Ohio Corporate Moves

V&M Star Expands in Youngstown

V&M Star is investing $650 million in an expansion of its Youngstown, OH facility that is projected to create more than 350 new full-time jobs, and retain more than 400 jobs. Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher lauded the announcement at a press conference in Youngstown.

V&M Star, a leading producer of seamless oil country tubular goods, line and standard pipe, coupling stock and mechanical tube headquartered in Houston, TX, confirmed that it will build a new state-of-the-art rolling mill expansion project in Youngstown in both Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

The state has been working with V&M Star over the past year to make this investment possible. Gov. Strickland met with V&M officials in Youngstown to discuss the company’s plans moving forward.

“We commend V&M Star and its parent company, Vallourec, for their continued commitment to grow here in Ohio, an affirmation of Ohio’s strengths in manufacturing, our dedicated workforce and the state’s extensive logistics network,” Gov. Strickland said. “We also congratulate and thank the leadership in both Trumbull and Mahoning counties for their collaborative work in meeting the goals of the company, especially Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams, Girard Mayor James Melfi, and Congressman Tim Ryan for their diligent efforts and support of V&M’s continued investment in northeast Ohio.”

The state of Ohio’s early commitment of $20 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for road improvements and the relocation of rail lines near the current property of the V&M Star Steel Pipe Production Facility helped significantly to make these new jobs for Ohioans possible.

Ohio Gets $30 Million Grant for CSX National Gateway

Gov. Ted Strickland recently announced that Ohio has been awarded $30 million in federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants for the CSX National Gateway project.

The National Gateway is an $842 million, multi-state infrastructure freight project aimed at reducing congestion on roads and highways, lowering emissions, and conserving energy. The TIGER Discretionary Grant program is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“The National Gateway will improve the movement of freight and give Ohio even more opportunities to deliver goods to markets across our region and country,” Gov. Strickland said.

A total of $98 million was awarded in TIGER grants to cover the federal portion of National Gateway clearance projects in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Ohio served as the lead sponsor of the National Gateway TIGER application.

Ohio already has committed $20 million in targeted ARRA resources from the Federal Highway Administration to the National Gateway project and $5 million from the Ohio Rail Development Commission for safety improvements around the new CSX terminal in North Baltimore. An additional $10 million in logistics and distribution funding from the Ohio Bipartisan Job Stimulus Plan is pending Development Financing Advisory Council and Controlling Board approval.

The National Gateway project will create a highly efficient double-stack rail corridor between East Coast sea ports and consumption centers and Midwest distribution centers, improving the nation’s economy and environment.

“This award is a validation of the benefits of freight rail and the prominent role that railroads play in growing our economy and protecting our environment,” Gov. Strickland commented. “With anticipated freight growth of 70 percent over the next two decades, the National Gateway is a timely and critical investment in our transportation infrastructure.”

In August 2009, Gov. Strickland broke ground on the new CSX intermodal terminal in North Baltimore, near Toledo, as part of the National Gateway Project. The facility will support the efficient and environmentally beneficial movement of containers between rail and truck.

The Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority in Kent was awarded a $20 million grant that will assist in the construction of a building with a commercial space, parking garage, bus bays and bicycle storage to improve transit accessibility in Kent and linkages to Cleveland and Akron.

“This investment in transit will help maximize transportation opportunities for people in Northeast Ohio,” Gov. Strickland said.

DataCenter.BZ Seals Fiber Agreement with Dublin, OH

DataCenter.BZ, a Tier IV, carrier-neutral data center has entered into an agreement with the City of Dublin to bring DubLink’s dark fiber to the DataCenter.BZ facility located in Worthington, OH.

The agreement with DataCenter.BZ allows interconnectivity into its facility as an enhancement to the DubLink system, owned by Dublin. DubLink, an existing system of underground fiber-optic conduits encompassing 120 miles, enables interconnectivity between business facilities located on the fiber route. The network saves corporations time and money by providing an existing “telecommunications pathway” within the city’s business district on which businesses can lease space rather than construct their own lines.

Dublin City Council authorized the sublease of the city’s optical fiber, which will increase the amount of available bandwidth in the region that leads back to Dublin. The relationship enables companies to cross-connect to the carrier of their choice, or utilize other services at the data center, including collocation, physical security for IT equipment, Tier IV power, 24 x 7 managed services, virtualization, and cloud computing.

“Not only is this an economical way for companies to privately connect to IT and telecommunication solutions, it eliminates the restriction of bandwidth,” said Gordon Scherer, president at DataCenter.BZ.