By Kerry Rahm
krahm@wbcowqel.com
The Crawford Success Center served as host for American Electric Power and the Crawford County Partnership for Education and Economic Development’s (CCEEDP) celebration of certification from AEP/Austin Consulting on Friday.
The shovel-ready certification for the Food and Beverage Sector for Outlot 619 at the Crossroads Industrial Center means food and beverage companies now have a viable piece of land on which to potentially build, bringing their businesses straight to Bucyrus.
Gary Frankhouse, Economic Development Director and Executive Director of CCEEDP, was excited to announce what it means for a site to receive such a designation.
“It’s really about planning, fertilizing, and water, and this is that step that now with some of the marketing that is going to happen with RGP, which is our connection to Jobs Ohio, and AEP, this gives us a tool to really attract and be able to convince industry that Crawford County is a great place because with some of our excess water and our sewers and our logistics and an amazing industrial park… I mean, we just need to get that message out there.”
“What we’ve done, with this certification is we’ve reduced the risk to come here, we’re saving them time because they don’t have to do this, and thus we’re saving them money, so those are three things that give us an advantage over those that haven’t been through this process.”
All of the preparation an interested company would need to do- groundwork involving utilities, infrastructure, logistics, sewer and water capacities, and even soil analysis- was primarily completed through Austin Consulting and AEP. “All criteria meet the stringent guidelines required by food and beverage processors seeking sites for new plants,” noted a press release from CCEEDP.
The Crossroads lot is a now “shovel-ready” site, a desirable qualification that makes the land much more marketable to interested companies- an important factor if Crawford County wants to stay competitive in today’s market.
“AEP understands that this community is eager to grow and prosper,” says Tim Wells, the Economic and Business Development manager for AEP. With the trend of speed to market, site certification programs are a part of this. “We hope to get the fish on the hook and bring them to Crawford County.”
Frankhouse wanted to give special mention to the city of Bucyrus, whose residents, city and county workers helped Austin Consulting and AEP progress to certification.
“The city of Bucyrus was relentless. We asked questions and we didn’t know what we were asking for. But we found it,” said Frankhouse.
Bucyrus is now among Findlay, Lima, and Tiffin as cities which have the shovel-ready certification. The next step is cold calling food and beverage companies to draw interest, and with any success, Crossroads Industrial Center may soon have its first opportunity for a food and beverage plant.
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