Vice President Bryan Eshelman.

Dominating the Indiana news landscape Wednesday was the long-awaited Indianapolis Colts' decision to part ways with quarterback Peyton Manning.

It proved fodder for talk shows, newspaper columns and Internet blogs. Suffice it to say, it was readily on the minds of many, many Hoosiers -- not the least of which was Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

Daniels, visiting Greencastle for an economic development announcement that detailed plans for an expansion and 135 new jobs at the FB Distro facility locally, took the opportunity to tie the two events together as he spoke from the podium at the East Side distribution facility.

Daniels' comments came after hearing company executive Bryan Eshelman report that parent company Charming Shoppes will be moving the distribution servicing of its 435 Catherines Plus Sizes stores from its Maryland facility to the Greencastle location in April.

"On the day we lost Peyton Manning," Gov. Daniels told the FB Distro audience, "I remember that it was the governor of Maryland who called me up and was adamant about making some silly bet because the Colts were playing the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs."

Daniels finally agreed to wager something like some spicy St. Elmo's shrimp cocktail and South Bend Chocolates against a few Maryland crab cakes.

The Colts won the game, but the crab cakes must have been lost in the mail. The Maryland governor welshed on the bet, Daniels noted Wednesday.

Thinking about that at FB Distro, Gov. Daniels got a few laughs and some applause by suggesting, "Maybe I ought to call him up today and say, 'It looks like maybe we're even now.'"

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