Business View Civil & Municipal - May 2023

13 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 5 ALLEN COUNTY a presence in the region. Stratton shares details about these thriving businesses: “The first one is deSter from Belgium.” Boasting approximately 80 employees, deSter’s 250,000-square-foot plastics manufacturing facility is a shining example of the county’s flourishing industrial sector. Another recent addition to Allen County’s business landscape is Logoplaste, a Portuguese plastics company. Stratton explains that the growth of manufacturing in the area has drawn such businesses to Lima/Allen County. One significant company with a facility in Allen County, Procter & Gamble, has a plan to invest $501 million in a new scent, beads manufacturing plant, cementing its commitment to the region. Stratton highlights the significance of this investment, saying, “Approximately 7% of all the product that P&G produces worldwide comes out of the Lima facility.” The arrival of deSter and Logoplaste, coupled with the substantial investment from Procter & Gamble, speaks to Allen County’s burgeoning economic growth and its attractiveness to domestic and international companies. Having weathered the pandemic, Cory Noonan, Allen County Commissioner, believes the county’s resilience can be attributed to strong leadership, a collaborative spirit, and a focus on supporting new and existing businesses. Noonan underscores the importance of the private sector, stating, “Those are the ones that I’d put on top of the hill.” He further emphasizes the role of existing businesses in creating new jobs: “80% of new jobs come from existing businesses.” The success of the county and the region hinges on partnerships between various organizations, including Allen Economic Development Group, the Greater Lima Region, local chambers of commerce, Ohio Means Jobs, and the robust Port Authority of Allen County. Additionally, collaboration with state and local governments has been instrumental in overcoming bureaucratic obstacles that might Dave Stratton