by Isabella Carwile | Mar 19, 2024 | Business Expansion, Community, Funding, PCED Office
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release March 19, 2024
PAULDING – The Paulding County application for the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) residential and commercial blight program was completed and submitted on March 8. Estee Miller, Maumee Valley Planning Organization, shared with the Land Reutilization Committee (Land Bank) that the application for the residential and commercial blight program included 43 properties from throughout the county. Miller shared that the estimated application price tag for remediation is $1,115,316. The county was allocated $500,000 in the program. Because the county exceeded the allocated amount, there will need to be $154,500 of match money provided by the Land Bank committee if the total application is accepted. Purchased properties can also be considered match.
The committee was then updated on the progress of the former Paulding theatre lot by Tim Copsey, Paulding County Economic Development Director. This project is one of several in the county using ODOD Brownfield program funds. The theatre and adjacent building demolition has completed and all debris removed. The replacement sidewalks along West Perry Street were framed, with cement recently poured. The group will next be made aware of the cost of putting metal siding on the now exposed, east wall of the Hawg’s Tavern building.
The county continues to have ongoing remediation work taking place at the former Grizzley Brake property. The current owners, Arvin Environmental Management, LLC have invested in having natural overgrowth and foliage removed about 40 feet inside the fence perimeter. This has provided a much better view of the chain link fence enclosing the property, and revealed some needed repair. Quotes are taking place on that now. A bid application is also being prepared to drain ponds and level the dirt mounds, at both this site, and the former Stokely site across the road.
Final committee discussions were in regard to following up on properties still owned by the committee and understanding the upcoming mowing maintenance that will soon be required on the properties. Thoughts were then shared in how to proceed in future marketing of remediated properties for development.
by Office Manager | Jan 24, 2024 | Business Expansion, Community, Events, Funding, Jobs, Membership, PCED Office
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release January 18, 2024
RGP presents JobsOhio Inclusion Grant to Paulding County
PAULDING – Jessica Sattler, with the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP), recently came to Paulding County to present to local small business owners and leaders about an available business grant opportunity. The JobsOhio Inclusion Grant (JOIG) is available to businesses located in the zip codes of Broughton, Cecil, Oakwood and Paulding villages. In addition, the grant is available to female, veteran, disabled or minority owned businesses throughout the county. Fifteen businesses were represented at the meeting by 16 individuals.
The RGP team is the NW Ohio arm of JobsOhio. They help oversee 17 counties in northwest Ohio, including Paulding County, in economic development projects and grant opportunities. With the JOIG opportunity, businesses that are over a year old and provide business to business services with at least $100,000 in annual revenue (but not over $25 million) are eligible to receive a $25,000 reimbursable grant. An additional $25,000 is available to female, veteran, disabled or minority owned businesses that are located in the above-mentioned zip codes. There is a requirement of increasing full time employment, within your business by 10%, over the next three years. A business that has 10 or less employees would only need to increase by one full-time equivalent. Last year Paulding County had two qualified businesses that applied and both received this reimbursable $25,000 grant.
The event was hosted at the Paulding Eagles and organized by the Paulding County Economic Development office, in conjunction with RGP and the Paulding & Defiance OhioMeansJobs office. OMJ Workforce Supervisor Tiffany Rockhold shared several business partnership opportunities with attendees to make sure they were aware of the many options available through the OMJ office.
“The attendance of this event far exceeded what we expected, which shows that our business leaders are engaged and paying attention to opportunities our office is sharing,” stated Economic Development Director Tim Copsey. “The questions and discussions that evolved out of this meeting to both Jessica and Tiffany were informative. It’s great to see so many business leaders participating and thinking outside the box. We are now using the knowledge that we gained from this presentation to reach out and meet with other business owners that weren’t able to attend and share in this opportunity”.
If an Ohio business would like to learn more about this grant opportunity and qualifications, please reach out to your local economic development office for more information.
by Office Manager | Jan 5, 2024 | Business Expansion, Events, Funding, New Business, Property Development
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release January 5, 2024
JobsOhio Inclusion Grant Info Session for Local Businesses
Paulding County – Local business owners are invited to an informative session on the JobsOhio Inclusion Grant, presented by Jessica Sattler from the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP).
Date: Wednesday January 17, 2024
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Location: Paulding Eagles, 206 W Perry St, Paulding
This session will highlight grant opportunities for businesses in the specific communities of Paulding, Broughton, Cecil, and Oakwood. Qualifying businesses may access a $25,000 grant. Additionally, minority, female, disabled, or veteran-owned businesses may qualify for further funding opportunities.
To attend, RSVP to Paulding County Economic Development at office@pced.net or call 419-399-8295.
by Office Manager | Dec 7, 2023 | Community, Funding, PCED Office
Paulding County Zoning Inspector Meeting December 7, 2023
PAULDING – The fourth quarter and final Paulding County Zoning Inspector meeting was hosted recently at the Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) office. Sarah McCabe from the Paulding County Auditor office shared 2023 permit reports with inspectors present from their respective townships and villages.
PCED Director Tim Copsey provided updates on land bank projects and informed the group about where the land bank stands on Ohio Department of Development funding and how funds remaining from the previous round are being allocated. There is a growing list of structures being accumulated now for the next round of funding. Applications for this funding will be due April 1, 2024.
Copsey also shared that as blight is being removed and properties are being remediated, there is also an opportunity for the land bank to purchase these open lots with the purpose of selling to residential builders for building new speculative homes. As these opportunities transpire, it is important for the zoning inspectors to have accurate zoning information available and be involved early in the building discussions.
McCabe then closed out the meeting showing the Paulding County Auditor GIS website and sharing information about how to navigate the site along with helpful hints in finding the critical information in research.
The 2024 first quarter meeting will be held on March 14 at 6 pm at the PCED office.
by Isabella Carwile | Dec 5, 2023 | Business Expansion, Community, Funding, Jobs, Membership, Paulding County Business Weekly Radio Broadcast, PCED Office
What can Paulding County Economic Development do for you? Listen in on this week’s PCBW episode to learn from the Director, Tim Copsey, and Office Manager, Kristen Schilt, about the programs, incentives, grants, and other resources their office can provide for Paulding County businesses. We invite you to follow along as we continue to highlight businesses in our area by tuning in on My102.7.FM every Tuesday & Thursday at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. or Click Here to Listen Online! This episode is also available on several podcast platforms including Apple, Google, And Spotify. Thank you to our incredible sponsor OhioMeansJobs. #pauldingcountystong
by Office Manager | Oct 12, 2023 | Community, Funding, Property Development
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release October 10, 2023
Former Grizzley Brake property remediation discussion continues
PAULDING – The Paulding County Land Bank met for their October meeting this week.
The meeting led off with Paulding County EPA Consultant Matt Wagner, from Tetra Tech, sharing positive communication from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in regard to the man-made ponds located on the former Grizzley Brake property. There is just over 2.5 acres of the entire 37 acre property that is actually protected as “wetlands”. As long as this part of the property is left alone, the rest of the property can be remediated for future commercial use.
The property has recently changed owners as the new owners, Cummins Engine, have acquired the assets of Arvin Environmental Management, LLC. With the change of ownership, and positive communication from USACE , a meeting has taken place between Wagner, Land Bank representative Mike Kauser, and Tim Copsey with Paulding County Economic Development office. The group has developed a plan forward for Cummins investment into immediate foliage clean-up and fence repair around the overall brownfield property. Remediation inside the fence will come from state allocated funds. All parties are excited with the discussion, immediate, and future plans of the site. Also noted, with less concern, is the remediation of the old Stokely Factory site, located across the road to the west of the Grizzley site.
There are also new brownfield projects being submitted for consideration and review. A former grain mill property, currently owned by Patriot Rail in the Village of Antwerp, and the former Winkle building in Paulding, currently owned by the village. Grant applications will be submitted to fund EPA testing to determine if there are hazardous materials in either structure.
Estee Miller with Maumee Valley Planning Organization brought the group up to date in regard to the county residential blight program. Five projects have been submitted to the state to use up remaining Round 1 funds. The state recently confirmed remaining funds could still be used by each county.
Additionally, residential and commercial properties have been identified by the Land Bank for use of Round 2 funds. To date, Miller has received 5 confirmed applications from property owners around the county. Many more have been contacted by Miller & Copsey. The committee has opted to proactively reach out to additional property owners in a concerted effort to maximize the utilization of the $500,000 in county-allocated funds for blight removal.
The meeting closed out with open discussion of several new project thoughts and how the group might best use county land bank proceeds to benefit the county overall.
For more information please contact Paulding County Economic Development or Maumee Valley Planning Organization.
