Premier Metals, LuxCraft newest additions to enterprise zoning
The Holmes County Enterprise Zone agreement continues to benefit both the county and the companies that utilize the 50%, 10-year tax incentive program.
Recently, Mark Leininger, Holmes County Economic Development Council director, met with the Holmes County Commissioner to introduce the two newest additions to the program.
While these two companies might be adding to the growing list of enterprise zone companies, they are not new to the program, both having participated prior to this.
Premier Metals LLC and Carlisle Holdings LLC applied for and were accepted to the enterprise zone program. Premier Metals entered into an agreement years ago when it built its original production facility while LuxCraft has done three other enterprise agreements as it expanded over the years.
According to Leininger, Carlisle Holdings LLC owns LuxCraft, located on County Road 144 near Sugarcreek. The company makes outdoor furniture and accent pieces out of polyurethane.
“The business is seasonal in nature with peak bands appearing in spring and summer,” Leininger said. “During the winter months, they build inventory to be ready for the surge in demand in the spring.”
Leininger said LuxCraft is seeking to increase its warehouse space by constructing a 64,000-square-foot addition on to the existing warehouse to better store product that would enable them to build up inventory during the winter months.
With the enterprise zone approval, Leininger said construction is set to begin in June, with an estimated capital investment of $1.5 million with sights set on the retention of 40 current employees and an eye on adding three additional jobs over a three-year span.
The Walnut Creek Township Trustees and the East Holmes School Board have been notified and accepted the agreement May 14.
Commissioner Joe Miller said LuxCraft co-owner Brian Mullet is a true success story, having built a thriving company from the ground up.
“He’s very successful. He makes a good product and sends it all over the United States,” Miller said.
The second company, Premier Metals, is located in Walnut Creek Township along state Route 39 beside Jacob & Levi’s and is owned by Lamar Troyer. The company manufactures steel building products.
According to Leininger, Premier Metals is seeking to expand and centralize its facilities.
“The operation of their business requires the use of a lot of pieces of production equipment and machinery, as well as a fleet of vehicles that they use to deliver the materials,” Leininger said. “They have a lot of vehicles and equipment that need to be maintained, and currently, they are doing that off-site. They want to centralize everything.”
Premier Metals is seeking to build a 12,000-square-foot facility that would house the people and equipment needed to maintain all its machinery.
It is an estimated $1.2 million capital investment project that would see the addition of six jobs. East Holmes Schools was notified April 28, and the Walnut Creek Township Trustees approved on May 14.
Leininger said there is quite a bit of excavation that must take place prior to any construction, so the building process won’t begin until this fall.
“These are great programs that have proven to last the test of time,” Commissioner Dave Hall said.
Leininger said work is already underway on adding another enterprise zone company in the near future.