First Quarter 2016

County to develop 242-acre industrial park

South Afton Commerce Park promises significant jobs, economic impact

Clermont County took a huge step this week in spurring the economic growth of the county. The Clermont County CIC, Inc.

-- an economic development tool used by the county -- purchased 242 acres of land at Half Acre Road and State Route 32 that will be developed as the South Afton Commerce Park, a prime location for manufacturing and warehousing companies.

An analysis by the UC Economics Center showed:

1,855 permanent jobs at full buildout; 3,530 including related jobs
$114 million in annual payroll for the 1,855 jobs at the park; $186 million annual payroll for the total 3,530 jobs
$94 million estimated property valuation at full buildout, which will generate $582,000 in annual property taxes at current rates
An estimated $32 million in property taxes generated over the 11-year span.
Total annual economic output of $1.5 billion

Read our press release here, our FAQ here and the UC study here.

Meet Jeff Lykins of Lykins Energy Solutions

Jeff Lykins is CEO and president of a billion dollar company that began modestly in 1948 as a gas station in Newtonsville operated by his grandfather. "We sell all types of energy. If it's a BTU, we sell it," he says of Lykins Energy, which has been headquartered in Clermont County since it began. Why stay in the county? Well, "It's our home. And Clermont County has a great pool of people to get our employees from," he said. The company also believes in giving back to the community, and is a major benefactor of Clermont CASA for Kids.

Lykins Energy Solutions

See our previous CEO testimonials

Milacron approved for tax abatements

At their Dec. 17, 2015, session, Clermont County Commissioners approved an enterprise zone agreement that included a tax abatement for

Milacron LLC, which is expanding its operations in Williamsburg Township. In concert with Williamsburg Township trustees, Commissioners OK'd a 60 percent property tax abatement over 10 years, saving Milacron approximately $779,000.

Milacron, a leader in the plastics processing industry, is investing $6 million in its Williamsburg Township operation, including the construction of a 28,000-square-foot addition. The company plans to add 149 full-time positions to its current workforce of 646 within three years of completion of its construction.

Read more here

Milacron LLC

2016 Economic Outlook event April 13

The 2016 Economic Outlook Breakfast will be held 7:30-10 a.m. Wednesday, April 13, at Holiday Inn & Suites Eastgate. Brian Beaulieu, CEO of the Institute for Trend Research, is the keynote speaker, and will focus on how the consumer is doing financially in this time of uncertainty. The Clermont County CIC, Inc., is one of the sponsors of the annual event. For more information, call the Clermont Chamber of Commerce at 513-576-5000; you can also register here.

Wage & hour seminar at OMJ/Clermont

OhioMeansJobs/Clermont County is hosting a free business seminar on wage and hour issues from 8:30-10 a.m. Tuesday, March 15, at OhioMeansJobs/Clermont, 756 Old State Route 74, Suite A, Cincinnati, OH 45245.

Lee Geiger and Nick Ziepfel from Graydon Head will cover a variety of wage and hour issues that impact employers of all sizes. They'll offer practical tips for dealing with employee classification issues and will discuss the Department of Labor's proposed Fair Labor Standards Act regulations that will substantially alter who may be classified as an exempt employee. The seminar is geared toward HR professionals and small business owners.

For more information or to register, call Sherri Bowling at 513-943-3734 or email her at sherri.bowling@jfs.ohio.gov.

OhioMeansJobs/Clermont

New director for SBDC

Tracy Hawkins is the new director of the Clermont County Small Business Development Center (SBDC), replacing John Melvin who recently retired. She is an attorney.