Jackson – Grandview Builders, Inc. and the Jackson County Economic Development Partnership hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on September 11th, 2024 for its speculative building project at the Salt Creek Industrial Park. The project will be supported by a $360,000 JobsOhio Grant through the Ohio Site Inventory Program.
Project partners in attendance included JobsOhio, Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE), the Jackson County Economic Development Partnership, Jackson – Grandview Builders, the Jackson County Commissioners, and Ohio Department of Development.
“The new speculative property at Salt Creek Industrial Park will close a gap for much-needed industrial and office space in Jackson County,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. “This building will have ideal access to rail and highway infrastructure and room for future growth, making it highly attractive for businesses seeking to establish new operations that will bring more jobs to Southern Ohio.”
The 30,000 square-foot building has an additional 2,000 square-foot modern office space and is expandable up to 60,000 (64,000 total if you include 2,000 for each side’s office) square-feet on 5.86 acres, with an additional 38 acres remaining for development. In total, over $3.6 million is being invested into the site.
“Historically, when companies decide they need a new location, most of the time they look for existing buildings rather than a site for a construction project,” said OhioSE Interim President Katy Farber. “Jackson County has a need to add to its building inventory and we applaud Jackson Grandview Builders for making the investment.”
The Ohio Site Inventory Program (OSIP) was established to create property within the state that is not being developed by the market, but that has proven demand and known economic benefit. This program improves the state’s competitive edge with respect to attracting new investment and job creation by filling gaps in the state’s inventory portfolio.
“We in Jackson County are grateful to have the recognition that we are worth investing in. OhioSE, JobsOhio, and Ohio Department of Development see that we are a growing and momentous region with further capacity for development,” said Beau Bowman, President of Jackson – Grandview Builders, Inc. “The people within these organizations helped to make the case on our behalf that we have the need for greater infrastructure and site inventory to match our local people, workforces, businesses, and momentum.”
“We are proud to work with the opportunities that they have provided, alongside our county commissioners and local economic development agency, to create a new job producing and economically stimulating spec building inside of our local Salt Creek Industrial Park. With the development of this spec building and its surrounding infrastructure, we hope to see its success encourage further prosperity in our home region,” said Bowman.
Jackson County is the third largest job-creating county in the 25-county OhioSE region.
“Economic development attraction is all about available inventory,” said Sam Brady President & CEO of the Jackson County Economic Development Partnership. “This new spec building investment by Jackson-Grandview Builders, Inc. moves the needle significantly for Jackson County to be more competitive to win attraction projects.”
This project was also supported by a $2.9 million loan through the Rural Industrial Park Loan (RIPL) Program. The RIPL program promotes economic development by providing low-interest direct loans to assist eligible applicants in financing the development and improvement of industrial parks and related off-site public infrastructure improvements.
“The goal of the Rural Industrial Park Loan Program is clear: to drive economic development in the areas that need it the most,” said Department of Development director Lydia Mihalik. “Strong infrastructure is crucial for every community, but providing businesses with the space and resources they need to grow efficiently is just as important. The investments we’re making through the RIPL program positively impact businesses and communities across Ohio, and this project is a great example of that.”
Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE) is the JobsOhio Network Partner for southern, eastern, and southeastern Ohio, providing economic development work and resources in 25 rural counties. Geographically the largest of the seven regions across the state, OhioSE partners closely with regional development districts, local economic development offices, state agencies, and other entities to expand, retain, and attract businesses in the counties they serve.
