OpportunityThe South Central Ohio Industrial Park in Greenfield, Ohio is buzzing with existing businesses and ready to work with new industries or companies that need to expand. One hundred-fifteen acres of prime industrial park land were recently authenticated by SiteOhio following a rigorous certification process.
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LocationGreenfield, Ohio is located in the northeast corner of Highland County, just 10 minutes from a four-lane highway, and within an eight-hour drive of 60% of the nation's population.
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Infrastructure/Excess CapacityAccess to the South Central Ohio Industrial Park (SCOIP) is available via State Route 41, N. Washington St., N. Fifth St. and Lovers Lane. SCOIP is equipped with high-speed fiber optics, and local utility companies offer excess electric and natural gas capacity. Greenfield is blessed with a generous aquifer and offers excess water and sewer capacity.
LaborWorkforce is important to business success, and longtime manufacturers in Greenfield have found the workers they need in and around our southern Ohio community. In addition, local government, industry and educational institutions are ramping up programs to provide jobs for a new generation.
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Labor Market InformationKnowing labor market information is helpful to employers and job seekers alike. Ohio Means Jobs Highland County does a great job of connecting potential employees with employers and has the latest listings as well as information for employers about an On-the-Job Training program that provides individualized occupational skills training.
Ohio Means Jobs Highland County: https://www.omjhighlandcounty.com/ Highland County Economic Profile: Highland County economic profile 2021 Much more information appears on the Ohio Means Jobs Highland County website, so visit it often. The Village of Greenfield utilizes collaborative partnerships with many agencies and organizations to bring about economic opportunities for employers and the regional workforce. |
Incentive programs available in Greenfield, Ohio
Community Reinvestment Areas (CRAs)
Greenfield’s Community Reinvestment Area legislation is “pre-1994,” which gives the Village the maximum flexibility to administer the program.In 2018, the Greenfield Village Council acted to expand existing Community Reinvestment Areas to all areas in the municipal limits. The CRA program provides tax incentives for improvements to property in Greenfield, including building construction in the South Central Ohio Industrial Park and elsewhere in the village. Community Reinvestment Areas are designated portions of municipalities or unincorporated areas of counties where property owners can receive tax incentives for investing in new real property improvements. The CRA program is a direct incentive property tax exemption program designated by Ohio statute. The program permits municipalities or counties to designate areas, where investment has been discouraged, as a CRA to encourage revitalization of the existing housing and building stock and the construction of new structures. The program can provide real property tax benefits on the value of residential, commercial and industrial building improvements. Property tax exemptions will be based on increased valuation of the property, due to significant improvements. Existing property taxes will continue to be paid. How much is the tax abatement? The exemption period can be up to 10 years for the remodeling of one and two family residential projects which invest at least $2,500, 12 years for the remodeling of multi-family dwellings of three or more residential units or commercial or industrial properties where the investment is at least $5,000, and 15 years for the new construction of residential, commercial and industrial structures. What is the opportunity? Greenfield’s “pre-1994” CRA resolution gives the Village maximum flexibility to administer the program. By expanding the CRA resolution to cover all of Greenfield, members of Greenfield Village Council believe that CRA expansion will encourage new economic investment in residential housing stock and encourage new commercial and industrial investments. How is the program administered? Applications must be submitted to the Village of Greenfield and evidence provided of improvements. Interested parties should contact the village administration for information on the process. For more information, contact City Manager Todd Wilkin at 937-981-3500 orcitymanager@greenfieldohio.net Enterprise Zones The Ohio Enterprise Zone Program is an economic development tool administered by municipal and county governments that provides real and personal property tax exemptions to businesses making investments in Ohio. For whom? Enterprise zones are designated areas of land in which businesses can receive tax incentives in the form of tax exemptions on eligible new investment. The Enterprise Zone Program can provide tax exemptions for a portion of the value of new real and personal property investment (when that personal property is still taxable) when the investment is made in conjunction with a project that includes job creation. Existing land values and existing building values are not eligible (except as noted within rare circumstances). Benefits. Local communities may offer tax incentives for non-retail projects that are establishing or expanding operations in the State of Ohio. Real property investments are eligible for tax incentives, as well as personal property investments for those entities that continue to pay personal property tax. How to apply For Zone Certification: The zone's geographic area is identified by the local communities involved in the creation of the zone. Once a zone is defined, the local legislative authority participating in the creation must petition the director of the Development Services Agency. The director must then certify the area for it to become an active Enterprise Zone. For a Project Agreement: Tax incentives are negotiated at the local level, and an enterprise zone agreement must be in place before the project begins. Businesses interested in pursuing these incentives should contact the local Enterprise Zone Manager. For more information, contact City Manager Todd Wilkin at 937-981-3500 orcitymanager@greenfieldohio.net |
Opportunity Zones
The 2017 federal tax reform bill included provisions creating a new program through which a taxpayer can defer income tax on capital gains. The Opportunity Zone program allows a taxpayer to reinvest proceeds from the sale of an eligible business or property into an Opportunity Fund. This Opportunity Fund, in turn, will invest in one or more businesses or properties located within qualified Opportunity Zones. Qualified Opportunity Zones are low-income areas that have been specifically designated by the state and federal government. In Greenfield, the area north of Jefferson St. has been designated an Opportunity Zone. By investing in an Opportunity Zone through an Opportunity Fund, a taxpayer can take advantage of up to three benefits, depending on the length of the investment. Temporary deferral: A taxpayer can defer any tax owed on capital gains by investing the realized gain in an Opportunity Zone. The tax liability is deferred until December 31, 2026, or at such earlier time that the taxpayer disposes of the Opportunity Zone investment. Reduction in gain realized through basis adjustment: For capital gains that are reinvested into an Opportunity Zone, the basis of the investment will increase by 10% if the taxpayer holds the investment for at least five years and by an additional five percent if the investment is held by the taxpayer for at least seven years. Therefore, a taxpayer can raise the basis of an investment in an Opportunity Zone by 15% of the amount of the initial investment by holding the investment in the Opportunity Zone for at least seven years. Exclusion for capital gains on the Opportunity Zone investment: If an investor holds the Opportunity Zone investment for at least 10 years, then the basis of the investment is its fair market value as of the date on which the investment is disposed. Therefore, a taxpayer will generally not be taxed on the gain realized from the disposition of the Opportunity Zone investment after 10 years. A taxpayer must invest in an Opportunity Fund within 180 days of the disposition of the existing property to be eligible for the tax benefits under the program. Nationwide, more than 8,000 Opportunity Zones have been qualified as being eligible to participate in the program, 320 of which are located in Ohio. The northern part of Greenfield is located in Census Tract 39071954400 in Highland County, a certified Opportunity Zone. While Opportunity Zones could become useful for Greenfield and other communities in Ohio, caution is advised as the rules for Opportunity Zones are still being developed. For more information, contact City Manager Todd Wilkin at 937-981-3500 or citymanager@greenfieldohio.net In addition, Greenfield cooperates fully with the federal and state government and honors any economic incentive programs offered. The Village partners with local employers, Highland County, the Community Improvement Corporation, the Chamber of Commerce and various local organizations seeking to energize and revitalize the local economy. Greenfield Village Council has shown a willingness to negotiate economic incentives for new employers. For more information, contact the City Manager. Highland County Workforce Development Center opens in Greenfield as a step to welcoming new industry
Highland County and the village of Greenfield opened a Workforce Development Center on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022 with a grand opening celebration that included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a chamber coffee and commerce event, as well as tours, demonstrations, and a reception. Attendees included local and regional officials as well as representatives on state and federal levels. Many local businesses and entities were also represented. According to Highland County Economic Director Julie Bolender, the center “allows our educational partners to expand their reach and course offerings to create a workforce that will be the very cornerstone of growth. “Without a trained and capable workforce, our current industry suffers, and we do not position our county for new sectors to put down roots. Ohio is welcoming new industries weekly. We must be ready to welcome them to Highland County.” The Highland County Workforce Development Center is a county initiative, she said, with support given currently by Laurel Oaks Career Campus, Southern State Community College, and the village of Greenfield. In the coming weeks, she said, partnership opportunities will be announced, which will allow those who wish to invest “more significant opportunities and dedicated time throughout the year.” The center, which is located at 1300 Jefferson St. in the Jefferson Street Business Center on the west end of Greenfield, is the first of its kind in the area. There are two classrooms as well as three shared work spaces, and each space, she said, has the latest technology, like virtual reality and artificial intelligence, and “provides a comfortable place to learn and work.” Internet, phone, and private space are available. Aspire classes, through Southern State Community College’s Adult Opportunity Center, will include adult literacy, GED preparation, college readiness, and reading-, writing-, and math-improvement courses, Bolender said. Additionally, the courses are free. Those who would like to enroll in the Aspire program may do so by calling 800-628-7722 or by emailing aoc.sscc.edu. Also offered at the center are medical assisting courses through a partnership with the Laurel Oaks Career Campus. Additionally, employers can reserve the classroom and work spaces for things like meetings, employee training, seminars, upskilling, and career fairs, she said. For now, Bolender will be coordinating the use of the center. She may be reached by phone at 937-661-3010, or by email at jbolender@co.highland.oh.us. On Friday, Highland County Commissioner Jeff Duncan welcomed everyone at the commencing of the ribbon-cutting event. He spoke about how workforce development is a “top priority” in the county and how the board of commissioners has been discussing the ways to make more locations like this happen. He thanked everyone who had a hand in making the center a reality, including Bolender, who he said “tied all the ends together” to help make the center happen. Dr. Nicole Roades, president of Southern State Community College, provided a history of how the center came to be, which included the many obstacles presented by the pandemic. She said the center was “essentially a one-stop shop” that complements the existing services at the location, which is the building that houses Highland County Community Action and Ohio Means Jobs. Just prior to the ribbon-cutting, representatives of U.S. Sen. Rob Portman’s office and U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup’s office presented proclamations and gave their congratulations on the project and spoke of the successes likely to come because of it. Greenfield councilman Phil Clyburn said he hoped the rooms of the workforce development center “never get dusty,” and that their continual use will help those who use them to build success. Council members Brenda Losey and Mary Ellen McMurry spoke about how exciting the center is and the success that is possible because this resource is now available in Greenfield. “Always understanding that the very foundation of economic development is workforce development, I was pleased to read in its economic development plan that the Village of Greenfield wanted to build a brick-and-mortar workforce center,” Bolender said earlier this week. “Through the diligence of Dr. Nicole Roades and Amy McClellan of SSCC, funding through the Growing Rural Independence Together (GRIT) grant was procured for Highland County. This grant funding allowed us to build and outfit this amazing center. We appreciate our partnership with Highland County Community Action and feel at home in the new Jefferson Street Business Center. “Now more than ever, we must have the tools necessary for our businesses to grow, and that begins with a qualified and capable workforce,” Bolender said.” This center will help to position Highland County as the county where current businesses thrive, and new industries put down roots.” |
The South Central Ohio Industrial Park is located in Greenfield, Ohio and is ready for additional development.
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