Welcome to the Van Wert, Ohio Web Site. Our community has made major investments in the development of our three industrial sites to accommodate requests from a few acres to 1600 acres with rail.  We have developed many local incentives and work with the Ohio Department of Development to create attractive incentive programs for business and industry.  On this site you will find highlights and Web Links for our community.  Thank you for your interest in Van Wert.  We look forward in hearing from you regarding additional information about our community.

Van Wert Aims To Turn Chunk Of Real Estate Into a Magnet For Jobs

By Jeff Neumeyer Indiana's NewsCenter

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Van Wert County
Van Wert County is located in northwest Ohio’s rich agricultural area, situated on the Ohio-Indiana border. The City of Van Wert is the county seat and is recognized as the county’s center for business growth and development, medical and cultural opportunities.
Major communities surrounding Van Wert County include Lima, Ohio, 20 miles to the east, Ft. Wayne, Indiana 30 miles west, Dayton, Ohio 80 miles south and Toledo, Ohio 85 miles north.

Van Wert is located within a 350 mile radius of the Great Lakes, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Toledo and Dayton. This central location illustrates the convenience of Van Wert manufacturing, sales and distribution to midwestern industries.

Van Wert’s superior standard of living, community pride and solid work ethic make it especially attractive for industrial development. Its hometown atmosphere offers a fine educational system, an overall low cost of living and outstanding medical and recreational facilities. The city’s central location and midwestern roots give it a unique social and cultural awareness that makes it a special place to call HOME.

Van Wert Points of Interest, City & County Services Map
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  Aquatic Park Will be on
      November Ballot
     Although waiting until fall to go to the voters was not the first choice, Farmer noted that the timing will actually be an advantage for the facility. If the levy had passed on May 7, construction likely would not have been ready to begin until September which would have forced the building of the project to be extended into 2014. 
 That schedule would have pushed the opening back to at least July, cutting the season in half. New grass probably would not have been ready by that time either. But Farmer noted many things will be simpler with a November approval rather than a May approval.
     "When approved in November, we can do all of our head work in the winter months and be all ready when the weather breaks we would have no problem getting it seeded and done in that year, 2014, for an opening around Memorial Day of 2015," he said. "Sometimes the negative breeds a positive." 
    The levy would amount to owners of a $100,000 home approximately $37 annually in taxes. The owner of a $50,000 home would pay around $18.50 each year.

Van Wert County Economic Development Looking Up

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New Bridge North of Van Wert for Rail Spur to Mega Site.
BY ED GEBERT Van Wert Times Bulletin
 Cindy Leis has spent almost four months as Van Wert County's economic development director, and in that short amount of time she has been able to see a lot of good news.
    "The best news is that our companies are hiring," she stated. "They may not be hiring as many people as we want, and maybe they're not all the high-tech jobs we're looking for, but Braun Industries had 20 job openings and most of those were high-tech engineering positions. Or you look at Elmco Engineering or Alliance Automation - these are pretty high-tech engineering positions. They may not be the big numbers like 50 jobs, they are more like 10. However those ten are pretty high-paying jobs."
    Leis put together an overview of her first three months on the job and found plenty of good news, but also some challenges for the area over the next few months. While Eaton Corporation added 117 jobs between July 2012 and March 2013, Federal Mogul has shed 110. Still, overall a sampling of firms in Van Wert County shows 151 additional jobs, including 59 more at Toledo Molding & Die, 42 at Braun Industries and 28 additional at Cooper Farms. Add to that a sinking unemployment rate since January, and there is plenty to be happy about.
    According to Leis, she was taken aback by the number of high-tech positions that are being added locally. "What surprised me the most is how many employment opportunities there are in Van Wert and the level of advanced technology, and the advanced thinking of the local companies."
    Leis said the part of the key in her job is to keep a good work force for potential employers and that includes keeping Van Wert County's best and brightest here, or at least bring them back after college or training programs are completed.     
   The Van Wert Super Site is also part of the local good news. Leis reported that work on the railroad spur is progressing well. The rail line will run as far as Marsh Rd. at this point and will connect to the site when an end user is identified. There is another 100-acre industrial site that can be served by rail.       
    With good reports from retail sales throughout the county, things are looking up in that sector. Leis said she is getting interest from some restaurant franchises.
    "Those do fill a gap," she conceded. "But bringing in manufacturing jobs will bring even more of the service-industry jobs as well."
    Leis also mentioned the importance of keeping a well-trained work force and important role Vantage Career Center plays in that area. The school not only trains high school juniors and seniors in a variety of programs, Vantage also serves over 1,600 adults per year.
    For Leis, an important piece of her job will kick off in earnest this month. The Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E) program provides vital communication between area businesses.
    "That's where a group of economic development stakeholders go out and visit our major industries and find out how their business is going, what they have planned for the rest of the year, and if they need any help doing anything," explained Leis.
    Overall, Leis is enthusiastic about the growth trend and the possibilities which lie ahead for Van Wert County, even in the manufacturing sector which employs 26.8 percent of county workers. The weak spots economically can be mostly eliminated with the fulfillment of one need.   Leis stated, "We still need new companies coming into Van Wert County with new jobs."   

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