Ashland County, Ohio

cording to Kathy Goon, Executive Director of Grow Ashland, “Ashland County is situated half- way between the major cities of Columbus and Cleveland, with I-71 going through it.We’re exit 186 and it’s a great location for manufactur- ing, for retail, for distribution, and for trucking companies. Our largest manufacturer, Mansfield Plumbing Products, is located in the small vil- lage of Perrysville in what we call ‘South County.’ Perrysville is home to 721 people and Mansfield Plumbing employs 700 employees. Mansfield Plumbing also has a logistics warehouse in the City of Ashland, because of the ease of access to I-71. The company manufacturers more than a million toilets a year and has been a valuable as- set in our community for over five decades.” In addition to Mansfield Plumbing, Ashland County boasts many other economic gems in- cluding The Step2 Company LLC, which is the largest American manufacturer of preschool and toddler toys. Another company of note in a rural area is American Augers, a directional drilling company located in Jackson Township. Having several large corporations as well as many small- er manufacturers in less densely populated areas is a source of pride for the County proving you don’t have to operate in the City of Ashland to be successful. “Ashland, Ohio was built on coloring books, printing facilities, and pump manufacturers,” Goon reports. “A lot of pump companies, includ- ing original firms that are now known as Pentair, Keen Pump, Eco-Flo, and Champion Pump are here. Many of these companies were founded in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and Ashland has been able to sustain those types of industries in the long-term.” Grow Ashland and the County assist with expan- sions of existing manufacturers, as well as help- ing prospective employers. If a new company is interested in relocating to the area, the City of Ashland can sell available parcels at an at- tractive cost in the business park if a significant number of well-paying, new jobs are created. To help meet employment goals, Grow Ashland collaborates with the North Central Workforce Alliance, Transformation Network, and the Ash- land County-West Holmes Career Center to offer leadership training, new employee training, youth education, workforce retention, and more. In 2017, Grow Ashland spearheaded a Commu- nity Entertainment District in the area known as the ”250 Corridor” that extends east from down- town to I-71, and also established a Downtown Revitalization District because Ashland had no available liquor licences left from its quota. At the time, a new license to serve alcohol would cost between $50,000 to $100,000. “That’s un- heard of,” says Goon. “We don’t want to put any- body in a position to fail, especially franchises or mom and pop operations that want to open restaurants and serve alcohol. So, we were able to secure 15 additional liquor licenses per dis- trict. That gives us 30 in total. The key is that 75 percent of sales have to be food and 25 percent liquor. So, you’re not bringing in a bunch of bars, and that has helped us attract new restaurants. With that, and the downtown revitalization, things are looking up and people are buying buildings.” Ashland offers incentives in what is known as a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA), where an owner is eligible for 50 percent off taxes on an improved property for 10 years. There is also an Enterprise Zone for manufacturing and distribu- North Central Workforce Alliance www.LippertEnt.com | (419) 281-8084 EXTEND THE LIFE OF INVENTORY Specializing in new OEM obsolete, slow moving and excess inventory from on-highway truck and medium to heavy duty equipment manufacturers.