TAFT APPLAUDS CHARTER MANUFACTURING COMPANY
Cuyahoga Heights expansion to create 140 new jobs
CLEVELAND (November 12, 2004) – Governor Bob Taft today visited Charter Manufacturing Company in Cleveland and participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of its new Charter Steel Melting Facility. The groundbreaking began a $90 million expansion project to construct a new steel melting facility in Cuyahoga Heights, which is expected to create 140 new jobs.
“Today’s announcement is a tribute to Ohio’s advantages, but especially to the phenomenal workforce here in Cuyahoga County,” said Taft. “And it confirms what we all know and believe – Ohio is the best location in the United States to manufacture and distribute products to serve the North American marketplace.”
At the ceremony, Taft joined Charter Manufacturing Company Chairman and CEO John Mellowes and Cuyahoga Heights Mayor Louis J. Bacci. The company’s new melting facility will provide 350,000 annual tons of special bar quality steel melting and direct billet casting capacity to support the company’s existing rolling mill. Upon the facility’s completion, the company is expected to add 140 new jobs. The construction will also create an additional 400 temporary jobs.
Through the Department of Development, the state provided a Job Creation Tax Credit and job training dollars for the project. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency also assisted the company with environmental permitting.
# # #
Media Contacts:
Bill Teets, Ohio Department of Development, at (614) 466-2382; or
Orest Holubec, Governor’s Press Secretary, at (614) 644-0957.