News Room

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2007

Columbus, OH -- Lt. Governor Lee Fisher today announced that $250,000 in Rapid Outreach grants and $1.14 million in Roadwork Development grants have been awarded to two communities and two businesses to aid in the growth and development of businesses and the creation and retention of jobs in Ohio. The grants, administered by the Ohio Department of Development, were approved today by the State Controlling Board and are expected to retain 155 positions and create 119 jobs.

"To leverage growth and investment, we must build upon our existing assets by supporting traditional manufacturing strengths and cultivating next generation industries that provide high growth and good jobs," said Lt. Governor Fisher, who also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Development. "We look forward to further developments in the Andersons Ethanol, Rieter Automotive and Orville projects, and numerous others across the state that are bringing new investment and new jobs to Ohio."

The Andersons Marathon Ethanol, LLC (Andersons), to be located in Greenville (Darke County), will receive a $100,000 Rapid Outreach grant (412) for costs associated with the acquisition of machinery and equipment. The Andersons, Inc. is a diversified company with interests in the grain, ethanol and plant nutrient sectors of U.S. agriculture, railcar marketing, industrial products formulation, turf products production and general merchandise retailing. Andersons plans to construct a 110 million- gallon ethanol facility, its first in Ohio, and the first to be constructed by the Andersons Marathon Ethanol, LLC, a 50/50 joint venture between The Andersons, Inc. and Marathon Petroleum Company, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Marathon Oil Corporation. The facility, which will be built on 86.5 acres will produce ethanol and have a by-product of dried distiller grains. The $84.7 million in machinery and equipment to be acquired includes a tank farm, liquid load out equipment, co-generation equipment, a CO2 knockout condenser blower, dry fractionation equipment, lab equipment, water treatment equipment, an Information Control Module system and related equipment. Additionally, Darke County will receive a $500,000 Roadwork Development Grant (629) to complete public roadwork improvements in support of the Andersons facility in Greenville. Darke County will complete road improvements to Sebring-Warner Road and Jaysville-St. Johns Road. Roadwork construction includes: excavation, grading, embankment, base installation, asphalt paving, installation of storm sewers within the road rights-of-way, and related construction. This $33.5 million project is expected to create 39 jobs within the first three years of the project's initial operation.

Rieter Automotive North America, Inc., located in Oregon (Lucas County), will receive a $150,000 Rapid Outreach grant (412) for costs associated with the acquisition of machinery and equipment. 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 to provide acoustic comfort and thermal insulation in motor vehicles. Rieter plans to renovate its 150,000 square-foot building and construct a 4,000 square-foot addition. It will also purchase and install a new manufacturing line which will be used to manufacture fiber padding and floor carpet/insulator assemblies for the automotive industry. This $1 million project is expected to create 80 jobs and retain 155 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operation.

City of Orrville, located in Wayne County, will receive a $640,000 Roadwork Development Grant (629) to complete public roadwork improvements in support of a new High Tech Business Park in Orrville. The Business Park will be the first high tech park in Orrville. The City has been working towards the development of the Business Park for several years and began planning with its Industrial Park Feasibility Study in May 2001. Orrville will invest $14.5 million in the Business Park and market it to high tech and research and development companies, and will require that at least 50 percent of the jobs at the park must fall in these fields. The City will establish the Business Park and provide roadway access and utility access to each of the parcels in the park. Dairy Lane, the main access road into the new Business Park, will be extended northward and internal access roads, including Smucker Road and a yet-to-be named cul-de-sac, will be constructed. In total, Orrville will construct 3,000 lineal feet of new public roadway with storm drainage and street lights. The new roadways will provide access to 80 acres for development, which will be divided into 10 sites of four to eight acres each with flexibility for larger sites as needed. Each site will be equipped with regular utilities, as well as access to fiber optics.

The Rapid Outreach grant, formerly the Business Development (412) grant, assists companies and communities that are creating or retaining jobs in Ohio. 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.

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Media contacts: Melissa Ament at (614) 466-6619 or Kimber Perfect at (614) 644-0247