County focus on economic development

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Economic development was a focus for the Van Wert County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday at they visited a couple of local companies and also heard an update from Van Wert Economic Development Director Cindy Leis on the megasite and planned Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) program visits.

Leis talked about work being done at the Jobs Ready Site north of Van Wert, noting that work on the railroad bridge and spur was going well. Part of that project would include cutting a section out of U.S. 127 and inserting a section of track to cross the highway north of Van Wert.

The economic development director also noted that a $5,000 grant from AEP would be used to help market the JRS megasite. That money would be spent on billboards along U.S. 30 that would be created by Baton Rouge, La.-based Lamar, the largest outdoor advertising company in the U.S.

Leis also noted that BR&E program visits are being scheduled this month, with a total of 30 such visits planned through August. Most of the BR&E visits would be to local manufacturers, she noted, but visits will also be scheduled to other major local employers, such as Central Insurance Company and Van Wert County Hospital.

Unlike past years, Leis said the BR&E teams would be small, with mostly economic development personnel and local governmental officials involved. “We want people sitting around the table who can make an impact,” she said of the teams.

In addition to the economic development director’s report, the commissioners are getting more involved in the economic development process themselves.

Also Tuesday, Commissioners Thad Lichtensteiger, Todd Wolfrum and Stan Owens and County Business Outreach Coordinator Sarah Smith visited two local businesses, Federal-Mogul Corporation and KAM Manufacturing, on their own as part of an educational process they are undertaking to learn more about economic development.

Smith said the visits were an attempt by county officials to gain more information on local companies’ operations and needs, as well as part of an increased interest by the commissioners in enhancing local economic development efforts, in conjunction with Leis and her office.