Five economic development projects that Richland Area Chamber and Economic Development closed out during the first half of this year will have a $102 million total impact on the local economy. The good economic news came from agency representatives who presented their biannual report to the Richland County commissioners Tuesday.

The report noted that the five projects are committed to creating 336 new jobs with $13.5 million in annual payroll over the next three years as a result of $51.6 million in capital expenditures. The total figure also includes spending by suppliers and employees in the local economy.

Barrett Thomas, the chamber's director of economic development, said the report has larger figures than for the first half of 2021 mainly because of a major investment by Charter Next Generation in both Lexington and Ontario. The four other projects closed out so far this year were involved in the JobsOhio Inclusion program for smaller projects in targeted areas with underrepresented ownership groups and businesses in “distressed” ZIP codes. They are Global Medical Foam, New Day Creative, Ohio Valley Stamping and The Boot Life.

Thomas said at least four other companies are in the state program’s pipeline. 

“Several of these have an expansion in footprint or are going to a new building,” he said. “The Boot Life is getting a new, online platform to scale their nationwide sales.”

Chamber President and CEO Jodie Perry noted that Richland County is second only to Cuyahoga County in utilization of the Inclusion program.

Officials said the 160,000-square-foot spec building at the Airport West development site in Mansfield is completed and helping to attract interest in local development.

“The 17 attraction opportunities that we’ve responded to, a lot of those are looking for a building 100,000 square feet, they’re looking for 400,000 square feet. The building is designed to be expanded on and that’s what they’re looking for,” Thomas said. “They all want to be up in production in nine months and that’s not going to happen, but they want to know if this can happen fast and have a building ready to go.”

Thomas said a German company expressed interest in order to be closer to its customers but ultimately chose another community.

Officials said the Airport West site is the first in the state to achieve authentication from the JobsOhio “SiteOhio” program that is designed to define and promote the best sites in the state for development and investment. The chamber also is working to get several other local sites to meet the standard.

The report says a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the U.S. 30 corridor that involves Richland, Ashland, Crawford and Wyandot counties is ready to be submitted for state approval. The CEDS, which received a resolution of support Tuesday from the commissioners, includes the vision, goals, and strategy for the region to foster regional collaboration, set economic priorities and facilitate access to federal funds for economic development and workforce development for the next five years.

Economic Development Liaison Jessica Gribben said other efforts to attract and keep people in the area include a housing study that should be complete in October that will be valuable as the $20 billion Intel chip plant develops in Licking County. She also said the second and third phases of the Black Fork Commons project in Shelby also will help make the area more attractive to prospective employees.

Marketing and Communications Director Sandy Messner told the board that officials are completing 25 employer videos that will be posted on social media to show what it is like to work at those companies. She said the chamber also is in the second season of the Workforce Pulse Podcast which is focusing on stories of “boomerang” and home-grown talent and talent that landed in the community from somewhere else to share with individuals who are being recruited or considering returning home.

Commissioner Chairman Tony Vero asked chamber representatives about the state of the local economy in light of the COVID downturn the last two years and the high inflation so far in 2022.

“There’s no question it’s impacting businesses. That being said, there still are local businesses that are expanding. It’s definitely not all ‘gloom and doom,’” Perry said.  "We’re no different than any other community in that workforce continues to be a challenge.”

In other business, commissioners approved an $117,000 allocation of county American Rescue Plan Act funds to help pay for improvements to Palm Park north of Bellville near the B-and-O Hike/Bike trail. County Business Manager Andrew Keller said the project will replace a portable toilet at the end of the park near the Boy Scout cabin with a permanent restroom and replace a holding tank in the restroom at the other end with a sewer line connection.

“It will make the park more accessible and have less logistical and environmental issues than they have with the portable toilet,” Keller said.

Bellville Village Administrator Larry Weirick said the permanent restroom will help when people take their children to the playground there. He noted that the rest of the $274,000 total cost will be covered with an H2Ohio clean water program grant.