Community News

12.11.08- GM Facility Up And Running

The James Group of Ohio Logistics distribution facility is up and running at Trotwood's Commerce Park. James Group is responsible for packaging and shipping GM parts nationally and worldwide, and this new $32.5 million facility housing its operations and 250-300 employees is the result of a large and successful public/private funding partnership. 

Once the facility’s new rail line is fully up and running the company and City will host a public ribbon-cutting ceremony, expected sometime in October. 

James Group of Ohio is a subsidiary of James Group International, one of the nation’s 100 largest minority-owned service/industrial firms.  This 380,000 square feet facility is set on a 50-acre site in Commerce Park where gas, electric, storm and sanitary services are standard.  In addition the City has made rail spur improvements, widened Olive Road, expanded Commerce Park’s roadways and increased its utilities capacity.

Facility developer/owner Corvus International has prepared the site, overseeing the construction process and purchasing the new machinery and equipment for its operations.

Other private organizations involved in the public/private investment feature facility builder Oliver-Hatcher Construction and business customer The General Motors Corporation. 

Contributing public organizations include The City of Trotwood, Montgomery County ($500,000 ED/GE grant), The Ohio Rail Development Commission ($200,000 grant), and The Ohio Department of Development ($400,000 grant).

The 250-300 new jobs this development is bringing will come with an average annual salary of $30,000.  Its over $9 million annual payroll is projected to yield the City of Trotwood over $200,000 annual income tax revenues, as well as nearly $800,000 a year in real and personal property tax revenues.  Which means roughly $1 million a year in additional revenues for the City.

Its local economic impact will also help raise Trotwood’s property values and consequently the City’s 19% portion of local property tax revenues.  The City believes this facility will increase the number of support businesses looking to locate in Commerce Park or close by.

In terms of regional economic impact the new facility will help foster joint development benefits for the City of Dayton and other neighboring jurisdictions while helping increase development activity in Montgomery County.

During its December '08 groundbreaking a number of the facility's private and public sector representatives took part.

James Group of Ohio Operations Manager Rojelio Padilla said, “Today opens a new chapter in the history of the James Group, as we extend our business into the great State of Ohio. With the help of General Motors, the representatives of the Governor’s office and the City of Trotwood, this is now a reality.”

Ohio Department of Development Regional Economic Development Director Kevin J. Carver said, “John Shakarjian remarked that in his experience all over the country working on projects like this for General Motors, he had never experienced a process where a team included all of the players. Good projects like this happen when communities and their partners come together to get the job done.  This is a textbook example of how to do it.” For more information please contact Economic Development Administrator Rhonda Finley at (937) 854-7214 or rfinley@trotwood.org.

VIEW ALL COMMUNITY NEWS