David Stratton, president and CEO of Allen County Economic Development, talks about recent business investments in Allen County during an event Thursday night at 19 Hawthorne on Fetter Road.
David Trinko | The Lima News
BATH TOWNSHIP — Business may be booming in Allen County, but economic development officials say you haven’t seen anything yet.
Allen Economic Development Group and Greater Lima Region Inc. played host to a community update meeting Thursday night at 19 Hawthorne on Fetter Road in Bath Township, where they showcased nearly $2 billion in investments since 2019, including $688 million so far in 2022. They showed impressive growth in manufacturing, housing and making Allen County a more enjoyable place to work and play.
And they’re just getting started at AEDG, a public/private partnership funded 50% by the members of GLR and the other half by local municipalities.
“How awesome is it, seeing all the accomplishments that we’ve had over the past year or so?” asked Eric Pohjala, the incoming board chairman for Greater Lima Region Inc. “But I don’t care about the past. OK, yeah, we need to celebrate it — a lot of great things. But how do we get better?”
The night was about showing off what’s happened so far while anticipating other major developments on the way.
That includes expansions at Charles River Laboratories, Lakeview Farms, Nutrien and Procter & Gamble as well as new facilities for Randall Bearings and Perry Pro Tech.
They’re also looking ahead, including a speculative project nicknamed “Project Gunsmoke.”
“‘Project Gunsmoke’ is a 150,000 and 100,000 square foot facility spec building that’s going to go up on Commerce Parkway,” said David Stratton, president and CEO of AEDG. “We’re working diligently on that one. Then we’re looking for more land, trying to figure out where our next site might happen.”
The presentation also focused on improvements in Lima’s downtown, including the Greater Lima Region Inc. Amphitheater and Park, the Central District, Metro Center and a $5 million renovation to the building at Spring and Main streets that aims to bring in a variety of opportunities.
The region also benefited from many state grants. Lydia Mihalik, the director of the Ohio Department of Development, noted state money coming into the region to help with demolition of old sites, water and wastewater projects and more. She joked that Allen County was her favorite county “for tonight,” and said the next time she saw Stratton, she’d be bringing more grant checks with her.
Ultimately, the growth of business helps residents, Mihalik said.
“With the expansion of these companies come great career pathways and higher paying jobs. That’s great for this community,” Mihalik said. “This administration is committed to investing in our workforce so more Ohioans can take advantage of these opportunities in order to rise to the highest levels and be secure in their future.”
Reach David Trinko at 567-242-0467 or on Twitter @Lima_Trinko.
