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GALLIA COUNTY |
Ohio's third oldest city is about to be rediscovered. French immigrants first settled Gallipolis on the Ohio River more than two hundred years ago. The original French 500 settlers came seeking economic fortunes. Today, it is automotive suppliers, plastics manufacturers and medical research companies who are showing interest in this small rural community.
| Gallia County is perfectly positioned to join the new wave of the plastic and automotive industry. Gallia County is centrally located between Toyota's big assembly plant in Georgetown, Ky., and Honda's plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio, and the new automotive plants in the Carolinas. Closer still is the Ford plant in the Cincinnati area, the General Motors plant in Dayton and Kenworth's truck manufacturing plant in Chillicothe. In addition, Toyota has just announced a new $400 million engine plant just 15 miles from Gallia County in Buffalo, W.Va.
"The automotive and plastic industries will play a major role in Gallia County's future economic development recruitment efforts. Our central location positions us perfectly to attract new industry to Southeastern Ohio," said Tom Wiseman, president of the Board of the Community Improvement Corp. of Gallia County. The CIC will open a 214-acre industrial plant early in 1997. Industry observers are predicting a bonanza of new plants that will want to locate near Toyota's engine plant. "Communities in a 100-mile radius will likely see substantial spin-off. Toyota's announcement brings an important economic dimension to our area. As national attention focuses on our region, recruitment activities are shifting into high gear," says R.V. "Buddy" Graham, executive director of the Community Improvement Corp. |
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Highway access to Gallia County is excellent. Appalachian Highway 32 connects with U.S. 35 and passes through the heart of the county. These four-lane highways allow travelers to reach Columbus or Cincinnati within 90 minutes. In West Virginia, U.S. 35 connects with I-64. Part of the agreement with Toyota was a commitment to upgrade the West Virginia portion of U.S. 35 to four lanes. These improvements, along with the recent raising of the speed limit to 65 mph, will further enhance access to and from Gallia County for component makers.
Borg Warner recently bought the Federal Mogul plant in Gallipolis and makes components primarily for automotive drive train applications, using powdered metallurgy. Company officials cite their labor force as one of the best assets. Chuck Woods, a senior executive with Borg Warner says, "Our labor force works extremely well with management. Gallia County is the type of environment that companies are looking for to build enterprises."
Gallipolis is also home to Rockwell Automation (formerly Reliance Motion Controls) which employs 500.
While Gallia County's population is 31,000, there are 843,000 people in a 50-mile radius. The labor pool for the area contains over 50,000 people who are either unemployed or underemployed. Southeastern Ohio unemployment rates generally range from 10 to 11 percent. The University of Rio Grande, along with Buckeye Hills Career Center, offer excellent industrial training programs in the region.
The area is heavily dependent on utility companies. Four large utility plants, including AEP's River Transport division, provide over 1,800 jobs and afford lower utility costs to industries coming into the area. Another major attraction is the Ohio River. Chemical companies have found the river a natural location for low-cost transportation of bulk commodities.
One of Gallia County's biggest assets is the Holzer Medical Center and Holzer Clinic in Gallipolis. The state-of-the-art medical complex employs over 1,400 people. The medical center is expected to be a catalyst for medical research and pharmaceutical companies who will want to locate in the new industrial park.
Bob Evans Farms Inc. is a major contributor to Gallia County. The firm has donated land and money to the county's economic development efforts, including half of the acreage for the industrial park. "Bob Evans Farms is always there to help Gallia County when needed," says Gary Roach, president of the Gallia County Chamber.
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But the story of Gallia County would not be complete without mentioning its most colorful asset: a country gentleman with a string tie and a wide brimmed hat often is seen strolling through Gallipolis. Visitors are often surprised to meet Bob Evans emerging from the local barbershop or Gallia County Chamber of Commerce offices. The home-grown entrepreneur has parlayed a modest truckers' restaurant into a highly successful sausage company and a chain of family restaurants. He is still an active player in local economic development activities. Bob and Jewel Evans have turned their home and ranch into a popular tourist attraction, drawing thousands of visitors a year to the hills outside Rio Grande. |
From the French 500 to Bob Evans, Gallia County has been blessed with energetic and enthusiastic people. And it's the rediscovery of that natural resource that will bring the next wave of opportunity ashore.
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Hocking County |
