By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
When it comes to competition, Bowling Green’s toughest rivals for new industry often come from Indiana and Georgia.
But sometimes, the competition is closer.
“We beat Findlay for the Abbott Labs project,” Kati Thompson, Bowling Green’s economic development director, said to the BG Kiwanis Club during the organization’s meeting on Thursday. Abbott promises an investment of $550 million at its site on Ohio 25.
One of Bowling Green’s secret weapons is the city operated services of electric, water and wastewater. Thompson can be more nimble in her response to potential developers because the city operates its own municipal utilities.
“Responding to leads requires really quick turnaround,” Thompson said. And while other municipalities have to wait for answers from giant utility companies, Thompson can get the information from city hall, a couple blocks down the street from her office.
Much of Thompson’s job is staying in touch with companies already in Bowling Green. Accompanied by city leaders, she makes annual visits to plants to find out how the city can meet their needs. After all, 80% of economic development is growth from expanding companies.
“It’s always very insightful,” she said of the visits.
When Thompson first became the city’s economic development director a few years ago, she got an earful from local business leaders.
“For my first two years on the job, we were hearing desperation,” from employers frantic to find employees to fill openings.
She’s not hearing that anymore, with hiring stabilized across the region.
“What a shift that has been,” Thompson said.
In the last couple years, Bowling Green has attracted major industries to the city, and worked to retain those already here. And to answer the question of a Kiwanian – yes, one of the new businesses will be an Applebee’s restaurant, with the company recently closing on the sale of the property, she said.
But the economic development office’s focus has expanded beyond business attraction and retention. Thompson has been involved in getting a developer to commit to 130 new homes at the southwest corner of Brim and Newton roads. She has worked on city legislation intended to bring more housing to Bowling Green by offering a fee moratorium and tax abatements on new and renovated homes.
“We’ve known for a very long time there’s been a lack of housing options,” Mayor Mike Aspacher said at the meeting. And Thompson knew that was detrimental to her efforts to bring in business.
The push for more single family homes became more dire when Bowling Green landed the Abbott Lab project, which is expected to create 450 jobs.
“That project is well underway,” Thompson said, predicting the company will break ground in April 2024.
And Vital FHR purchased and renovated the former Wall Street Journal site. The company handles rare metals for the solar industry, and works with First Solar.
When businesses first express interest in Bowling Green, they are given code names by Thompson’s office. Most companies like their plans to be kept hushed until they are ready to make the big announcement.
Thompson is currently working on Project Beethoven, which involves the expansion of a local plant, and the addition of 57 new jobs.
“They have other options,” Thompson said. “We’re working hard to make sure it stays here.”
Then there is Project Gym Shoe (don’t read anything into the code names, she advised) that is also an expansion.
Bowling Green has worked to keep its list of available sites for business up to date with the state, Thompson said. Currently, the city has 16 pending projects.
Project Bulk became a reality, with Gordon Foods investing $40 million in a NuProduct Solution plant in the John Quinn Innovative Tech Park. NuProduce Solutions is a wholesale distributor of fresh whole and value-added produce in the U.S.
This is the company’s first plant of this type in the U.S. It is expected to create 200 jobs.
“That was a great win,” Thompson said.
Already in the works is also construction of a third building to house two new lines for Phoenix Technologies on Fairview Avenue.
And the Wood Bridge Business Park is in the process of getting an access road to East Wooster Street. Not only will the road double the entrances and exits to the business park, but it has also opened an additional 40 acres for development.
A 100,000 spec building is being constructed on the site, with the help of a grant from the state, Thompson said. A prospective owner is “potentially in the pipeline,” she added.
While past economic development efforts primarily focused on big industries, Thompson said the city realizes the importance of “growing from within,” by working with smaller initiatives and entrepreneurs.
Aspacher expressed his enthusiasm for the city’s economic development accomplishments “There is reason for great optimism in Bowling Green,” the mayor said.
