LISBON – A Global Investment Hub is planned for a site in Leetonia, and the Columbiana County Port Authority has authorized the final piece of funding for the project.
The port, in partnership with the Youngstown State University, was awarded a $400,000 grant last year from money included in the state budget for the project that will create a hub at the port’s industrial building on Cherry Fork Road.
At that time the port was seeking $650,000 for the work.
“We have been working with Moussa Kassis and Pat Veisz from YSU SBDC departments to attract and meet the demands of new and foreign businesses to create a Global Investment Hub and to cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in the community especially in the petrochemical industry,” Port Executive Director Penny Traina has said about the project.
Just last week the port authority board unanimously approved seeking the remaining $250,000 in grant funding through the Appalachian Regional Commission and Ohio Governor’s Office of Appalachia.
The port currently has $444,880 in grants, loans and other local funding for the project, according to the resolution recently passed by the port authority board.
On another matter, Traina announced during the meeting that the Ohio Mid-Eastern Government’s Association (OMEGA) received notice that their proposal for technical assistance through the Recovery to Work Cohort Learning Academy was selected by the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA).
Brittany Smith, who serves as the grants coordinator and finance assistant for the port authority, was selected to be one of the OMEGA District’s Core Team members.
Traina said that Smith will meet with other members of the district each month to discuss strategies to address Appalachia’s substance abuse disorder crisis through a recovery-to-work program.
“The goal of this program is to create more job opportunities for those individuals who have struggled with substance abuse while also increasing the overall workforce availability in our region,” Traina said.
Smith will travel to Arlington, Va. this month to meet with other districts of the learning academy from North Carolina and Tennessee.
“The Port Authority would like to congratulate Jeanette Wierzbicki and her team at OMEGA on a successful proposal,” Traina said.
Traina also provided an update on the port’s Recovery Coordinator program that was implemented at the beginning of August.
Smith and the port’s private sector group specialist Bobby Ritchey have been reaching out to businesses throughout the county to learn more about what they do, what their needs are, and if they have any concerns at this time, Traina said.
“So far, the program has been successful with several businesses talking about potential expansions in the near future. Almost all of the businesses have mentioned the need for workers with several having multiple openings at this time. Our team is working diligently to assist those businesses with their needs and look forward to meeting with more businesses in the future,” Traina said.
Also during the recent meeting, the port authority board approved resolutions allowing for lease renewals.
The renewals resulted in no changes in rates and were approved for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America and Humtown Products at the Leetonia building and a renewal for Paragon Integrated Services Group for laydown area at the Wellsville Industrial Facility.
A new lease in name only was also awarded to the ExOne company.
Port Authority Executive Assistant Glenda Schafer said the company previously took over the port’s lease with Freshmade 3D and that no other changes were made to the lease.
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