Chillicothe Gazette – Toria Barnhart, February 2, 2019
The Chillicothe-Ross Chamber of Commerce held its annual Community Forecast Breakfast on Friday morning. Director of Economic Development, Tammy Eallonardo, focused on the organization’s efforts to expand businesses in Chillicothe. She confirmed that Kenworth Trucking is expanding its business by creating a new paint facility. This project is expected to bring at least 100 new jobs to town and $6.6 million in revenue.
Eallonardo hinted at the possibility of another economic expansion project being announced in mid-February that would bring another 150 jobs to Chillicothe.
In 2019, the economic development organization plans to focus on site visits in town. On April 10, they are hosting a behind the scenes workshop that would give insight into the site selection process. Those wishing to attend are asked to contact Eallonardo for registration.
Katy Farber, vice president of Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth, also highlighted the importance of economic development in Ross County and in southeastern Ohio. “The economic development team has been working hard to bring projects to the community,” she said.
APEG, the JobsOhio partner for southern, eastern and southeastern Ohio, operates in 25 counties to assist with economic development activities like working with site selectors and communities to bring new businesses or help current ones expand. In Ross County, they’ve assisted with and supported the growth of Kenworth Trucking and the Carlisle Building.
Farber discussed APEG’s idea for a Regional Prosperity Plan in 2019 that would find out what businesses are looking for from a community. They’ve hired a firm that would assess what the region needs to do to prepare potential areas for prosperity that would include assessing community goals, developing unique strategies and finding external resources.
Before the estimated June rollout of the program, APEG plans to hold two focus groups: one for business executives and one for community stakeholders. “We want the voice of the community to come forward,” Farber said. “The opportunity for us to see what we might look like in the future is an exciting opportunity for us all.”
Link to Article
Subscription Required