One of the top logistics firms in the Midwest is taking a lead role to spur further development in Northwest Ohio.

Ohio Logistics has announced plans to develop a new spec building in Bowling Green – a move intended to attract high-end manufacturing to the Wood County community. Clouse Construction will build the structure.

“This is a great opportunity for growth in Bowling Green,” said Chuck Bills, president and CEO of Ohio Logistics.

Construction of the 100,000 square-foot building, expandable up to 300,000 square feet, is expected to begin soon on the southern portion of the Woodbridge Business Park.

Along with the potential of attracting new business, Bills highlighted that the business park’s expansion also addresses existing safety concerns.

“This park only has one way in and out, as well as only one source of water – those are safety issues for the current businesses here,” Bills said. “This project opens a second access point to the park and taps into the water line off SR 105.”

For Bills, this will mark the third building his company has developed within the park. Ohio Logistics operates a 200,000 square-foot warehouse on the park’s north side. In addition, the company partnered in developing a 100,000 square-foot facility for Marelli, a Tier 1 automotive supplier.

“Having curbside-ready land and a spec building increases our probability of success,” Bills said. “This will strengthen Northwest Ohio, which benefits everyone.”

The project is being supported through the Ohio Site Inventory Program (OSIP), an innovative initiative created by JobsOhio to boost the competitiveness of the state in competing for economic development projects. The $50 million program offers grants and low-interest loans to support speculative site and building development projects.

Specifically for this project, JobsOhio approved a $1 million grant toward infrastructure, site prep and construction. “We could not have done this without that money,” Bills said. “This OSIP program through JobsOhio allows us to be competitive.”

The primary goal of the Ohio Site Inventory Program (OSIP) is to fill gaps in Ohio’s real estate inventory with real estate targeting near-term sector wins to ensure our state is more competitive for reactive site selection projects.

“Ohio has experienced significant and diverse economic investment and Northwest Ohio is well positioned to capitalize and keep that momentum moving forward. This new 100,000 square-foot spec building on the south side of the Woodbridge Business Park will bolster site inventory in the region, making it easier for companies to choose Wood County for future investment.”

– J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio President & CEO

With expansion inside the Woodbridge Business Park, Bills envisions further growth, including opportunities for additional manufacturing as well as retail.

The Regional Growth Partnership is the lead economic development organization serving 17 counties in Northwest Ohio. As a private nonprofit development corporation, the RGP is dedicated to fostering regional, national and international business investment opportunities across the region. The RGP serves as Northwest Ohio’s network partner for JobsOhio. Visit www.rgp.org for more information.

JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio through Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.