Medline Industries bringing 25-30 jobs to Canton
G. Patrick Kelley
CantonRep.com staff writer
Medline Industries, a national manufacturer and distributor of health care supplies and services, closed Tuesday afternoon on a $1.135 million property purchase in Canton.
Mundelein, Ill.-based Medline plans to create 25 to 30 permanent full-time jobs in an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly building estimated to be 300,000 square feet, said Bill Abrams, vice president of real estate for Medline.
"We're very excited to be coming to Canton and joining the community," Abrams said
Medline's 18.9-acre purchase makes it the first tenant in the Mills Industrial Park, a joint venture of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the DeHoff Family Foundation.
Steven Katz, senior vice president of the Canton chamber, said Medline finished the deal after lunch Tuesday and the deed was to be recorded later in the afternoon.
City, county and state incentives have been approved to lure the company here. The company applied through the state for $1 million in federal economic stimulus funds to buy the property but was turned down, Abrams said.
"The rest of the incentives made the numbers work," he said. The entire project is estimated to cost about $13.7 million.
Medline officials said factors in the final decision were quality of labor force, transportation costs, location of customers and the incentives being offered.
Abrams said none of the factors was more important than any other. "We're looking for a total package in a community that works for Medline and we can work for," he said. He said the company anticipates groundbreaking in the spring.
Canton Development Director Robert Torres said he expects Medline to be the start of more tenants at Mills.
"The Mills Industrial Park has been looking for its anchor tenant. It will spur growth in the development of the park."
Robert DeHoff is the owner of DeHoff Development, the development manager for the industrial park. It's an example of what can happen when the public and the private sectors collaborate and cooperate, and will provide economic benefits to the city and the greater community for years to come, he said.
"Medline Industries selected the Mills Business Park in the city of Canton after looking at dozens of sites in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania," DeHoff said. The choice shows that "Canton can compete among the best in this part of the country."
INCENTIVES FOR MEDLINE
Canton
Property tax abatement - 75 percent for 10 years.
Job creation tax credit - returns half of what employees pay in city income tax for five years.
Net Profit Tax Incentive - returns half of what the company pays in city taxes for five years.
Community Improvement Corp. grant - $75,000.
Utilities grant - $35,000.
Stark County
Stark County Improvement Corp. grant - $100,000.
Ohio Job creation tax credit - returns to the company 40 percent of what employees pay in state taxes or five years.
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