CCPA Sells Headquarters to Heritage Transport for $2M

EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio – The directors of the Columbiana County Port Authority last night agreed to sell its headquarters at 1250 St. George St. here to Heritage Transport for $2 million.

“I would like to thank the leadership of the port board and county commissioner Mike Halleck, who was instrumental in putting this deal together,” said Penny Traina, executive director of the Columbiana County Port Authority. “This is a win-win for all involved.”

The sale was approved at the monthly meeting of the port authority board.

Heritage Transport is an Indianapolis-based company and is a sister company to Heritage Thermal Services, which operates a hazardous waste incinerator here next to the building at St. George Street and uses office space inside. Both companies fall under the umbrella of The Heritage Group. The building has both office space and 100,000 square feet of warehouse space.

As a result of the sale, the Columbiana County Port Authority will move its operations to another building it owns, the World Trade Park building, 120 Industry St. in Leetonia.

The port authority has six months to move from its building at St. George Street to the Leetonia building, which also houses Humtown Products.

Joining the Columbiana County Port Authority at its new site will be the Columbiana County Economic Development Department, directed by Tad Herold, who also is the port authority’s fiscal officer.

“We are hoping this is a good opportunity for us to co-locate departments,” Herold said. “Both departments would continue individually as their own departments, but would work together in a coordinated fashion, independent of one another, but under this collaborative umbrella.”

At the meeting, the board approved a memorandum dated July 11, 2017, that detailed the plan to move the Port Authority forward in a collaborative effort with the county’s economic development department.

The plan emphasizes communication between the management of the port authority and economic development department with better use of staff, which should bring enhanced services to clients and constituents, Traina said.

“In the last two years, Tad and I have worked in tandem on nine out of 10 projects,” Traina said. “It makes sense that we close those silos and work more closely together.”

Among the biggest changes will be the designation of a certified grants coordinator from one of the two organizations. This person will be able to assist any entity in the county with applying for and administering grants.

“We hope to be more efficient by not overlapping each other’s assignments or responsibility,” Herold said. “We can do a better job by doing what we do more strategically, by thinking about how we undertake certain problems and the staff we use for those issues.”

The port authority has four staff members; and the economic development department has three.

The collaboration will allow the port authority to implement a business retention and expansion program, which will work to connect existing businesses regarding their challenges and opportunities, Traina said.

“As a consortium we will enhance economic growth and reach the entire county,” Traina said. “We will be more accessible and more valuable.”

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct the ownership and corporate structure of Heritage Transport.

Pictured: The building at 1250 St. George St. in East Liverpool.

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