FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2006

Columbus, OH -- Lieutenant Governor Bruce Johnson today joined company leaders from Total Quality Logistics (TQL) in celebrating the groundbreaking of the firm's new sales and customer service center in Union Township (Clermont County). The $14.6 million project is expected to create 586 jobs.

"As companies compete in the world marketplace, getting products from Point A to Point B quickly is of the utmost importance," said Johnson, who also serves as state development director. "TQL sets the standard in the freight industry with its innovative processes for helping businesses ship their goods to customers all over the nation. The company is one of the fastest job generating companies in the region and a terrific partner in helping Ohio build a top-notch economy that keeps our state at the forefront of a variety of industries."

Headquartered in Cincinnati, TQL is a third-party logistics provider that works with companies nationwide to facilitate their truckload freight movements. By locating trucks, monitoring shipments and communicating progress to its customers, TQL relieves the burden of finding dependable carriers and handling the many obstacles that occur in transit. To accommodate its rapid growth, TQL will construct a 100,000 square-foot facility that will be used for sales and customer service operations.

Johnson cited Ohio's recent tax reform as one factor in the company’s location decision. The reform is eliminating the tax on tangible personal property, eliminating Ohio's corporate franchise tax and reducing personal income tax by 21%. It also makes Ohio an ideal location from which to reach the North American marketplace by exempting the state's commercial activities tax on sales to locations outside Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Development provided assistance toward the project, which includes a 75 percent Job Creation Tax Credit, valued at $4.6 million, for a 10-year term. Ohio was in competition with Kentucky for this project.