B&L Transport approved for enterprise zoning agreement

Holmes County businesses continue to thrive, and B&L Transport has become the latest in a line of larger Holmes County companies to utilize the enterprise zoning agreement that has become very successful in keeping Holmes County businesses strong.

The Holmes County commissioners recently approved an enterprise zone agreement with B&L Transport and Mast Holding Company Limited, which is currently located in Winesburg.

According to Mark Leininger, Holmes County director of economic development, there are two parts to the application.

He said the first part of the application is for B&L Transport to relocate their headquarters to a location in Holmes County. The company also will construct a new warehouse facility in Walnut Creek Township behind the former Holmes County Amish Flea Market on state Route 39, just west of Walnut Creek.

The proposal is to build a 47,500-square-foot warehouse facility in Walnut Creek, with the purpose to provide third-party warehousing and logistics.

“They provide warehousing and transportation for Centor,” Leininger said, noting the county did an enterprise zooming agreement with Centor about one year ago. “(Centor) is kind of maxed out where they are and needs additional warehouse space, so B&L is willing to move forward with this project.”

He said B&L Transport is projecting a capital investment of its new warehouse of approximately $2.2 million, with the new headquarters and garage facility also estimated at a cost of $2.2 million.

The warehouse facility will generate just one new position, but Leininger said the bulk of job creation comes with the headquarters.

“With just one job created at the warehouse, on the face it doesn’t appear that it’s a big job creation, but the second part of the project at the headquarters will create 17 new jobs,” Leininger said.

B&L Transport currently has 100 employees, with all those employees expected to be retained. Leininger said the company also is expected to make additional investments in new equipment and fixtures.

Notice to the East and West Holmes school boards was made Dec. 30, with the proposal approved by Holmes County prosecutor Matt Muzic. It was then presented and approved by the Walnut Creek Township trustees on Jan. 13. The standard terms of 10-year, 50% reduction on real-estate taxes will be put in place.

“Here’s a company who owns land in Stark County, and they were strongly thinking about moving their facility up there,” commissioner Joe Miller said. “While they may not employ a lot of people at the warehouse, it is very important that we keep strong businesses like this here in Holmes County.”

“Any time we can keep people here in the county, it is going to benefit us,” commissioner Ray Eyler said.

In other county news, the commissioners accepted the appointment of Jordan M. Stutzman to the Holmes County Public Library Board of Trustees.

In his letter to the board, Stutzman wrote, “I would like to express my interest in the open position on the library board of trustees. I am excited to get more involved with the local community and believe that serving on this board would be a great place to start.”

The commissioners also passed a resolution appointing new members to the Holmes County Planning Commission. Gabe Aufrance of Millersburg, Brian Rafferty of Holmesville and Robert Miller of Berlin were all appointed by the commissioners. All three members were re-appointments.

“These are longtime members who have done an excellent job,” said Arnie Oliver, Holmes County Planning Commission director.

“We appreciate anybody who is willing to serve on these types of boards,” Eyler said. “Sometimes it’s hard to find people.”

The commissioners also appointed Mark Leininger and Rock Baker. The reappointment is of Leininger’s second term on the board while Baker has been a longtime board member for the airport authority.

“Holmes County Airport is becoming more and more important,” Miller said.

The commissioners also passed a resolution setting a hearing date upon a request for changing the name of a portion of Township Road 92 in Killbuck and Mechanic townships.

The upcoming hearing will take place Jan. 31 at the Old Jail and will include the commissioners, trustees and county engineer Chris Young.

According to Susan Schie, Township Road 92 and Township Road 305 came to a “T.” However, Melway Paving has made Township Road 305 continuous, thus predicating the need to rename the road. Oliver said Melway has done significant reworking of Township Road 305, raising the road to alleviate flooding issues. He said they also added an overlook area for those wishing to observe some local nature and wildlife.

Finally, the commissioners made a proclamation of appreciation for Holmes County School District board members.

The proclamation read that as people elected to represent their diverse communities, the board members are charged with meeting the community expectations and aspirations for the public education of their children, to oversee the proper use of funds to maintain and preserve school facilities, to provide leadership, and to adopt policies that keep the county’s school district operating successfully.

Miller said with the way things are going in American school districts today, the commissioners appreciate the way the local school boards in East and West Holmes have served their respective school districts faithfully.

“They choose to serve on the school board, and we have wonderful schools in Holmes County, as well as 90 parochial schools in Holmes County,” Miller said. “We want to thank these people for their countless hours of dedicated service to their respective school districts. They’ve done wonderful work.”

Eyler said having served on the West Holmes school board for 16 years, there is a great deal of discussion and decision-making that goes unseen behind closed doors that determines the progress of each school.

“It takes time,” Eyler said. “Education is the foundation of our future, and without it we are lost.”