Paulding County, Ohio

3 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10 Y, OHIO RURAL LIVING AT ITS BEST P aulding County is a strategic hub in the heart of Ohio’s major consumer, agricultural, and industrial markets. Fifty percent of the U.S. buying force lies within 500 miles of this progressive county, which boasts convenient interstate and turnpike access and two metropolitan airports just minutes away. From an aesthetic perspective, Paulding County’s scenic rural landscape is a dream… populated with unique villages and an abundance of charm. What’s not to love? Tim Copsey, Economic Development Director for Paulding County, reports, “One of the things in the last year that we have identified as critical is our workforce. We felt that most of the workforce in our area is either already working or retired. So we started discussing different options with our schools, and each school came up with a very innovative way to work with our students to help them develop into tomorrow’s skilled workforce.” With that in mind, the board of the local Antwerp school system decided to spend $1.3 million on a new Innovation and Aquaponics Center. The campus site is available for grades K– 12 to visit and do innovative projects supported by local businesses. The mutual goal is to help those businesses with their endeavors or workforce