Posted on December 15, 2021
Ohio Bridge owner says Secret Santa will have a home on Wheeling Avenue for years to come
Guernsey County Port Authority Executive Director Norm Blanchard told board members on Tuesday that a declining population and the lack of housing in the county are two of the factors impacting economic development locally.
The 2020 Census reported 38,438 residents in Guernsey County, down slightly from a previous projection of 38,750 and a 4.1% decline from 2010 when the population totaled 40,087.
“The continuing decline in population highlights the need to somehow get more housing,” Blanchard said of the need to attract new businesses and allow for expansion by local employers, as well as the people necessary to fill potential new jobs.
“A couple plant managers have told me they want to expand locally, but they are worried about staffing.”
With Guernsey County ranking 64th in terms of population out of Ohio’s 88 counties, things don’t look better in the future when estimates indicate the number of residents in Guernsey County will be 37,310 in 2030 and 36,390 in 2040.
With a labor force of 1,900, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Guernsey County’s unemployment was 4.4% in October, the latest month for which statistics are available.
That is an improvement over the same month in previous years when the rate was 5.4% in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and 5.1% in 2019. Still, the county’s poverty rate is 15.5%, significantly higher than the state average of 14%.
Blanchard said one way local officials are trying to keep people working locally instead of leaving the county is the Guernsey Workforce Collaborative, an education-industry coalition organized by the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center.
Each of the three school districts have a career navigator that works with local business leaders and students regarding local employment opportunities.
Blanchard said one of the main challenges has been getting business leaders to attend the informational sessions, citing a recent event where only four or five representatives from Guernsey County employers were in attendance.
“We have to get more participation by local business leaders,” Blanchard said.
Blanchard also recapped several projects during the 2021 Year in Review portion of the director’s report.
Some of the highlights included:
- Completed funding issues for the Potter-Davis building including the receipt of state and federal tax credits and load agreements with Wesbanco.
- Upgrade of Guernsey Industrial Boulevard and Phase II of the expansion project by Colgate-Palmolive.
- Serve as liaison between the City of Cambridge and Rural King to provide incentives for the company to open a retail facility in the former Kmart building on Southgate Parkway.
- D.O. Hall Business Center was nominated for $2.1 million to improve a 45-acre parcel with assistance from the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association and Appalachian Partnership.
- Completed a $335,000 parking area for FedEx generating 140 new jobs.
- Worked with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to secure funding from the Abandoned Mines Lands fund to mitigate mines on a 30-acre parcel adjacent to Detroit Diesel in the D.O. Hall Business Center.
- Secured funding for D&J Precision Machine to upgrade computers and begin expansion planning.
- Worked with the City of Cambridge, Ridge Tool, Ohio Bridge, Colgate-Palmolive, property owner Otto Luburgh and others regarding various potential expansion and development projects in the county.
Blanchard also discussed the Ohio Governor’s Cup, Harper-Hutchison building, Dunkin Donuts site preparation in Cambridge, and business and retention/expansion visits to LMI Custom Mixing and ACI Systems.
“I have been assured by Ohio Bridge owner Art Rogovin that Secret Santa will have a home at 708 Wheeling Ave. in Cambridge once the Harper-Hutchison building is sold,” Blanchard said. “He guaranteed Secret Santa will be taken care of for the future.”
The Port Authority is awaiting deed work from Ohio Bridge to the City of Cambridge and the city to the Port Authority before the building can be sold to a prospective buyer.
The county’s investment for Ohio’s Governor’s Cup submission included the AEP service center (Interstate 77/Cadiz Road interchange), $20 million; Cambridge Packaging Warehouse, $1.5 million; Colgate Investment (Phase II), $17 million; and BiCon office complex, $12 million; for a total investment of $50.5 million.
Blanchard also updated board members on the work of Ohio GIG, a company expected to bring in fiber-optic broadband service to every home in Guernsey County.
“They have established two data centers at Belmont College and in Barnesville which will branch out including bringing lines into Guernsey County,” he said.
Ohio GIG officials reportedly update Guernsey County leaders regarding the status of their on-going projects every two weeks. Commissioners have signed with Ohio GIG to expand service throughout the county.
A brief update regarding the $1.6 billion Guernsey Power Plant was provided, stating 850 craftsmen are currently working on site and 70% are from the local area. The plant is generating $350 million in labor income.
During the treasurer’s report, Ed Wright reported the Port Authority is a little over the projected $53,000 budget for 2021.
“We are a little higher this year, but there are no concerns,” said Wright. “We are still performing well.”
The Port Authority bank balance was $315,519 at the end of November.
The board established an officer nominating committee for 2022 that consists of Pete Mikula, Jim Law and Gene Oliver, and approved changing its meeting schedule to the second Wednesday of each month.
The meeting concluded following an executive session to discuss personnel contracts. No action was taken following the executive session.
The board is next scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. on Jan. 12 at the CIC/Port Authority offices on Brick Church Road (Ohio 660) south of Cambridge.
