Post-meeting release 2/20

Commissioners approve local tax incentives for Church and Dwight expansion
Also hear update on several topics from Seneca Regional Planning Commission

[Tiffin, OH Feb. 20, 2020] – The Seneca County Board of Commissioners approved a 10-year, 75-percent enterprise zone agreement for the $38 million Church and Dwight expansion project.
The EZA is a tax abatement for the company on 75 percent of new construction.
The company announced last week that it will invest $38 million at its facility in the village of Old Fort, for expansion of consumer products manufacturing and construction of a new warehouse.
David Johnston, plant manager, said the new product line is to be laundry detergent single-dose packages.
Final approval for the project was contingent upon the receipt of state and local incentives; if approved, construction is expected to be completed in 2020, and the company could hire up to 60 new employees. The 60 new employees would join 240 existing full-time jobs offered by the company.
Johnston thanked the commissioners for contributing to a positive business environment and for being effective collaborators.
“I’m very pleased that Church & Dwight chose the Old Fort facility as the site of this expansion and continues to invest in our workers and our community. Old Fort was in consideration with plants in Missouri and Pennsylvania. The state and local incentives along with an available workforce helped to push us ahead. Thank you to everyone who helped us win the investment in Seneca County,” Johnson said.
All three commissioners thanked Johnston and Church and Dwight for continuing to invest in its plant in Seneca County.
“That Church & Dwight chose Seneca County for this expansion just goes to show what a dedicated workforce we have here in our community,” Thomas said. “Congratulations to David Johnston and everyone at the Old Fort plant for their hard work and continuing to be a great local partner.”
In other action, Seneca Regional Planning Commission Executive Director Charlene Watkins reviewed her office’s 2019, looked ahead to 2020 and gave an update on several ongoing planning efforts.
She said more than $666,000 of grant funding was brought into the county through SRPC in 2019.
Some of the major projects were funded through the 2019 Community Development Block Grant, which is to pay for park improvements in Melmore, sidewalk improvements in Bloomville and homelessness assistance through the Tiffin-Seneca and Fostoria United Way programs.
During Seneca County Administrator Stacy Wilson’s report, she said the latest sales tax revenue report was trending in a positive direction. She said February’s report, which reflects the amount collected during December 2019, was about $771,000, up about 5.7 percent from the same period the previous year.
During new business, the commissioners approved all resolutions from the meeting agenda.