FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2008

Columbus, OH -- Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher today announced that more than $18.1 million in economic development and roadwork development grants have been awarded to aid in the growth 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 could create 3,217 positions and retain 8,257 jobs for Ohioans.

"The significant amount of proposed investment in Ohio reflected in the projects approved today could mean thousands of new jobs and the protection of thousands more, keeping jobs in Ohio," said Fisher, who also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Development. "It's encouraging to see the continued growth of Ohio businesses and strong efforts to create new opportunities through partnerships with our key regional colleagues, who are advancing the State's activity in business creation and retention."

The Belmont County Port Authority will receive a $575,000 Roadwork Development Grant to complete public roadwork improvements in support of the new Eastern Ohio Regional Industrial Park in the Village of Barnesville. The Port Authority is developing a new industrial park on a parcel of land that was utilized for strip mining in the 1980s. The land is currently being utilized for pasture and cattle farming and the Port Authority has signed a purchase option with the land’s current owner. The park will be the first large industrial site in a four-county area and the Port Authority plans to sub-divide the land into 100-to 200-acre plots for large warehouse and similar uses. It will market the parcels primarily to the food production and processing industries, as well as to manufacturing, technology, steel and coal related, distribution, and local business expansion concerns. The Port Authority will construct a new road into the 740-acre parcel of land. The new road will provide access to the industrial park. The roadwork to be completed includes excavation, grading, base, pavement, all utilities within the road's right-of-way, and related construction.

The Lorain County Transportation Improvement District will receive a $250,000 Roadwork Development Grant to support construction activities. The District was formed with the participation of the Ohio Department of Transportation to manage roadwork projects located within the District. The District identifies construction projects and determines the priority of the roadwork projects. The District will act as an agent for Ohio Department of Transportation in the following roadwork projects: the Airport Highway Engineering project, additional studies associated with the North/South corridor, the Griswold Road project, and the Colorado Avenue design project.

Rolls-Royce Energy Systems, Inc. (Rolls-Royce energy business), located in Mount Vernon (Knox County), will receive a $1 million Rapid Outreach Grant for costs associated with the expansion of its gas turbine and compressor manufacturing, assembly and test facilities. The Rolls-Royce energy business, a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce plc of London, England, is a world-leading manufacturer of aero-derived gas turbine power and compression packages for global energy markets. The investment includes putting into full production a pilot product assembly flow line that was introduced in 2007, the addition of a second product assembly flow line, significantly-expanded gas turbine test facilities, and reconfiguration of the overall site production flow to increase throughput while decreasing costs and product production cycle times. The project also includes working with local utilities to expand natural gas delivery to the site to meet increased fuel requirements of the new product test capabilities. The $1 million grant is part of a significant capital investment by Rolls-Royce at the site, which is expected to create 100 manufacturing-related roles in Assembly, Test and Engineering in addition to the site's current 800+ workforce.

General Motors Corporation (GM), located in Defiance (Defiance County), will receive a $1,919,292 Rapid Outreach Grant, and a $580,708 Economic Development Contingency Grant, for a total of $2.5 million, for costs associated with the acquisition of equipment to support the renovation of its existing manufacturing facility. GM, founded in 1908, manufactures and markets automobiles, automotive systems, engines, heavy-duty automatic transmissions, component parts, and locomotives worldwide. The company employs more than 284,000 worldwide and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. The company proposes to add capacity at its Defiance facility for a casting process called Precision Sand that will allow for the production of aluminum V6 cylinder blocks for GM's high feature V6 engine. The machinery and equipment to be purchased includes core machines, robotic cells, metal pouring equipment, Electro Magnetic pumps, mold handling equipment, and related equipment. Ohio is in competition with numerous U.S. locations for this more-than $46 million project, which is expected to retain 1,538 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

General Motors Corporation (GM), located in Toledo (Lucas County), will receive a $2.5 million Rapid Outreach Grant for costs associated with the acquisition of equipment to support the renovation of its existing manufacturing facility. GM, founded in 1908, manufactures and markets automobiles, automotive systems, engines, heavy-duty automatic transmissions, component parts, and locomotives worldwide. The company employs more than 284,000 worldwide and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. The company proposes to add production of a new six-speed front wheel drive transmission to its Toledo facility, which is currently ceasing production of a four-speed transmission. Building renovations, on-site infrastructure improvements, and the purchase of machinery and equipment will accommodate the new line and allow the facility to work at its fullest capacity. The machinery and equipment to be purchased includes horizontal machining centers, base machines, and related equipment. Ohio is in competition with numerous U.S. locations for this more-than $38 million project, which is expected to retain 2,090 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

New Steel International, Inc. (NSI), to be located in Green Township (Scioto County), received approval for a $2 million Rapid Outreach Grant for costs associated with the acquisition of machinery and equipment and on-site infrastructure to support its proposed new facility. NSI was founded in 1999 by a group of professionals in the heavy industrial ferrous and non-ferrous metal sectors. The company provides consulting and engineering services, including design and feasibility studies, project planning, and engineering and project management with a focus on the latest available technologies. Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) was founded 76 years ago in Magnitogorsk, Russia, and has become the largest enterprise in the Russian steel industry, accounting for approximately 20 percent of all steel products sold in the Russian market. The company's facility in Magnitogorsk is the largest steel production plant in the Russian Federation, employing approximately 28,000. MMK Americas (MMKA) will be jointly owned by MMK and NSI, with MMK as majority owner. MMK Americas proposes to construct a 1.88 million square-foot flat-rolled steel production facility that will manufacture some products not currently produced in North America. The machinery and equipment to be purchased and on-site infrastructure to be completed includes an advanced HVAC system, electric overhead traveling cranes, mobile equipment, including jib cranes, mechanical steel-manufacturing equipment, electrical utilities for the main plant, main plant power distribution, a process water system, piping distribution and interconnection piping, and related equipment and infrastructure. Scioto County will also receive a $2 million Roadwork Development Grant in support of New Steel International, Inc. for the soon-to-be-created entity MMK Americas, Inc.'s new facility in Green Township. Among other improvements, Scioto County will construct two new road interchanges to connect MMKA's new facility to U.S. Route 52. One access point will be Junior Furnace Road, which is north of the plant site and currently has an overpass over U.S. Route 52. The $6 million in roadwork to be completed includes excavation, pavement removal, grading, base, bridge construction, pavement, all utilities within the road's right-of-way, and related construction. Together, these improvements will dramatically improve access to the project site. Ohio is in competition with Arkansas, Kentucky and the Province of Quebec, Canada, for this more-than $680 million project, which is expected to create 528 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

The Stark County Transportation Improvement District will receive a $500,000 Roadwork Development Grant Development to support construction activities. The District was formed with the participation of the Ohio Department of Transportation to manage roadwork projects located within the District. The District identifies construction projects and determines the priority of the roadwork projects. The District will act as an agent for Ohio Department of Transportation in the following roadwork projects: the Market Avenue project, the Jackson Road railroad bridge project, the 12th Street bridge project, the Fulton Drive widening project (phase three), the Wales Avenue (State Route 241) widening project, the Wales Avenue (State Route 241) and Strausser Street intersection project, the 12th Street intersections project, the Union Avenue underpass project, the State Route 62 and Paris Avenue project, and the Armour Street Mahoning extension project.

Pickens Plastics Div. of Sigma US Industries Inc. (Sigma US), located in the Village of Jefferson (Ashtabula County), will receive a $100,000 Rapid Outreach Grant for costs associated with the acquisition of machinery and equipment to support the company's acquisition and expansion of an existing business. Sigma Industries, Inc., which is a Canadian Corporation that owns Sigma OH Industries, Inc., is a consolidator of plastic composite pultrusion, injection molding, robotized spray-up, and traditional open molding. The company serves the trucking, coach, transit bus, train metro, machinery, agriculture, light forestry, and alternative energy markets. In February, Sigma Industries, Inc. purchased Picken's Plastics, Inc., a custom molder and manufacturer of fiberglass reinforced plastic products, and has obtained a new $6 million dollar contract with a new customer. This contract is a major reason for the acquisition of Pickens Plastics, Inc. by Sigma Industries, Inc. Sigma will purchase Picken's Plastics, Inc.'s existing 155,000 square-foot building and its machinery and equipment. The machinery and equipment to be purchased includes hydraulic presses, pneumatic presses, paint lines with spray booths, adhesive machines, vacuum pumps, air compressors, air dryers, and related equipment. Ohio is in competition with Indiana and Minnesota for this more than $8.3 million project, which is expected to create 145 positions and retain 75 jobs within the first three years of the project's initial operation.

F&M Mafco, Inc. (F&M), located in Harrison (Hamilton County), will receive a $25,000 Rapid Outreach Grant for the costs associated with the acquisition of machinery and equipment to support the company's expansion. F&M, started in 1945, is a construction supply and equipment business with a focus on servicing heavy mechanical contractors in the power generation, petrochemical, construction, and maintenance industries. The company provides its customers with heavy rigging packages, cranes, parts, on-site tooling, welding systems and other unique items that are difficult to find from a single provider. F&M will sell, rent, repair, and recondition tools and equipment. F&M is headquartered in Harrison and has seven branches in the United States, as well as four international locations. The company proposes to purchase an existing 48,000 square-foot facility adjacent to its headquarters for product assembly and warehousing. The machinery and equipment to be purchased includes order picking equipment, conveyors, dock levelers, packaging equipment, and related equipment. Ohio is in competition with Florida, North Carolina, and Oklahoma for this $2.4 million project, which is expected to create 28 jobs and retain 198 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

The City of Mentor (Lake County) will receive a $540,000 Roadwork Development Grant to complete public roadwork improvements on Heisley Road. The road is one of only three north-south connector roads in Mentor and provides direct access to 43 manufacturing companies located along Heisley Road itself and on the roads that directly access it, including Progress Parkway, Pineneedle Drive, Pinecone Drive, Mercantile Drive, Hamilton Drive, Tyler Boulevard, and Carneige Street. Heisley Road currently does not have adequate capacity to support these businesses and could jeopardize the current employment of approximately 3,000 positions as well as the 365 jobs that are expected to be created at businesses in the area following roadwork improvements. Heisley Road will be widened from one lane in each direction with a middle turning lane to two lanes in each direction with a middle turning lane. The roadwork to be completed includes engineering, excavation, grading, base, pavement, construction of all utilities within the road's right-of-way, and related construction.

Tenneco Automotive Operating Co. Inc. (Tenneco), to be located in Kettering (Montgomery County), will receive a $300,000 Rapid Outreach Grant for the costs associated with the acquisition of machinery and equipment to support the company's new facility. Tenneco is evaluating the possibility of purchasing the assets as part of Delphi's asset sale under Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Tenneco is still evaluating this opportunity and today's decision is one step in that evaluation process. Tenneco is a $4.7 billion manufacturing company with headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois and approximately 19,000 employees worldwide. The company employs about 375 people at facilities in Milan, Ohio (Erie County) and in Napoleon, Ohio (Henry County). Tenneco is one of the world's largest designers, manufacturers, and marketers of emission control and ride control products and systems for the automotive original equipment market and the aftermarket. The machinery and equipment to be purchased includes presses, uncoilers, tube mills, finishers, scrubbers, welding systems, and related equipment. Ohio is in competition with Georgia, Canada, and Mexico for this $27.5 million project, which is expected to create 350 jobs within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

The Medina County Transportation Improvement District will receive a $500,000 Roadwork Development Grant Development to support construction activities. The District was formed with the participation of the Ohio Department of Transportation to manage roadwork projects located within the District. The District identifies construction projects and determines the priority of the roadwork projects. The District will act as an agent for Ohio Department of Transportation in the following roadwork projects: the Boston Road/Interstate 71 interchange project, the Interstate 271/Interstate 71 interchange modified project, State Route 18 from Hospital to Interstate 71 project, the State Route 18 from Windfall Road to Summit County line project, the U.S. Rouge 42 from Harding Street to Cuyahoga County line project, the U.S. Route 224 and Lake Road project, the State Route 261 and Hartman Road project, the West 130th Street and Gafton Road intersection improvement project, the Commerce Drive corridor project, spot intersection and safety improvements on local and state routes, and an interchange justification study for new interchange on Interstate 71 south of the City of Medina.

Williams County will receive a $394,040 Roadwork Development Grant to complete public roadwork improvements in support of Menard Inc.'s expansion of its manufacturing and distribution center in the Village of Holiday City. Headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Menard is the third-largest home improvement chain in the United States and employs approximately 38,000 nationwide. The company purchased property in the Village of Holiday City in 2005 and has invested more than $40 million at the facility since then. The site includes a rolled steel plant, a truss plant, a concrete plant, a board plant, a warranty center, and a flat bed shipping center. The company proposes to construct a pressure board treatment plant at the site and may also in the future construct a resin board plant. Williams County will reconstruct Township Road N-30 between County Roads 15 and 16 and County Road 16 between Township Road N-30 and County Road O. Roadway will be pulverized, re-graded, compacted, and repaved to accommodate industrial and commercial truck traffic, as well as employee traffic, to the Menard facility. The roadwork will also allow the company to add access to the east side of the facility, which will be utilized for employee traffic while the west wide will accommodate truck traffic. This more-than $8 million project is expected to create 50 jobs and retain 220 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

Wood County will receive a $580,000 Roadwork Development Grant to complete public roadwork improvements on Tracy Road in Lake Township in support of a new industrial park. The County will widen and re-align Tracy Road in Lake Township to accommodate increased industrial and commercial truck traffic to a new 120-acre industrial park. The land consists of agricultural fields and wooded areas with the remains of a former residence. The site, along with adjacent land, is one of the only large available land areas in the Toledo area with access to major transportation corridors and utilities. Wood County will widen Tracy Road to add turn lanes at its intersection with State Route 795. The widening will transition to the existing two-lane road section. Reconstruction of a portion of the road will improve the road's quality and ability to withstand heavy truck traffic. The roadwork to be completed includes excavation, grading, base, pavement, all utilities within the road's right-of-way, and related construction. The County will also invest in water and sewer lines to the site and estimates that 500 positions could be created at the new park.

Columbiana County will receive a $750,000 Roadwork Development Grant to complete roadwork improvements in support of the Columbia Drive project in the Village of Calcutta. The County will construct new roadway to provide access to 130 acres of vacant property in the Village of Calcutta. The road will connect State Route 170 to McGuffey Road and will open up the acreage for new industrial and commercial development. Thirty acres will become accessible along State Rout 170 and the new road, to be called Columbia Drive, and 100 acres will become accessible along McGuffey Road and Columbia Drive. Columbiana County will also add traffic signals and construct new turn lanes. The roadwork to be completed includes excavation, grading, base, pavement, installation of traffic signals, all utilities within the road's right-of-way, and related construction. The County will also invest in drainage, sanitary sewer and water lines, and wetlands mitigation. The acreage is located in a business district and has attracted the interest of developers. The opened acreage is expected to lead to the creation of 200 jobs.

Trumbull County will receive a $336,100 Roadwork Development Grant in support of Warren Steel Holdings, LLC's rehabilitation and expansion in the City of Warren. Warren Steel is a fully operational melt shop and casting mill that produces and distributes quality carbon and alloy continuously cast products on its 370 acre site. The facility is located at the former Copperweld Steel facility. The company re-commissioned the site in 2005 and has since completed approximately $20 million in renovations. The company proposes to invest an additional $1.6 million for rail improvements on the extensive rail spur system located within its property. The road and rail improvements will allow the company to more-than double its full-time jobs. Trumbull County will upgrade the Warren & Trumbull operating line between the State Route 5/82 by-pass to Paige Avenue and resurface the crossing grading at intersections with North River Road, Mahoning Avenue, Comstock Street, Hall Road, and North Street. The crossings will handle a total of more than 17,000 automobiles a day. The roadwork to be completed includes excavation, grading, base, pavement, and related construction. This project is expected to create 135 jobs and retain 95 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

The City of Twinsburg (Summit County) will receive a $150,000 Roadwork Development Grant to complete public roadwork improvements in support of General Electric Energy's (GE Energy) expansion. GE Energy is one of the leading power generation and supply technology companies in the world. The company provides a broad spectrum of products to the fossil fuel and renewable energy generation industries through facilities in more than 100 countries. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and employs more than 36,000 worldwide. GE Energy produces everything from aircraft engines to kitchen appliances and medical imaging equipment, and is a pre-eminent financial services company. GE Energy proposes to expand and renovate its Twinsburg facility, which has reached capacity although substantial amounts of vacant land remain on the company's site. The City will extend Highland Road to relocate entrance to the GE Energy site so traffic accesses the extended Highland Road at a signalized intersection. With improved ingress and egress, GE Energy can safely expand its facility and compete for additional product placements and capital investments. The roadwork to be completed includes excavation, grading, base, pavement, all utilities within the road's right-of-way, and related construction. Ohio is in competition with the United Kingdom for this $500,000 project, which is expected to create 30 jobs and retain 180 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

The City of Cleveland (Cuyahoga County) will receive a $350,000 Roadwork Development Grant to complete roadwork improvements to the East 78th and adjacent cross streets. The City will improve Osage and Marble Avenues between East 78th Street and Broadway Avenue, and increase the turning radii to allow for heavy truck traffic in the area. These improvements will enhance industrial commerce in the area by establishing dedicated truck routes and redirecting truck traffic away from neighboring streets. There are two major employers, Prestrite and Goodrich Corporations, and a large industrial site within the impacted area. Roadwork will allow Prestrite to expand with the addition of a heat treat facility and technology center adjacent to its current facility. The entrance road is currently in poor condition and the improvements will enhance the entrance to the facility and will help Prestrite and Goodrich to attract and retain employees. Improvements will also help stimulate the development and reuse of the former Cleveland Pneumatic site, a Clean Ohio project that demolished a 600,000 square-foot building and remediated the site. Improvements are expected to help the City market this site. The roadwork to be completed includes engineering, pavement removal, excavation, grading, base, pavement, construction of all utilities within the road's right-of-way, and related construction. This $714,000 project is expected to result in the creation of 18 positions and retention of 800 jobs at Prestrite and Goodrich within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

The Warren County Port Authority will receive a $700,000 Roadwork Development Grant to complete public roadwork improvements in support of The Home Depot, Inc.'s new warehouse facility in the City of Monroe. Home Depot operates as a home improvement retailer primarily in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Stores sell building materials, home improvement supplies, and lawn and garden products to do-it-yourself customers as well as to home improvement contractors, trades-people, and building maintenance professionals. Duke Realty Company proposes to build a new 657,000 square-foot warehouse facility in Monroe. In support of the project, the Warren County Port Authority will extend Butler-Warren Road, improve State Route 63, and relocate a section of Union Road to support the new distribution facility. Union Road currently lies directly in the footprint of the new facility's parking lot. Rerouting of the road, and the addition of a right-hand turn lane will provide safe access for both cars and trucks to the facility. The roadwork to be completed includes excavation, grading, base, pavement, all utilities within the road's right-of-way, and related construction. Ohio is in competition with Boone County, Kentucky, for this $19.2 million project, which is expected to create 323 jobs within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

Morgan County will receive a $50,000 Roadwork Development Grant to complete public roadwork improvements in support of Mahle International Gmbh's consolidation in the Village of McConnelsville. Mahle is the world's largest manufacturers of automotive pistons and was founded by the Mahle brothers, who developed the first aluminum piston. Headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, the company in recent years has branched out into the production of other areas of engine components and automotive parts, such as bearings, bushels, and washers. The company proposes to construct a 50,000 square-foot expansion to consolidate operations at its McConnelsville facility. Morgan County will widen Buttermilk Hill Road from the centerline of State Route 60 northeast for 450 lineal feet, as well as improve the road's base and widen the turning radius of the intersection of Buttermilk Hill Road and State Route 60. The improvements will enable the road to handle the semi-truck traffic increase that will result from the expansion of Mahle's facility and ease congestion on State Route 60. Ohio is in competition with Tennessee, Brazil, and Scotland for Mahle's expansion project, which is expected to retain 50 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

The Columbus Regional Airport Authority, located in Columbus (Franklin County), will receive a $2 million Roadwork Development Grant to complete public roadwork improvements in support of NetJets Inc expansion in the City of Columbus. NetJets Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a worldwide leader in private aviation and in providing the safest and most secure private aviation solutions. NetJets fractional aircraft ownership allows individuals and companies to buy a share of a private business jet at a fraction of the cost of whole aircraft ownership, and guarantees availability 365 days a year with just a few hours' notice. The NetJets programs worldwide offer the largest and most diversified fleet in private aviation, which includes 15 of the most popular business jets in the world. NetJets and its sister company, FlightSafety International, Inc., will complete major expansions at Port Columbus International Airport to create a world-class aeronautical campus. The companies' combined campus will expand from its current size of 19 acres to more than 120 acres. FlightSafety will more than double its number of flight simulators, creating its largest concentration of simulators in the country and attracting large numbers of pilots from outside Ohio on a daily basis for training. The simulators will support NetJets' commitment to have the best-trained flight crews in the world while also helping to train other companies' aviation personnel. The Columbus Regional Airport Authority will complete roadwork improvements to Bridgeway Avenue, Goshen Road, and Hubler Lane. A new main entrance to the Port Columbus International Airport north airfield and the NetJets corporate campus will be created at the intersection of Johnstown and Hubler Roads. The improvements will provide access and increase safety for the large increase in traffic that will result from the expansion. The $30 million in roadwork to be completed includes excavation, grading, base, pavement, construction of all utilities within the road's right-of-way, traffic signal installation, and related construction. NetJets' and FlightSafety's combined investment of more than $200 million is expected to create 810 positions and retain 1,974 jobs within the first three years of the project's initial operations.

The Rapid Outreach Grant program assists companies and communities that are creating or retaining jobs in Ohio. The Roadwork Development Account 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 Vince at (614) 466-6619 or Kelly Schlissberg at (614) 466-4133