Marion area offers companies great place to go, grow

(August 4, 2000 editorial in The Marion Star)

Don’t look now, but more companies have realized the benefits of relocating, building or buying in the Marion area.

On Tuesday, local residents learned that the Dana Corp.’s Marion forging facility may be in the hands of a new owner by years’ end. New ownership always brings change, and workers wonder about job security. But the new owner, Sypris Solutions, Inc. based in Louisville, Ky., not only plans to keep its current 220 jobs but is talking expansion and additional employment opportunities.

The Claridon Township zoning board on Monday cleared the way for investors to begin building a Hampton Inn hotel on Blevins Boulevard, just east of Meijer on Ohio 95. that will only bolster an area whose developments include new stores, restaurants and hotels on the city’s eastern edge.

Also announced Monday was news that RobotWorx Robotic Systems will move into the Marion Manufacturing and Storage Center at Cheney Avenue and Barks Road.

The 215,000-square-foot building, which was once part of the Marion Power Shovel complex, now houses Caterpillar’s (construction and mining equipment manufacturers) Marion Division – RobotWorx’s largest customer.

The company will take over a portion of the building, turning a 12,000-square-foot operation in Delaware into a 20,000-square-foot investment. RobotWorx will be bringing its 10 employees to the area and hoping to grow by as many as 40 workers in the next two years.

Why so much interest in Marion? Why are companies like those above, and like U.S. Yachiyo and LTV Tubular, new tenants in the Dual Rail Industrial Park, so pleased to locate here?

RobotWorx Vice President Tom Smith: “Marion has the labor force with the skills we need,” referring mainly to metal fabricating and welding. He also said the location offers room to grow, with a possible expansion to 40,000 feet and up to three work shifts from the current one.

Marion is and will continue to be a key player in Ohio’s business development. We’re just one hour from Columbus, and most major industrial hubs and ports are within a day’s drive by truck. 

Marion has suffered through tough times in the past. There’s no guarantee more tough times won’t surface in the future.

But we’re banking on great things for this area. Why? Because more and more companies are learning what we’ve known for a long time: that when it comes to a business climate, Marion has plenty to offer.