The numbers support this evolution.The Erie County Port Authority, appointed by county commissioners and managed by the Greater Sandusky Partnership, has facilitated over half a billion dollars in capital investment into the region, with another billion dollars currently in development. Manufacturing employs 6,298 people in the county, making it the largest industry sector, followed by healthcare and retail trade. “If you look at the types of projects that are taking place, it’s a wide variety from hospitality to manufacturing expansions to a new data center being built in the community,” says Eric Wobser, CEO of the Greater Sandusky Partnership, an organization with roots stretching back 125 years through various Erie County entities.“And so, there’s just a lot going on in that respect, and we want to keep that momentum going in the future.” CAPITAL INVESTMENT DRIVING REGIONAL GROWTH The transformation of Erie County’s economic landscape becomes achievable through several major projects reshaping the region’s industrial footprint. “Align Data is in the midst of completing phase one on what will ultimately be a four phase billion-dollar investment in the area with four data center facilities,” Wobser explains.The project signals the county’s ability to attract technology-focused companies seeking strategic locations with robust infrastructure. Traditional industries are expanding alongside these new sectors. Grower’s Mineral Solutions, a producer of agricultural products, broke ground on a new headquarters along the Route 250 corridor. “That project was possible because the Erie County Commissioners supported a tax increment financing along that corridor that will bring needed water and sewer expansion,” Wobser notes. “And really that’s the first project along that stretch of Milan Road in the heart of the county where you’ll see a lot of investment because of that utility investment.” Meanwhile,Toft’s Dairy, Ohio’s oldest dairy operation, is investing $10 million in new cold storage facilities. The expansion received support from the Port Authority, JobsOhio, and the City of Sandusky. 81 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 12 ERIE COUNTY, OH
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