Perry County: Interstate Site, Lower Costs

Less than an hour's drive east of Columbus another world awaits the 17 million travelers who whiz along I-70 each year.

In Perry County, on the edge of Appalachia, the land begins to bunch into rolling hills, the towns are sprinkled among vast corn fields and the rural lifestyle is a much-prized commodity for business executives weary of big cities.

Site seekers would be well-advised to take the I-70 Thornville exit at State Route 13. Here, just 3.5 miles from the interstate, is a 150-acre greenfield site that is perfect for distributors. Over 60 percent of the nation's population is within a 10-hour drive of the site.

Perry County (pop. 32,300) has already been discovered by a diverse base of manufacturing firms, attracted by lower costs for land and labor and by the mind-soothing landscape of rural vistas and a national forest.

Metal-forming and ceramic products are the county's industrial signature. ITT Automotive makes tubing for the auto industry in its 300,000-sq. ft. New Lexington plant, and P.C.C. Airfoils makes metal parts for jet aircraft.

Perry County's clay deposits put it at the center of the nation's ceramic industry, and the knowledge built by generations of pottery makers serves the county's ceramic industry well. Petro-Ware makes ceramic saddles for the oil and gas industry, Ferro Corp. makes ceramic kiln furniture and Star Engineering designs and manufactures automated machinery for the ceramics industry. The county is home of the Ohio Ceramic Center.

Star Engineering, a major Perry County employer, won the Governor's E Award for exports.

A number of firms are highly active in global markets. Petro-Ware and Star Engineering, for example, both have won the Governor's E Award for their exporting programs.

Among other major firms are Nicofibers, which makes fiberglass mats for the auto industry, and Ogleby Norton, which supplies sand to industry and to golf courses.

A farm-born work force is a major advantage for employers. ITT Automotive, for example, attributes the quality awards bestowed on the company to the caliber of its 600-person work force. Says Gary Smith, human resources manager: "Our employees have a very strong work ethic and take pride in doing a good job."

Adds Chris Mooney, controller of Star Engineering: "The workers in this area take a real interest in helping companies succeed, and they're willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done."

Building skill levels is a high priority. Opening this year is a new Hocking College campus in Perry County. In addition to offering a broadly based vocational curriculum, the college conducts specialized job training for area industry.

In addition to its interstate site, Perry County has 500 acres serviced with water, sewer, natural gas and three-phase electrical power in an industrial park east of New Lexington. The park, adjacent to state routes 13, 37 and 93, is popular with industrial firms and also with such shippers as Siemer Distributing, which sends ice and food products throughout the state.

Expect to hear more from Perry County in coming years. A progressive Board of County Commissioners is taking the initiative to put Perry County on the map, making economic development the No. 1 priority.