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Dear
Nikki McConnell,
I
am happy to report that the new Ashland Area
Council for Economic Development (AACED) is off to
a busy, successful start. As you may have read in
our last newsletter, on January
1, 2006
AACED was formed when “Ashland Economic
Development,” which was a Division of the City of
Ashland,
transitioned into this new non-profit structure
with an independent board and combination of
public/private funding. I know I speak on behalf
of my staff and Board of Directors when I thank
you for supporting us in this great county-wide
cooperative effort toward economic prosperity.
AACED has been focusing much of its work
these first four months on development of the
Ashland
and Loudonville
Business
Parks.
These properties are wonderful assets, of which we
should all be proud. The
Ashland
Park
has seen the following activity since January:
1) Received approval for a State-funded
rail spur extension to the edge of the Park
(Faultless
Drive),
an investment of approximately $500,000. This
project will be completed in 2006.
2) City
of Ashland
has signed a purchase agreement for the sale of 10
acres; construction will commence this summer and
the project is forecasted to create 50 jobs over
the next 3 years.
3) City has received a
letter of intent from another firm hoping to buy 9
acres.
The
Loudonville
Industrial
Park
has a great track record of accommodating great
businesses, and it is poised for attraction of new
tenants. The former Merillat building was recently
purchased by a strong development firm out of
Chicago—In-Site
Real Estate. In-Site is actively marketing the
building, as it hopes to attract a tenant into the
available 200,000 square feet. In-Site is pleased
with the success and continued investment of their
other tenant—Mansfield Plumbing, whose sales and
distribution center is in the building. Other news
in the Park includes an application I have in to
the State of Ohio
for a $500,000 grant to build a “spec building,”
which we would market as a community to
small-medium size manufacturing prospects. I hope
to have more news on this project by July.
The projects I have noted above are very
important, especially in light of our county’s
loss of industry that we hope to replace by
offering these great business sites. However, our
most important work is the services we can provide
to the existing businesses that make up our
economic base. I have met with over 12
manufacturers since January and am scheduled for
several more meetings, where I typically bring
along key resource providers. I am encouraged by
these businesses that are constantly exploring new
markets and/or strategies to improve their
productivity. There are many State and Federal
programs to help in this regard, so please contact
us for additional information.
Once again,
thank you for all that you do to make this a great
county. We hope to hear from you, and I hope you
can join us at the Mohican Area Growth
Foundation’s annual public meeting—May 12th,
7:30
am
at Rader’s Restaurant in Loudonville. I will be
sharing an economic overview of the Loudonville-
Perrysville area at this meeting.
Sincerely,
AACED Director
Evan Scurti
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New
Hospice Facility to Open This
Fall
 Hospice
of North Central Ohio, Inc. will be opening its
new facility this fall. Those involved in the
project were able to raise 3.5 million dollars
and have the potential to raise 2 million
dollars more through fundraising campaigns for
the project. Currently, Hospice cares for over
100 patients a day either in a home, hospital,
nursing home or assisted living housing. The
closest facilities for terminally ill patients
are in Akron,
Cleveland,
Columbus,
and Toledo.
This service is greatly needed in this area. Now
Hospice will have their own twelve-patient
center, centrally located to care for those in
Richland, Ashland, Huron, and other neighboring
counties, to better serve north central Ohio.
The facility is 32,000 square feet, each
‘home-like patient rooms’ will include a view of
the outdoor gardens, a great room, chapel,
family dining area, family sitting room,
kitchen, library, and screened in porches. The
facility will also contain computer alcoves with
Internet access, expanded bereavement facility,
in addition to an indoor and outdoor children's
play area. To prepare for the opening of the
inpatient center Hospice will be hiring twenty
to thirty individuals to better serve their
clients.
For
More Information...
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Ohio's
Third Frontier Internship Program Approved
 Once
again the citizens of
Ohio
have approved the Third Frontier Internship
Program. The 1.1 billion dollar job creation
program will bring together talented students
and educators with dynamic companies around
Ohio.
The program is designed to keep high-skilled
workers in Ohio
after graduation that can bring innovation to
businesses.
Most manufacturing and
service related businesses with some information
technology facets will qualify. These businesses
will have the opportunity to hire and develop
students that will bring innovation and
opportunity to their company. Additional
benefits include a reimbursement for up to 50%
of the intern’s wages or no more than $3,000
dollars. Students, enrolled in approved math,
science, or engineering curriculum in a higher
learning institution have the chance of
acquiring employment in dynamic firms. Students
can also earn up to $6,000 in a one-year period
for their internship. Educators will also be
able to enhance their knowledge of
Ohio
businesses and gain pioneering ideas for
educating the next generation of
Ohio
workers.
If you would like more
information or to determine eligibility please
contact Ashland Area Council for Economic
Development at (419) 289-3200.
For
More Information...
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Ashland's
Brownfield Redevelopment Initiative
 AACED
is continuing to advance its redevelopment
agenda by researching best practices and
educating the development community in the
benefits of brownfield redevelopment.
“Brownfields” are abandoned or under-utilized
commercial or industrial properties, whose
redevelopment is hindered by the private
market’s perception of potential contamination
and its associated liabilities. There are some
key sites and buildings in the city of
Ashland
that fit this profile. As a result, AACED
anticipates the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency’s (USEPA) grant announcements in late
May. On behalf of the City of
Ashland,
AACED has applied for up to $400,000 in
brownfields planning money. Should the City
receive these funds, AACED looks forward to
coordinating a community planning effort that
will guide redevelopment efforts and engage
developers.
Other AACED brownfield
efforts include ongoing dialogue with the owners
of these sites and facilitating a 2005 Ohio EPA
work session with City Council. All of these
activities recently led to Director Evan
Scurti’s enrollment in an invitation-only course
developed by the National Brownfield
Association. This organization has received
USEPA grants to develop and implement seminars
around the country. The May 23rd event in
Columbus
will be attended by 10
Ohio
municipalities, and
Ashland’s
attendance was recommended by Ohio EPA staff.
Following the seminar, the National Brownfield
Association has committed to follow-ups with the
attendees to monitor redevelopment progress.
This is an excellent opportunity, and AACED is
excited to learn best practices and engage the
community in this initiative. Please contact us
at anytime for more details.
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Kitchen
& Bath Design Business Profile
 Kitchen
and
Bath
Design
Center
(KBDC): Innovation and Creativity Driving
Success for this Small Manufacturer in Rural
Ashland
County.
KBDC CEO Rodger Kaufman has implemented
a business model of diversification, progressive
thinking, and a focus on quality to achieve
success over the past 20+ years. Starting in
1983, and with construction on the
Ashland
County
facility at Rt. 511/Rt. 302 beginning in 1986,
KBDC has grown into the wonderful business
setting shown below. The facility and staff of 9
employee-craftsmen reflect the company
philosophy that custom-made products, backed by
unparalleled customer service is still a formula
for success even with many competitors
worldwide.
Rodger strives for constant
showroom renovation and improvement, and he is
currently completing a second floor renovation.
He and his staff also continuously work toward
new product offerings to retain their reputation
as a cutting-edge manufacturer. Their innovation
does not stop at the manufacturing process; much
work has gone into the company’s product
website, http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=nb9okvbab.0.4agykvbab.e54bqnbab.123&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ekbdc.com,
where over 1400 items are for sale.
AACED is proud to note that Kitchen and
Bath
Design
Center
has benefited from
Ashland
University’s
new Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative,
directed by Mr. Bob Stimpert. Funded through a
congressional grant from Rep. Regula’s District,
Mr. Stimpert brings a diverse manufacturing
background to his clients, as he finds resources
and counsels them in many areas. For KBDC, the
Initiative’s focus has been on improving plant
productivity and efficiency. Bob is also
utilizing AU students to perform cost analyses
that will guide Rodger as he plans to hire new
employees to accommodate growth. AACED
encourages any small- medium size manufacturer
to contact us or Bob Stimpert (419-289-5295), mailto:rstimper@ashland.edu,
to learn more about this great resource.
For
More Information...
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Ashland
Area Council for Economic Development
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