Few Seats Left for Ohio River Corridor Conference

EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio – Seats are filling up fast for the Ohio River Corridor Development Conference Nov. 8, says Columbiana County Port Authority’s CEO Penny Traina. “We’ll probably be closing the event this week, and won’t be able to take anymore invitations after the next couple days.”

With the construction of the Shell petrochemical plant underway in Monaca, Pa., one of the focuses is marketing sites along the Ohio River.

The conference is presented by the Port Authority in conjunction with NAI Spring and Ohio River Corridor Inc.

Speakers who will touch on the impact of the petrochemical industry on the river include: Traina; Patrick Ford of Northern Panhandle of West Virginia Business Development Corp.; Mark Locker of ODOT Ohio River Maritime; Larry Merry of Belmont County Port Authority; and Ed Looman of Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth.

“We have had a phenomenal response and a good mix of attendees,” Traina says. Most people signed up to attend include economic developers, businesses, banks, investors, elected officials, gas and oil and shale-industry people, she says.

The conference is set for 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the East Liverpool Country Club. Tickets are $99 and include lunch.

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

The port authority is also holding an event in conjunction with the Columbiana County Department of Economic Development for anyone who owns five acres or more of vacant land, an industrial building or retail property and is interested in marketing it.

The port authority receives three to four calls a week from business-people looking for spaces in the county, Traina says. The event will help her organization gain a better understanding of what land is available for business expansion.

“This is taking it one step further to reach out to residents who own the property so we can put together a good inventory,” she says.

The event will be held over two days. The first one will take place at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at the port authority, 1250 St. George St.; the second one at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at the World Trade Park, 120 Industry St. in Leetonia.

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