OEDA Shares Positives with Port Authority

The executive director of the Ohio Economic Development Association was at the Zanesville-Muskingum Port Authority meeting today to share positive economic news.

J.C. Wallace told the Port Authority despite the bad economic news every hears about Ohio, last year Ohio was the top state in the nation for new large scale projects.

The OEDA says in 2008 Ohio had three times more new plants and expansions then closings or downsizings.

“I think we’re out here just trying to talk about that fact that it feels like people are just talking doom and gloom, but we continue to see expansions across Ohio and we think it’s going to turn around,” says Wallace.

Wallace says although this year has been tough, he sees our area as one of the most successful in the state because we have a diversified economy that’s continuing to expand despite the recession.

“A couple of things that I think are outstanding for this area is the distribution industry and the consolidation of the distribution industry, and then the food industry is always really important during down times and you’ve done a really good job of keeping the distribution and food industry investing here,” he says.

In other news, the Port Authority’s State Route 93 turning lane project at Eastpointe is in its right-of-way phase with the state. The project will cost more than $1.2 million dollars and bids should start going out in 2010.