News Room

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2007

Columbus, OH -- Lt. Governor Lee Fisher today announced that the Ohio Tax Credit Authority has approved Job Creation Tax Credits for companies involved in business location or expansion projects that, if located in Ohio, are expected to contribute $380 million to Ohio's economy, retain 1,570 positions and create 1,553 family-supporting jobs.

"In order to facilitate an economic turnaround, the State must partner with our communities and private sector to support growth and job creation," said Lt. Governor Fisher, who also serves as the Director of the Ohio Department of Development. "These projects represent the collaborative spirit among state and local government and the business community necessary to creating opportunities for Ohioans."

InfoCision Management Corporation (InfoCision), located in Austintown Township (Mahoning County), has been awarded a 35 percent tax credit for a five-year term to expand its teleservices operation. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $82,054 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 10 years. InfoCision began in 1982 as a three-person organization functioning primarily as a telephone-marketing consultant to Christian organizations. Today, InfoCision operates 27 call centers at 12 locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, employing approximately 3,400 people. The company is a leading provider of outbound and inbound marketing services for nonprofit, religious, political and commercial organizations, and raises more money for nonprofit organizations than any other vendor in the world. The company proposes to expand its existing 23,710 square-foot facility by 1,290 square-feet, and construct a 6,500 square-foot building adjacent to the current facility. The company will invest $2.5 million building construction and renovation and $1.5 million in furniture and fixtures. The facilities will be used for teleservices operations including inbound and outbound telephone marketing, volunteer recruitment, e-commerce and e-business solutions, and full service Internet, letter shop and product fulfillment services. Ohio is in competition with Pennsylvania and West Virginia for this $4 million project, which is expected to create 80 jobs and retain 395 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

InfoCision Management Corporation (InfoCision), to be located in Gallopolis (Galia County) has been awarded a 35 percent tax credit for a five-year term to expand its teleservices operation. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $48,207 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 10 years. InfoCision began in 1982 as a three-person organization functioning primarily as a telephone-marketing consultant to Christian organizations. Today, InfoCision operates 27 call centers at 12 locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, employing approximately 3,400 people The company is a leading provider of outbound and inbound marketing services for nonprofit, religious, political and commercial organizations, and raises more money for nonprofit organizations than any other vendor in the world. The company proposes to relocate operations to an existing 30,000 square-foot building to allow room for expansion, and make leasehold improvements to the building. The current, smaller facility is also located in Gallipolis, and all existing jobs will be moved to the new location. The company will invest $400,000 in leasehold improvements, $400,000 in machinery and equipment, and $300,000 in furniture and fixtures. The new facility and the original facility will be used for teleservices operations including inbound and outbound telephone marketing, volunteer recruitment, e-commerce and e-business solutions, and full service Internet, letter shop, and product fulfillment services. Ohio is in competition with Pennsylvania and West Virginia for this $1.1 million project, which is expected to create 47 jobs and retain 167 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

InfoCision Management Corporation (InfoCision), located in Boardman Township (Mahoning County), has been awarded a 35 percent tax credit for a five-year term to expand its teleservices operation. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $74,875 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 10 years. InfoCision began in 1982 as a three-person organization functioning primarily as a telephone-marketing consultant to Christian organizations. Today, InfoCision operates 27 call centers at 12 locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, employing approximately 3,400 people. The company is a leading provider of outbound and inbound marketing services for nonprofit, religious, political and commercial organizations, and raises more money for nonprofit organizations than any other vendor in the world. The company proposes to relocate two call center operations into a single, 10,260 square-foot facility and invest in new furniture and fixtures. Both current facilities are also located in the City of Boardman area, and all current jobs will be moved to the new facility. The facility will be used for teleservices operations including inbound and outbound telephone marketing, volunteer recruitment, e-commerce and e-business solutions, and full service Internet, letter shop, and product fulfillment services. Ohio is in competition with West Virginia and Pennsylvania for this $1.5 million project, which is expected to create 73 jobs and retain 135 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

InfoCision Management Corporation (InfoCision), located in Green (Summit County), has been awarded a 35 percent tax credit for a five-year term to expand its teleservices operation. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $76,926 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 10 years. InfoCision began in 1982 as a three-person organization functioning primarily as a telephone-marketing consultant to Christian organizations. Today, InfoCision operates 27 call centers at 12 locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, employing approximately 3,400 people. The company is a leading provider of outbound and inbound marketing services for nonprofit, religious, political and commercial organizations, and raises more money for nonprofit organizations than any other vendor in the world. The company proposes to make leasehold improvements to a 11,965 square-foot call center facility located adjacent to the company's current facility. The company will invest $150,000 in leasehold improvements, $300,000 in machinery and equipment and $250,000 in furniture and fixtures. The new facility and the company's original facility will be used for teleservices operations including inbound and outbound telephone marketing, volunteer recruitment, e-commerce and e-business solutions, and full service Internet, letter shop, and product fulfillment services. Ohio is in competition with West Virginia and Pennsylvania for this $700,000 project, which is expected to create 75 jobs and retain 169 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

MilAir LLC (MilAir), to be located in Miami Township (Clermont County), has been awarded a 35 percent tax credit for a five-year term to expand its thermal products manufacturing facility. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $71,931 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 10 years. MilAir was founded in 2006 in Chesterfield, Michigan and specializes in the design and manufacturing of heating and cooling devices used for numerous military applications including extreme weather conditions. The company is leasing an 8,000 square-foot facility that will be used for the manufacturing of thermal products for the military industry. The company proposes to expand into additional facilities and invest $500,000 in new machinery and equipment, $20,000 in furniture and fixtures, $162,480 in leasehold improvements and $15,000 in on-site infrastructure improvements. Ohio is in competition with Michigan for this $697,480 project, which is expected to create 30 jobs and retain three positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

Rieter Automotive North America, Inc. (Rieter), located in Oregon (Lucas County), has been awarded a 40 percent tax credit for a seven-year term to expand its manufacturing facility. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $220,888 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 14 years. Rieter was founded in Switzerland in 1795 and is a leading supplier of products and services for the textile, automotive and plastics industries. Rieter is comprised of two divisions; Rieter Textile Systems develops and produces machinery and integrated systems for converting fibers and plastics into yarns, non-wovens and pellets. In partnership with automotive manufacturers, Rieter Automotive Systems, the second division, develops and produces components, modules, and integrated systems on the basis of fibers, plastics, and metals in order to provide acoustic comfort and thermal insulation in motor vehicles. The company proposes to expand existing operations with the renovation of its 150,000 square-foot building, construction of a 4,000 square-foot addition to the building, and the purchase a new manufacturing line for installation. The renovated facility will be used to manufacture fiber padding and floor carpet/insulator assemblies for the automotive industry. Ohio is in competition with another state for this $6 million project, which is expected to create 80 jobs and retain 155 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations. Rieter is planning to make a formal announcement regarding their investment on March 9.

Bare Escentuals Beauty, Inc. (Bare Escentuals), to be located in Obetz (Franklin County), has been awarded a 45 percent tax credit for a five-year term to establish a distribution facility. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $356,816 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 10 years. Bare Escentuals is based in San Francisco, California and develops, markets and sells cosmetics, skin care, and body care products under its i.d. bareMinerals, i.d. RareMinerals and Bare Escentuals brands, and professional skin care products under its md formulations brand. Bare Escentuals is one of the fastest growing prestige cosmetic companies in the United States and a leader in mineral-based cosmetics. The company proposes to lease a 300,000 square foot-facility and invest $246,000 in site infrastructure costs, $3.5 million for the acquisition of new machinery and equipment, and approximately $276,000 in other project related costs. The facility will be utilized as a regional distribution facility for the distribution of the company's cosmetic products to customers, retailers, and company boutiques located in the Midwest, Southern and Eastern United States. Ohio is in competition with Kentucky for this more than $3.7 million project, which is expected to create 217 jobs within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

Insurance.com, Inc. (Insurance.com), located in Solon (Cuyahoga County), has been awarded a 45 percent tax credit for a five-year term to expand its current facility. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $235,104 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 10 years. Insurance.com enables consumers to instantly compare and buy competitive auto insurance quotes directly from more than a dozen leading insurance carriers. Other products offered by the company include life, health, and home insurance as well as travel, dental, and pet health insurance. The company proposes to lease an existing 70,000 square-foot building near its current facility and invest $630,000 in leasehold improvements, $500,000 in machinery and equipment, $510,000 in furniture and fixtures and $160,000 in fees. The facility will be used to service rapidly growing sales demand. Ohio is in competition with Texas, Nevada and Florida for this $1.86 million project, which is expected to create 131 jobs and retain 208 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

ValueCare Pharmacy, LLC (ValueCare), located in Brecksville (Cuyahoga County), has been awarded a 45 percent tax credit for a five-year term to establish a closed-door pharmacy operation. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $342,236 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 10 years. ValueCare will be an institutional pharmacy and is being formed to provide traditional institutional pharmacy services to various types of skilled nursing facilities. Institutional pharmacies are specially licensed and designed pharmacy dispensing operations that serve the needs of patients in various types of skilled nursing facilities. ValueCare will replace a current Kentucky-based national pharmacy vendor resulting in improved service to ValueCare's Ohio customers. ValueCare will then expand its operations to serve other customers both inside and outside Ohio. The company proposes to lease and renovate an existing 14,000 square-foot building and invest in new machinery and equipment. The facility will be used as a closed-door pharmacy to service ValueCare's client base. This $518,300 project is expected to create 46 jobs within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

Fostoria Ethanol, LLC, to be located in Fostoria (Seneca County), has been awarded a 50 percent tax credit for a seven-year term to establish an ethanol production facility. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $129,413 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 14 years. Fostoria Ethanol is partnering with the Broin (Broin) Companies and Broin and Associates, the design/build side of the business which has designed and constructed 25 operating ethanol plants, with nine more currently under construction. Currently, Broin manages, produces, and markets nearly 1 billion gallons of ethanol annually, which makes them the second largest ethanol producer in the United States. The company proposes to purchase new machinery and equipment and nearly 250 acres, and construct an ethanol production facility. The 50,000 square-foot facility will produce up 60 million gallons of ethanol per year. Ohio is in competition with Indiana and Michigan for this $130 million project, which is expected to create 41 jobs within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

Marion Ethanol, LLC, to be located in Marion Township (Marion County), has been awarded a 50 percent tax credit for a seven-year term to establish an ethanol production facility. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $129,413 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 14 years. Marion Ethanol is partnering with the Broin (Broin) Companies and Broin and Associates, the design/build side of the business which has designed and constructed 22 operating ethanol plants, with nine more currently under construction. Currently, Broin manages, produces, and markets nearly 1 billion gallons of ethanol annually, which makes them the second largest ethanol producer in the United States. The company proposes to purchase new machinery and equipment and nearly 200 acres, and construct an ethanol production facility. The 50,000 square-foot facility will produce up 60 million gallons of ethanol per year. Ohio is in competition with Indiana and Michigan for this $130 million project, which is expected to create 41 jobs within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

Steed Hammond Paul Inc. (Steed Hammond), to be located in the Cincinnati region at a site to be determined, has been awarded a 55 percent tax credit for a seven-year term to establish a new design facility. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $222,156 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 14 years. Steed Hammond was established in 1901 and is a full service architectural firm with offices in the cities of Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Grove City. The company provides design services in the areas of Architecture, Engineering, Planning, Interior Design, Construction Administration, Strategic Facility Management and Sustainable Design to both the public and private sectors. Its projects range in size from tenant fit-up work for developers to multi-million dollar educational facilities. The company is considering leasing a facility of undetermined size to consolidate a Steed facility in the city of Hamilton and another facility in Cincinnati. If the company moves forward with this project in the Cincinnati region, the new facility would provide design services such as architecture, engineering, planning, interior design, construction administration and strategic facility management. Ohio is in competition with Kentucky for this $993,340 project, which is expected to create 20 jobs and retain 68 positions within the first four years of the project's initial operations.

Whirlpool Corporation & Penske Logistics, LLC, to be located in Columbus (Franklin County), has been awarded a 60 percent tax credit for a five-year term to establish a distribution facility. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $749,597 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 10 years. Penske Logistics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Penske Truck Leasing, which was founded in 1969. Penske Logistics became a division of Penske Truck Leasing in 1995 with its acquisition of Leaseway Logistics and has become one of the world's leading providers of logistics, transportation and distribution services. Global corporations such as the Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation and Whirlpool have teamed with Penske Logistics to reduce supply chain costs, increase market share, and improve profitability. Whirlpool and Penske Logistics have worked closely to maximize the use and transition of existing facilities as well as developing new facilities to achieve an optimal network design for Whirlpool. The companies propose to establish a 1.5 million square-foot Regional Distribution Center that will be one of 10 located throughout the United States, and one of five that handles both high and low volume products. Whirlpool will own the new facility, and Penske Logistics will act as the third party logistics company for Whirlpool. At this center, appliances in bulk will be received from various Whirlpool manufacturing facilities, stored and shipped out as orders are received. Penske Logistics will create 199 new jobs within the first three years of the project's initial operations and Whirlpool will relocate and backfill 70 full-time employees from its Clyde facility. Ohio is in competition with Kentucky and Iowa for this more than $75 million project.

Zyvex Performance Materials (Zyvex), to be located in Columbus (Franklin County), has been awarded a 60 percent tax credit for five-year term to expand its headquarters and research and development operations. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $856,745 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 10 years. Zyvex is a spin-off of Zyvex Corporation, which was founded in 1997. Zyvex is the leading nano-technology company providing tools and instrumentation to the semi-conductor and research and education markets. In addition to being the first commercial molecular nanotechnology company, Zyvex was the first to provide carbon nanotube (CNT) powered products to the marketplace. Zyvex's performance materials serve customers in the aerospace, defense, automotive, and energy markets while its patent technology has been incorporated with customers who are sporting goods manufacturers. The company proposes to relocate and expand its headquarters and research and development operations with investments of $500,000 leasehold improvements, $2.3 million in machinery and equipment, and $200,000 for furniture and fixtures. The facility will be used for administration, research and development and limited manufacturing. Ohio is in competition with South Dakota and Texas for this $3 million project, which is expected to create 97 jobs within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), which is considering a site in Beavercreek (Greene County) and has been awarded a 65 percent tax credit for a seven-year term to relocate and expand its facility should the company go forward with this project. The value of the tax credit is estimated at $5,421,390 over the term, and the company would be required to maintain operations at the project site for 14 years. CSC is the world's third largest provider of Information Technology (IT) services. Headquartered in El Segundo, California, CSC provides outsourcing and technology services, system design and integration, and IT and management consulting services. CSC serves a wide range of industries including aerospace and defense; chemical and energy; financial services; government; health services; retail; and travel and transportation. The company proposes to invest $5.6 million for a building lease and leasehold improvements and $1 million for the purchase new machinery and equipment. The 135,000 square-foot facility would house CSC's operations to support servicing of the U.S. Air Force's ECSS contract at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. ECSS will retire more than 400 legacy information systems in support of the Air Force Expeditionary Logistics for the 21st Century, the Air Force's commitment to increase weapon system availability, reduce operating costs and improve fighter capabilities. CSC's facility would be utilized to provide outsourcing and technology services, system design and integration, and IT and management consulting services to support the ECSS contract, as well as providing space for future private and government IT services. Ohio is in competition with Kentucky and Washington, D.C. for this more than $6.6 million project, which is expected to create 350 jobs and retain 200 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

The Job Creation Tax Credit is a refundable tax credit against the business corporate franchise or income tax. The credit equals a percentage of new state income tax withheld on new, full-time employees in Ohio.