Porta Kleen changes direction in Fairfield expansion
Apr. 7—Last May, Porta Kleen officials said a 14-acre parcel on Tedia Way was "perfect" for their operations.
The price to construct a new 27,000-square-foot facility, however, was not.
Fairfield City Council last week approved to termination of the Community Reinvestment Area agreement, which would have abated property taxes, because Porta Kleen decided to pivot and instead purchased an existing building.
Nathaniel Kaelin, Fairfield's Economic Development manager, said the city regularly monitors its incentive agreements, as many require annual reporting to the state and reviews at the county level. During a review of the CRAs, it was determined the agreement signed by City Council in May 2022 was "recommended for termination as a result of changing business plans."
Porta Kleen intended to construct a new facility on Tedia Way. To support that new project, which would have guaranteed to create at least 35 new jobs, City Council approved a property tax abatement in May 2022.
"However, due to high construction costs, the company had decided to purchase an existing building, and they've done so, still within the city, an existing building on Production Drive," Kaelin said.
The company's real estate arm, Black Family Real Estate Investments, LLC, purchased about 3 acres in late February at 3206 Production Dr., according to the Butler County Auditor's Office. The Journal-News reached out to the company seeking comment about the new direction of the expansion but had not heard back before deadline.
Porta Kleen provides mobile sanitation services, such as restrooms, showers, and laundry facilities, as well as a hydro excavation service, an alternative to conventional digging methods using pressurized water and high-power vacuuming.
The Fairfield branch, which is currently on North Gilmore Road, services the Cincinnati and Dayton areas, and officials have said as far back as 2018, the company had planned to expand the services from its Fairfield location.
Pro Kleen started in 1995 in Lancaster, which is southeast of Columbus. Besides the Fairfield and central Ohio locations, the company has branch offices in Piqua, Louisville, Ky., and Yuma, Ariz.
