Caldwell, Ohio: Noble County and Crock Construction, in partnership with JobsOhio and Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE), recently announced an investment of over $4.8 million to develop an industrial park one mile east of I-77 near Caldwell, Ohio, designed to attract logistics, light manufacturing, and oil and gas support industries in the region.
The project includes the construction of a 10,000 square-foot commercial speculative building, construction of a new access road, site work, full utilities, and extension of water and sewer to six commercial sites within the proposed Caldwell East of I-77 Business Park.
JobsOhio’s strategic investment in speculative development builds a necessary foundation for business attraction and expansion in the region. “We are dedicated to bringing jobs to every county in Ohio, and this new business park in Noble County will have a major impact on economic development in this important area of the state,” said Governor DeWine. “I appreciate the great partnerships we’ve developed with our local partners in Noble County to bring this project to fruition.”
“JobsOhio has now invested in all 88 counties in Ohio, and we are optimistic that the Caldwell Business Park will establish Noble County as a magnet for businesses looking to succeed here,” said J.P. Nauseef, president and CEO, JobsOhio. JobsOhio is assisting the project with over $2.4 million in grants. Additional funding includes $1.2 million from the Ohio Department of Development’s Rural Industrial Park Loan fund, which was approved by the State Controlling Board earlier in April.
“One of the real challenges faced by communities in our region is a lack of sites that are ready to accommodate new businesses,” said OhioSE President Mike Jacoby. “Our hilly topography and limited reach of utilities are barriers hard to overcome without teamwork. We are tremendously pleased to partner with JobsOhio, a capable local developer, the Ohio Department of Development, and community leaders to make this project a reality. Jobs will grow on these sites.”
The Rural Industrial Park Loan Program supports economic development by providing low-interest direct loans to assist communities and private developers in financing the development and improvement of industrial parks and related infrastructure in rural areas.
The land is owned by Crock Construction and Caldwell Mobile Home Sales, a third-generation, family-owned Noble County construction and retail company with more than 100 years of combined experience that will also be developing the site.
“This project would not be feasible without the investment and partnerships with JobsOhio, the Noble County Commissioners and the Ohio State University Extension, the Olive Township Trustees and the Village of Caldwell,” said Brandon Crock, co-owner and operator of Caldwell Lumber Do It Best and Crock Construction. “The landscapes of Noble County are some of the most beautiful you will see, but that beauty also brings forth challenges that make development difficult. This public-private partnership is the embodiment of a team that has worked hard for three years for one common goal, the benefit of Noble County.”
Funding for site improvements was made available through the JobsOhio-Ohio Southeast Site Initiative, a program that started in 2018 with a goal to assist southeastern Ohio counties by creating competitive sites capable of winning new business investments.
“The new business park comes at a critical time with the county’s original commerce park now at capacity. This is a truly collaborative effort with the landowner/developer, The Noble County Board of Commissioners, the Village of Caldwell, and the Olive Township Trustees on the local level as well as our JobsOhio and OhioSE partners,” said Brad Peoples, Noble County Commissioner. “We also thank Gwynn Stewart with Ohio State University Extension, our local community and economic development partner, and Larry Merry at the Belmont Port Authority for his best-practice regional guidance.
