DevelopOhio

City officials in Van Wert are putting up a huge welcome-mat to draw a major industry to their area, as its 1,600-acre mega-site has recently received certification from the state, limaohio.com reports. The Ohio Job Ready Mega-Site is “shovel-ready,” says Van Wert mayor Don Farmer, with “assets that include water, wastewater, electric, natural gas, highway access, a rail spur, pre-annexation agreements and fiber optics,” according to the article. The city has hired site selectors to help find a company interested in the space; city leaders hope to find a company that will bring between 600 and 1,000 jobs to the area. A promotional video from Van Wert economic development director Cynthia Leis’ office notes that the site “is within 600 miles of more than half the U.S. and Canadian populations and a day’s drive from more than 60 percent of North America’s manufacturing capacity.” The city received a $5 million grant in 2009 “to prepare the site and get it outfitted as a job-ready mega-site.” For more, read the full article.