Erie County, OH

A Thriving County’s Economic Future Beyond Tourism

This County is Capitalizing on Its Natural Assets and Looking to Business and Housing Growth

Erie County, Ohio is located along Lake Erie’s southern shore, where 252 square miles of land meet 374 square miles of water. This northern Ohio county, home to approximately 73,000 residents, has long been synonymous with tourism, drawing millions annually to Cedar Point and Kalahari Resorts. But a fundamental shift is underway as the region repositions itself not merely as a place to visit, but as a community where people choose to build their lives.

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. Founded over a century ago, the dairy produces milk and ice cream for the entire northern Ohio region while maintaining its headquarters in Sandusky.

Manufacturing Excellence and Business Expansion

While new sectors take root, Erie County’s manufacturing base remains the backbone of its economy, employing over 6,000 people across the region. Luco Manufacturing, a local company, recently completed a major expansion that added jobs and modernized its production capabilities. Scotts Miracle-Gro, another significant employer, continues to operate facilities in the region, benefiting from the county’s strategic location between the Ohio Turnpike and Route 2. These major arteries provide direct logistical connections that manufacturers require for efficient supply chain operations.

“I still think a lot of our growth in the future is going to continue to be driven by the success and expansion of existing small to medium sized manufacturers like Toft’s, Luco, Growers Mineral, and others,” Wobser says. “We’ve seen a lot of expansion supported by the county, by the local communities in those places, by the Port Authority and by JobsOhio. And I think that we’re going to see most of our growth through continuing to make sure those companies are successful in growing and adding jobs.”

This focus on existing business expansion drives the county’s infrastructure strategy. The Route 250 corridor tax increment financing arrangement represents the first of what county leaders hope will be multiple investments in preparing land for development. “Let’s continue to invest in our major corridors because I think it’s along those major corridors, if they have the appropriate utilities, that you’ll see a lot of growth,” Wobser adds. The approach focuses on removing barriers to investment rather than waiting for development pressure to force infrastructure upgrades.

Workforce Development and Talent Attraction

The county’s economic expansion plans hinge on one fundamental challenge: attracting and retaining the workforce needed to fill both existing and future positions. Erie County’s median household income of $68,431 places it near the middle of Ohio counties, but housing affordability is a pressure point that could constrain growth.

“Housing is obviously a problem, and affordability of housing is one of the things that everyone around Ohio is looking at right now,” says Patrick Shenigo, Erie County Commissioner. “And we’re hoping our state legislators come up with some solutions that are going to be helpful to the citizens of Erie County also.”

While state-level solutions develop, local institutions address workforce preparedness. EHOVE Career Center provides training in manufacturing, healthcare, and other technical fields that align with the county’s employment needs. This connection between education and industry helps ensure that young people can find careers locally rather than leaving the region after completing their training.

Building on this foundation, the Greater Sandusky Partnership recently launched the WorkAdvance program in collaboration with Reach Success, awarding certificates to ten Sandusky High School students who completed training focused on manufacturing sector career pathways. Programs like these address the practical skills gap while exposing students to opportunities they might not otherwise consider.

“We want to continue to get sites with appropriate infrastructure to market because this is a great place and we do see a demand for investment,” Wobser explains. “But we must make sure the land that we do have available is ready to be developed. To Pat’s point, to make sure it stays affordable for those who are already here.” The balance between growth and maintaining quality of life for existing residents shapes policy decisions across multiple fronts.

Tourism Assets and Quality of Life

Cell phone data uncovers a surprising fact about Erie County’s tourism hierarchy: “We just ran numbers on this for a community meeting that showed the largest attraction that we have in this area, a lot of people would assume it’s Cedar Point, and that is number two, but number one is Lake Erie,” Wobser says. “Based on cell phone data where we can see where people visit, actually being in the lake nearby or in the jurisdiction of Erie County is the number one visitor attraction that we have.” The lake’s draw shapes both the visitor economy and residents’ daily experience, creating a unique interplay between commercial tourism and quality of life.

Cedar Point, the 364-acre amusement park that opened in 1870 and merged with Six Flags in July 2024, continues major infrastructure investments. The park’s parent company committed $40 to $50 million to completely rebuild the Cedar Point Causeway, extending the Sandusky Bay Pathway all the way to the park entrance. The project addresses aging electric and water utilities that previously forced occasional park closures.

Kalahari Resorts invested $10.5 million in 2024, adding two new restaurants and the Dawn Breaker waterslide to its complex. The resort previously expanded its outdoor Zambezi Waterpark with a 15,000-square-foot pool holding 365,000 gallons of water. Six Flags also made major investments in their Sawmill Creek Resort in the city of Huron while partnering with the county to build the Sports Force Parks complex, which attracts well over a million people annually and ranks as the region’s fourth largest attraction behind Cedar Point, Kalahari, and Lake Erie.

“The city of Sandusky partnered with Six Flags where they donated 30 acres on the waterfront at the Sports Centre project, and in part through tax increment financing that was placed on the Cedar Point Sports Centre project, just broke ground on a $19 million Bayfront Park that the Sandusky Bay Pathway will run through,” Wobser notes. A Route 6 raise grant is activating connections to Cedar Point all along the Sandusky Bay Corridor.

From downtown Vermillion to Huron’s riverfront to downtown Sandusky, investments in waterfront venues and the Sandusky Bay Pathway extend stays and enhance daily life for residents. “Those downtowns, the Sandusky Bay Pathway, the county, ourselves and others are working hard to get the State Theatre back on track, which is that $35 million restoration of that historic theatre,” Wobser adds. “Those are all examples of that real good interplay that we have between tourism and talent attraction, retention and quality of life.”

Affordability and Strategic Opportunities

Tourism revenue has funded substantial infrastructure improvements across Erie County, with hotel construction alone totaling nearly $200 million in recent years. The increase in hotel room inventory drives higher nightly rates, which in turn generates more bed tax revenue that flows back into community improvements. “I think we have been so blessed in our community with the tourism dollars,” Shenigo says.

“Those are folks that have allowed construction. We used to say $120 million, but I think it’s probably closer to a couple hundred million dollars in new hotel construction that’s been done. You went from Erie County back in the day when you had your one-story sort of motels along the roadside, and now everywhere you look, there’s a four-story new hotel going up.” The revenue supports low tax rates for residents while funding amenities a community of 75,000 could not otherwise afford.

Converting this economic momentum into sustained growth requires strategic thinking about land use. The NASA Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility is perhaps the county’s most underutilized asset. Occupying 6,400 acres in southern Erie County, the facility houses the world’s largest space simulation vacuum chamber and most powerful spacecraft acoustic test chamber. The site has supported missions from SpaceX to NASA’s Artemis program since its establishment in the 1950s.

“Our NASA facility is probably arguably the best large scale testing facility in the world,” Shenigo explains. “Through my hero, general Dave Stringer, he has literally rebuilt that place into the finest test facility. There’s 1,200 acres outside the gate that fronts Route 250. We’ve struggled with the federal agencies to be able to get that land to market. I think that would be a huge investment for our community if we could get that worked out with the feds.”

The combination of prepared infrastructure, strategic location, and diversified economy positions Erie County to build on its tourism foundation while creating opportunities across multiple sectors.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Erie County, Ohio

What: Northern Ohio county transforming from a tourism-dependent economy into a diversified economic hub under the strategic guidance of the Greater Sandusky Partnership.

Where: Ohio

Website: www.eriecounty.oh.gov