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ECONOMY

Business would bring 400-600 jobs to area

Officials working on incentives package to lure manufacturing company to Monroe.

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By Denise Wilson, Staff Writer Updated 1:19 PM Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Monroe is one of three Ohio cities in the running to land a new business, according to City Manager William Brock.

An unidentified manufacturing company is looking at some industrial property at the Corridor 75 Park — developed by Vandercar Holdings Inc. — on Ohio 63 off Interstate 75 in Monroe.

The project has been given the code name “Project Helios.” “By far (it) would be our largest income tax generator in the city. It will likely spur additional development, both in the need for suppliers for this company, as well as the need for services, restaurants and those types of things,” City Manager William Brock said.

“They’re looking at several other states and we’re one out of three cities in Ohio currently that they’re looking at.”

However, Brock declined to identify the company.

Monroe’s Director of Development Kevin Chesar said the state would know if it is still in the running within the next four to six weeks.

“We’ve made a first cut and now we’re at the second cut. I think our intent is if we make this third cut, we can get more specific with council regarding some of the specific incentives,” he said.

Kimm Coyner, economic development director for the Warren County Port Authority, said any project the authority gets a lead on from the state about a prospective company interested in locating in the area is always given a code name such as Helios.

“Depending how far you get in the process, it becomes more clear,” she said.

Kelly Schlissberg, a spokesperson with the Ohio Department of Development, said during the early stages of negotiations, “projects we’re working on are confidential.”

“Many times before companies have announced a decision or anything like that or before we have any incentives approved for a company, a public board ... many times details and discussions regarding a project are confidential just to simply honor the company’s request for confidentiality,” she said.

The company, which is considering several other states, is requesting a combined incentives package from all the states in the running for the project in excess of $50 million, Brock said.

Other areas are offering multiple incentives packages such as free land and community reinvestment area tax abatements already in place, he said

Brock said some of the programs that council will be asked to consider to encourage the company to move to Monroe include a waiver, which would affect the corporate income tax, a potential loan, waiving a portion of the city’s building fees, restructuring its utility costs and waiving site plan and engineering review fees.

“It’s not a lot of money, but it can make an impact,” he said.

“This is again a very competitive market. We’re trying to be competitive with the other sites in Ohio and the other states. Obviously, the state plays a huge role in landing this company. Whether or not we can do it, again our piece is very small, but the state’s piece is going to be pretty big.”

Coyner said landing the business would be a “huge coup for Warren County” and Monroe.

“We don’t know that many details, which isn’t unusual at this stage, but even moreover, I think, that everyone’s being incredibly closed-lip because this is such an unusually large project given the current economy that we’re in,” she said.

Coyner said she’s hearing that if the company chooses to locate in Monroe and Warren County it would bring between 400 to 600 jobs to the area.

“That’s not a once-in-a-year project, that’s a kind of once-in-a-10-year project that you have the opportunity to work on,” she said.

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Debi, I will tell you why Middletown officials don't go after new businesses, they are not officials. You have to be a professional to be an official. They cannot even keep the streets paved. The schools full of crime and they don't enforce keeping your home and yard at least cleaned up. They are awaiting their chance to leave town just like that poor excuse of a superintendant did.They let Middletown Reg Hosp go. Watch the mall die a slow death. Kmart closing and that strip mall will be empty

Average joe
3:11 PM, 7/1/2009

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I'm no scholar, but it seems to me, that if I was a chief administrator in a dwindling city, such as Hamilton, and I heard a large corp. was looking for a place to build a manufacturing plant. I would beg them to look at this city, I would offer tax incentives, not only to the corporation, but for employee's who may be willing to move into the city. Where would we let them build? How about an old golf course, or what about the abandoned Louis Farm on Tylersville.H Town needs working people

Ed
12:04 PM, 7/1/2009

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I would welcome any new business to the area. We need jobs. Still don't understand why Middletown does not try to get new business. Everything is going to Monroe. What is wrong with our city officials?

Debi
8:03 AM, 7/1/2009

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Brock you don't want to tell the name of the company when many already know the name? You are brainless like Dr. Lolli is with the schools.
I'll pass the name of the secret company around and your secret will no longer be.

DA!

Writer
5:45 PM, 6/30/2009

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I don't think we need anymore dirty manufacturing jobs near the city of Monroe. I think AK steel is near Monroe and it is dirty enough. My daughter knows more about pollution than most 30 year olds. We need more "white" collar jobs. Education is the only way out the mess we are in and I got's me a degree.

Isis
3:59 PM, 6/30/2009

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