FedEx Custom Critical moving Green operations to Richfield location in 2024
FedEx Custom Critical will relocate its Green operations on Boettler Road to a 75,000-square-foot structure in Richfield next year .
Richfield Village Council authorized Mayor Michael Wheeler last week to move forward with a Job Creation Income Tax Incentive Agreement with the company.
Wheeler said Thursday the company will have a substantial presence in the village, helping to ease the loss of Yellow Freight, which filed for bankruptcy early last month.
"We welcome them here," Wheeler said. "They seem like really nice folks and they'll fit in."
The company already has FedEx Freight and Packaging operations in Richfield.
Wheeler said the tax incentive agreement was forged after FedEx approached the village. The company will move into a building vacated by the departure of another company in 2022.
Wheeler said FedEx Custom Critical will bring 225 employees with at least a $15 million payroll to start.
"It's a perfect fit, really, for Richfield ..." he said. "It humbled me when they said they were coming here. It's just a blessing."
Green Mayor Gerard Neugebauer on Wednesday expressed disappointment with the move.
"FedEx has been a great community partner," he said. "We are sad to see them leave Green."
FedEx signs lease, says site best for recruitment and retention
The Richfield site is located near a FedEx Freight facility on Brecksville Road in the village.
FedEx confirmed the move in an emailed response to questions about their Green operations.
"FedEx Custom Critical has signed a lease for a facility in Richfield (northern Summit County) that will serve as the company's new headquarters," said Meredith Miller, manager of communications. "We are proud to remain in Northeast Ohio, and this location meets the needs of our evolving business, while best positioning us to recruit and retain top talent in the area."
The company did not respond to questions about a timeline for the move or the number of employees affected.
FedEx was once Green's second-largest employer
Neugebauer informed council of FedEx's decision at Tuesday's meeting.
The mayor said Green was notified Monday by the village that an agreement had been signed.
Under the agreement, he said, FedEx is expected to relocate next year. Neugebauer said that as part of a Summit County intergovernmental agreement, Green will continue to receive income tax revenue from FedEx.
Starting in 2024, the city will receive 50% of the income tax revenue generated by the relocated operations. That amount will gradually decline for five years, after which the village will receive 100% of the generated revenue.
FedEx Custom Critical offers a higher level of security for customers than the average FedEx delivery service, according to the company website.
In 2019, FedEx Custom Critical was listed at the second largest employer in Green, with more than 670 employees. Current figures were not available.
Green recently lost another large employer with the closure of its Yellow Freight location after the bankruptcy of the company, affecting about 100 employees.
Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: FedEx Custom Critical moving Green operations to Richfield in 2024
