Walnut Creek Foods to get county tax break while adding new jobs; Gerber & Sons expanding

MILLERSBURG − Tax incentives continue to spur economic development in Holmes County and create new jobs.

Commissioners entered into two more enterprise zone agreements on Monday, providing a 50% tax break for 10 years, and bringing the total of active agreements to 42.

Coblentz Distributing, the operating company doing business as Walnut Creek Foods, applied for one of the tax breaks, and Gerber & Sons, a regional feed manufacturer in Baltic, also is getting an exemption for its planned business investment.

Walnut Creek Foods plans expansion and 9 new jobs

Holmes County Economic Development Director Mark Leininger explained Walnut Creek Foods is planning a 12,700-square-foot addition to the south end of its distribution center on state Route 39 between Berlin Township and Walnut Creek Township. Nine new full-time positions will be created.

The company just wrapped up a 64,000-square-foot expansion it started last year, he said.

That additional space will house a freezer unit for the storage of frozen food products.

The proposed capital investment will be $2.2 million. Walnut Creek Township approved the agreement at a recent trustee meeting. The proposed terms will be the standard 10-year, 50% abatement.

"The company has really grown," Leininger said. "As they grow and their customer base expands, they need additional space, and they have their manufacturing and distribution centers there, and they are currently focusing on expanding their distribution center."

Gerber & Sons plans move, renovation and expansion

Gerber & Sons on East Main Street in Baltic will relocate from the Tuscarawas County end to a stretch of land in Holmes County on Brickyard Road that's still within the village of Baltic.

Leininger said the move has been in the works for a couple of years and is part of a two-phase project for its mill facility.

"They acquired some land on the north side of Baltic, which is in Holmes County, on the end of Brickyard Road by where Keim is building their warehouse facility," he said. "So Phase 1 consists of renovating an existing structure, and expanding it to be used as a warehouse."

The facility will be about 48,000 square feet. Phase 2 involves the construction of a facility that will be roughly 100 by 100 feet that will include a pellet mill and automated bagging line.

"Their new facility will be more automated than their current facility, which is quite old," Leininger said.

Forty-seven jobs are expected to be maintained and nine additional positions will move from Tuscarawas County to Holmes County.

A welcome addition to Holmes County

"This project will involve relocation of employment positions ... and because of that, the company had to seek a relocation waiver from the Ohio Department of Development," he explained. "That waiver is signed and in place, and that served as the green light to forge ahead."

Leininger notes the heavy financial investment by Gerber & Sons, which will be paying $16.4 million for new construction, $2.5 million for renovations, plus another $2.2 million in equipment.

The village of Baltic approved the project last week, and the school districts also were notified.

Commissioner Dave Hall met with the leadership team at Gerber & Sons and connected them with USGA rural development, and Republican 12th District Congressman Troy Balderson did a site visit to potentially help the company get some federal funding for the project.

"It's exciting to get this process moving forward," Hall said.

Leininger pointed out that the property is developing some old, dilapidated buildings that were not in productive use, so this project will result in the cleanup of the property.

Baltic is a unique small town, situated in three counties

Commissioner Joe Miller added that Baltic is a unique situation, having parts of the village in three different counties (Holmes, Tuscarawas and Coshocton).

"We are thrilled to have them move (about a half mile) to Holmes County," Miller said. "This land happened to be available to them right next door."

Leininger said he wasn't actively recruiting a company to move to Holmes County.

"It works out well for the village of Baltic because the jobs and the facility remain in the village," he said. "It just happens to be on the Holmes County side of town."

ODOT recently came through with some improvements to Brickyard Road, and the railroad spur there also makes it a convenient location.

Leininger added the company hopes to get started as soon as they can with Phase 1 of the project. He said it will be happening relatively quickly.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Walnut Creek Foods and Gerber & Sons get tax deals with Holmes County