From THE EXHANGE CLUB
Wade Gottschalk will be the speaker at the Bowling Green Exchange Tuesday, May 16 at noon at the BG Country Club.
Gottschalk has been the Executive Director of the Wood County Economic Development Commission for 11 years. He is a two time BGSU graduate with a BA in Political Science/Government in 2000 and a Master’s in Public Administration in 2001.
The Wood County Economic Development Commission was founded in 1993, when a group of private sector business leaders approached the Wood County Commissioners with the idea of a public/private partnership to grow the employment and tax base of Wood County. It is one of the more successful economic development organizations in the State of Ohio. Funded through a 1/10th of 1% real property transfer fee on the public side, and a membership dues structure on the private side, the WCEDC has attracted over $2.5 billion of private sector investment and 7,000 jobs since being incorporated as an Ohio non-profit corporation in March 1993.
Among the higher profile projects which the WCEDC has facilitated in recent years are:
- The Northwest Ohio Intermodal Hub-a $175 million segment of CSX’ National Gateway project
- The initial siting and two subsequent $100+ million expansions of First Solar, the nation’s largest facility manufacturing utility grade photovoltaic panels
- The 750,000 square foot distribution center for Walgreen’s
- The $87 million regional hub for Fed Ex Ground.
The meetings are open to the public. There is a $13 charge for lunch.
