Holmes Siding Contractors commits to growth near Killbuck
Holmes Manufacturing, one of three companies under Holmes Siding Contractors Ltd., has grown so quickly it has outgrown its current site in Killbuck. The company will build a new campus outside of Killbuck and will become the newest company to utilize the Holmes County enterprise zone agreement.
Holmes County Economic Development Director Mark Leininger continued to add to the growing list of Holmes County companies that have accepted the county’s enterprise zone agreement to commit to growing Holmes County’s economic landscape.
On Thursday, Feb. 22, the Holmes County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution that welcomed another company into the county’s enterprise zone agreement.
The most recent agreement is with Holmes Siding Contractors Ltd., which entered into the typical 10-year, 50% tax abatement proposal that will see them heavily commit to investing in the Killbuck community.
According to Leininger, the enterprise zone agreement will see the company invest nearly $10 million into its new facility.
The company includes three divisions: Holmes Siding Contractors, which installs siding and roofing products; MRV Siding Supply, which serves as the company’s building supply division; and Holmes Manufacturing, which manufactures building products out of aluminum.
Leininger said the company is currently operating out of a facility in Killbuck in the Straits Business Park, but the company has outgrown the area.
“When they moved into that area about four years ago, they expected to have room to grow, but they’ve grown so fast that they are out of room, so they need to build a new facility,” Leininger said.
To do so, the company purchased 62 acres of land approximately 1 mile south of Killbuck off state Route 62 in Killbuck Township.
Leininger said they plan to build a new manufacturing facility consisting of 165,000 square feet for the Holmes Manufacturing arm.
“That will be for the purpose of manufacturing aluminum building products,” Leininger said. “They estimate that the building will cost an estimated $8.5 million, and they plan on investing another $1.25 million in machinery and equipment.”
He said the project will result in the creation of 25 new full-time positions within the company.
“That’s quite a lot of new jobs,” Leininger said, noting they already have 31 current positions in the manufacturing facility and 150 employees company-wide, all of which will be retained.
Leininger said school notices were sent out Jan. 16 to West Holmes Schools and the Ashland-WH Career Center, and an agreement was sent to Holmes County prosecutor Matt Muzik, who has already approved it. In addition, the Killbuck Township trustees also approved it at their most recent meeting.
One concern of the trustees was they needed assurance the facility wouldn’t place their access road off U.S. Route 62 in danger with additional traffic.
Leininger said the permitting process was in the works with the Ohio Department of Transportation, which will provide a waiver because of the limited access.
Commissioner Dave Hall said the board of commissioners has been working with ODOT to move forward on that proposal.
The proposal also includes the relocation of some existing employee-related positions from within the Village of Killbuck to Killbuck Township. As a result, a waiver was required and received.
“This is a good project,” commissioner Joe Miller said of the agreement. “It’s creating a lot of jobs, and it’s taking place in an area that needs this type of growth.”
Hall said when expansion like this takes place, it can serve as a catalyst for other companies to follow suit and grow in areas like this one.
“This is exciting for that area,” Hall said.
Leininger said Holmes Siding Contractors is constructing the facility so it will have room for even further expansion if and when that time comes. He also said this makes the 50th company to take advantage of the enterprise zone agreement over the years, with many of them coming in more recent years. He said there are currently 38 companies still with active agreements in the program, with 12 of them having fulfilled the agreement and going back to a 100% tax rate.
Hall said Leininger’s efforts to continue to pursue county growth through this program is a boon for the county’s economic growth.
The commissioners also announced Berlin Gardens will donate a new pergola that will be placed alongside the new Holmes County Health Department facility on Glen Drive in Millersburg. He said Kaufman Lawn Furniture also will donate to the beautification of the area.
“All Berlin Gardens requested was a name placard,” Miller said. “We really appreciate that.”