By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bringing companies to communities is top secret business. In Bowling Green, there are three potential projects considering locating in the city. Their code names are Beethoven, Bulk and Gym Shoe.
Bowling Green Economic Development Director Kati Thompson told City Council last week to not read too much into the code names. The names could just be the first thing she looked at when creating the secret title.
Thompson presented an update to City Council on the success of economic development efforts so far this year. The top goal is sustained economic growth through business expansions and retention visits. Each year, city and economic development leaders visit local industries to check their temperatures.
“These visits are the lifeblood of our work,” Thompson said, explaining that 80% of growth comes from existing businesses.
A pleasant surprise came from industries no longer desperately searching for employees. “The workforce is stabilizing,” she said.
Without revealing details, Thompson talked about the three projects currently assigned code names:
- Beethoven is an expansion of an existing industry, bringing 57 new jobs and an investment of $18 million.
- Bulk is a new company to Bowling Green, predicted to bring 200 jobs and an investment of $38 million.
- Gym Shoe is another expansion, with no other details yet.
Thompson told council her office has 11 pending projects, and empty industrial sites have been submitted to JobsOhio.
Abbott Laboratory, locating at Ohio 25 and Nims Road on the north edge of Bowling Green, is making a lot of progress, she said. The company closed on the property last month and is moving into the design process. Plans call for 450 employees to be hired and $530 million to be invested.
Vital FHR has spent months renovating the former Wall Street Journal site on Brim Road. The company, which has approximately 40 employees, works with rare metals for the solar and mechanical industries, Thompson said.
And Phoenix Technologies, which has facilities on Fairview Avenue and East Poe Road, has expanded to two lines and can now recycle plastic products into 40 million pounds of resin pellets a year.
With the goal of creating new affordable single family homes in Bowling Green, the economic development office is also working on a new 130-home subdivision at the southwest corner of Brim and West Newton roads.
Thompson also presented information on 2022 by the numbers, based on data reported from 33 Bowling Green companies:
- 20 companies reported making capital investments in 2022 for a total of $41.7 million.
- Six facility builds or expansion were completed in 2022 for a total of 498,000 square feet.
- 191 jobs were created.
- Eight projects made the decision to start up or expand in Bowling Green.
- 25 business retention and expansion visits were made by city and economic development officials.
In its annual report, the economic development office listed projects and initiatives accomplished in 2022:
- Recruited a housing developer for a new Bowling Green subdivision, with the project expected to start in the third quarter of this year.
- Continued to facilitate the expansion of Woodbridge Business Park with the construction of Woodgate Drive. The office partnered with Ohio Logistics and Clouse Construction for a 100,000 square foot speculative manufacturing building in the Woodbridge expansion area.
- Awarded four energy efficient revolving loans.
- Secured a $75,000 grant from ARPA funds to be used as matching funds for an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Feasibility Analysis.
- Organized Manufacturing Day at Bowling Green Middle School, featuring nine companies and serving more than 500 students.
- Southeastern Container received the Efficiency Smart Ambassador Award for a project resulting in 5.3 million kilowatts of annual energy savings since 2013, and a savings of $6.7 million over the lifetime of the projects installed.
- Clark Fixtures was awarded an Inclusion Grant from JobsOhio.
- Hosted first Career Expo at Bowling Green High School.
- Created a Bowling Green Employers Group for human resources professionals, and met quarterly to discuss workforce development, attraction and retention initiatives.
- Participated in community development initiatives such as RallyBG and Downtown Forward.
Strategic goals for BG Economic Development are:
- Sustained economic growth, as the office attracts, retains and facilitates the expansion of industrial, professional and commercial business.
- Infrastructure and utility development, as the office optimizes planning, funding and partnerships for beneficial land development and expanding municipal utilities.
- Encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, as the office creates a community culture of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, making Bowling Green the Northwest Ohio hub for these activities.
- Improve quality of life, as the office collaborates and participates in community development efforts that enhance the quality of life in the city.
