Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 6

124 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 Partnerships Specialist for OhioSE Economic Development, points out that the oil and gas industry is another important economic contributor. He notes, “The energy sector impacts most of eastern Ohio. Particularly Carroll County, with the construction of the Carroll County Energy gas to electric power plant. In this part of Ohio with the whole Marcellus Shale play there have been billions of dollars invested and thousands of jobs created. Carroll County was in on the initial boom, with the end result being Carroll County Energy. I’ve been impressed by the County leadership because the plant construction resulted in a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program that helped The Carrollton Exempted Village School District get a brand-new, grades 6 through 12 school building without the taxpayers having to shoulder the load.” Both Looman and Modranski agree Carroll County would be suited for more manufacturing sectors tied to the oil and gas industry, given its proximity (less than four hours) to the Shell Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex currently under construction in Potter Township, Pennsylvania. The monstrous ethane cracker facility will produce pellets for use in plastics manufacturing or any other sector requiring that feedstock. A similar ethane cracker project is also proposed for Ohio’s Belmont County, which if approved, could attract even more industries to the region. Like the rest of the Appalachia area, the County is working on having more ready-to-build industrial sites. One such example is the local company Griffeth & Son Trucking Inc. Modranski reports, “At the end of 2019, beginning of 2020, Griffeth & Son invested $4.2 million dollars into the purchase of a former plastics manufacturing building. They are in the process of renovating it and even extending the rail line right in the center of Carroll County. They went from 26 employees to adding 40 new jobs and creating Engagement & Partnerships Specialist for OhioSE Economic Development, Ed Looman