| Record Number of New Jobs Created in Butler County |
| Friday, February 24, 2006 9:32:12 AM - Middletown Ohio |
HAMILTON, Ohio, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The Butler County Board of
Commissioners announced today that Butler County experienced record growth in
job creation, development investment, and leased and sold square footage in
2005.
The 63 new construction and expansion projects in Butler County created
3,849 new jobs in 2005, a 23.6% increase over the 3,115 new jobs created in
2004; saw new investment in real estate and personal property increase 65.7%
to $605,018,800 from $365,122,309 in 2004; and manufacturing, office, and
commercial space leased or sold in Butler County doubled from 3,723,387 sq.
ft. last year to 7,228,758 sq. ft. in 2005. (These figures do not include new
retail development which is not traditionally included in economic development
reporting.)
"While some communities still struggle with layoffs, plant closings, and
job outsourcing, Butler County has been blessed with a strong economy and
significant business expansion even during difficult times," said Butler
County Board of Commissioners president Greg Jolivette. "The creation of
almost 4,000 new jobs is very gratifying and is a testament to the health of
the County's economy."
Healthcare growth continued to thrive in Butler County with the
announcements in 2005 of the construction of new facilities for the Health
Alliance in West Chester and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in
Liberty Township that combined will create approximately 1,225 new jobs with
an investment of $280 million. A total of 36% of the new jobs created in 2005
were in healthcare or biomedicine. Equally exciting, was the announcement in
late December that Amylin Pharmaceuticals of San Diego will establish a $150
million biomedical manufacturing facility in West Chester to manufacture a
long-acting release treatment for type 2 diabetes.
"Amylin will create more than 200 new jobs during Phase I and II of the
project with an average, annual salary of over $52,000 per employee," said
Commissioner Mike Fox. "This puts Butler County on the biomedical map and
will provide the kind of well paying, high tech jobs that are important for
Butler County's continued growth toward a truly knowledge-based economy."
Proving that there is life after a plant closing, the former Fisher Body
plant in Fairfield, closed by General Motors in 1988, will be redeveloped by
the First Highland Company of Boston.
"The redevelopment of the 1.2 million sq. ft. former Fisher Body building
into a multi-tenant manufacturing and distribution facility and the
construction new outbuildings on the adjacent vacant land represents a
potential investment of $32 million," said Butler County Commissioner Chuck
Furmon. "What has been an eyesore will now be redeveloped and re-skinned to
become the model and standard for brownfield development in southwest Ohio."
Manufacturing in Butler County continues to be strong. High tech
manufacturer Pole/Zero will add 130 new jobs at their West Chester facility
with a $5.4 million plant expansion while Monroe's Precision Packaging is
going forward with a $10 million plant expansion that will add 158 new jobs to
its workforce.
And, warehouse distribution and supply chain logistics received an
unexpected boost from Dell in West Chester where the computer and peripherals
maker increased its workforce by 400 new jobs in 2005 bringing total
employment at its logistics facility to 1,000. In addition, athletic apparel
manufacturer SanMar invested $25 million for a new distribution facility in
West Chester that will create 150 new jobs and retain 200 existing jobs in the
region.
Butler County, Ohio, located between the Cincinnati and Dayton metro areas
in southwest Ohio, is at the center of a population and market of 2.8 million
people. Butler County has business-oriented government officials; an
excellent availability of reasonably priced office, commercial, and industrial
space; a productive, knowledge-based workforce; close proximity to interstates
I-75, I-71, I-74, and I-70; affordable Midwest housing; and world-class air
service from two international airports making it an unsurpassed community in
which to conduct business.
Contact: Brian Coughlin, Director
(513) 785-5850
SOURCE Butler County, Ohio Department of Economic Development
Web Site: http://www.butlercounty.biz
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