TAFT ANNOUNCES GRANTS TO BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES
State Assistance Will Help Create Up To 150 Jobs for Ohioans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2004

Columbus, OH -- Governor Bob Taft today announced that more than $1.2 million in Business and Roadwork Development grants have been awarded to one firm and four communities in Ohio. The grants, administered by the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD), were approved by the State Controlling Board, and are intended to assist in the growth and development of Ohio businesses and the creation and retention of jobs. These projects are expected to create up to 150 positions and retain 369 jobs over the next three years.

Kardex Systems, Inc., located in Marietta (Washington County), will receive a $50,000 Business Development (412) grant to assist with the purchase of new machinery and equipment for the company’s headquarters. Kardex is a manufacturer of automated retrieval systems serving the office/industrial sectors. Ohio was in competition with West Virginia and Pennsylvania for this $250,000 project, which is expected to retain 40 jobs.

Mahoning County will receive a $500,000 Roadwork Development (629) grant to assist with infrastructure improvement costs at the Center Pointe Commerce Park in Austin Township. The more than $4 million project, led by Redstone Investments, a private developer, involves the acquisition of 180 acres at the southeast corner of Interstate 80 and State Route 46 for a large commercial and industrial development that will serve as one of the county's largest and premier industrial parks. These improvements are expected to result in substantial job creation by prospective industrial park tenants over the near- and long-term future.

The Village of Gnadenhutten, located in Tuscarawas County, will receive a $20,000 Roadwork Development (629) grant to assist with costs associated with roadwork pavement and storm sewer improvements leading into the Larson Road Industrial Park. These improvements will accommodate the expansion needs of U.S.P. Sandblasting & Painting, a tractor-trailer reconditioning company, and AMKO, a comprehensive service company to the high pressure and industrial gas industry, located in the Larson Road Industrial Park. U.S.P. Sandblasting & Painting is expected to create three jobs and retain six positions, while AMKO expects to create six jobs and retain 25 full positions. Total project costs are $492,000.

The City of Youngstown, located in Mahoning County, will receive a $500,000 Roadwork Development (629) grant to assist in construction costs for a bridge at the Ohio Works Industrial Park. The bridge will improve accessibility to the industrial park, which is a brownfield site formerly occupied by USX Steel. The 135-acre industrial park, currently home to several manufacturing operations, including Graybar Electric, M-7 Technologies and Insulated Glass Technologies, is in need of greater access to State Route 711 and Interstate 680 in order to be more marketable to prospective industrial tenants. The $2.1 million project is expected to create 117 new jobs and retain 187 positions.

The Village of Seville, located in Medina County, will receive a $150,000 Roadwork Development (629) grant to assist in costs associated with the construction of an additional roadway at Panther Parkway in the Beacon South Transportation Park. The new road will make available 22 additional acres of prime industrial land for future development in the Village of Selville. CRM Enterprise, LLC plans to build a 30,000-square foot headquarters and customer service center that will house Panther II Transportation, a transportation services provider to multiple industries on 4.7 acres of the newly-created industrial space. The more than $500,000 project is expected to create 24 jobs and retain 111 positions.

The Business Development Account (412) is a grant program to assist companies and communities that are creating or retaining jobs with the necessary infrastructure improvements needed to ensure a project moves forward. The Roadwork Development Account (629) provides grant assistance to communities for highway and road projects related to job creation and retention. The 629 Program is funded with gas tax dollars and is restricted to public road projects only.

Contact: Maria Smith or Gail Crawley, ODOD, at 614-466-2609; or Kevin Kellems, Governor’s Office, at 614-644-0957.