Hall China Property Sells for $1.5M; New Owners Plan Recycling Operation
EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio – The new owners of the former Hall China Co. property on Anna Street say they are moving forward with plans to relocate their scrap recycling business there, defying the city’s refusal to grant a zoning exception for the project.
“If they want to fight us, they can take us to court,” Greg Six Sr., owner of Six Recycling, told The Business Journal on Tuesday.
HLC Holdings Inc., the parent of The Fiesta Tableware Co., sold the former Hall China property to NSF Holdings LLC of East Liverpool, HLC reported Tuesday.
According to data from the Columbiana County Auditor’s office, the building and land sold for $1.5 million.
The sale closed May 26, HLC said. NSF Holdings LLC is owned by the Six family.
Six, one of the principals of NSF Holdings, said it would take more than a year to move the scrap recycling operation from its existing location on Maple Avenue to the former Hall China site.
“We’re up there working right now,” Six said. “It’s full of machinery we have to take out.”
During a public hearing Feb. 2, the Board of Zoning Appeals voted 2-2 on the special exception to allow “junk storage and sales.” Planning Director Bill Cowan said the tie voted constituted a defeat of the measure.
Cowan said at that time HLC Holdings had the option of appealing the decision in the Court of Common Pleas.
Allowable uses in M-3 zoned areas of the city do not include junk storage and sales. However, Six has indicated changing the zoning request’s terminology from “junk storage” to “scrap,” but declined to elaborate.
“East Liverpool is not business friendly,” Six said. “The mayor is behind me; the councilman (representing) East End is behind me.”
Mayor Greg Bricker has not spoken publicly on the issue, but 1st Ward Councilman Tom Beagle has come out in support of the recycling company relocating to the site.
Six reiterated plans to have most of the scrapping process under roof in the 500,000-square-foot facility. “The trucks, equipment [and] scales will be under roof. The steel will be outside. You won’t be able to see anything,” he said.
A phone call seeking a comment from the planning director was not returned.
“We are excited for the development opportunities this site has to offer,” added Ray Six, one of the owners of NSF Holdings. “It will take a lot of time and effort to convert this old pottery to usable space, but we are up to the challenge.”
Elizabeth McIlvain, president of Fiesta Tableware, said that the Anna Street site has not been used as a pottery since March 2021.
“After re-evaluating our processes and equipment needs, it was more efficient and cost effective to consolidate operations to our Newell, W. Va., headquarters,” McIlvain said in a statement. “Being at one location enables us to produce our dinnerware more efficiently so we can distribute it to our customers’ tabletops faster.”
HLC said it remains committed to manufacturing Fiesta Dinnerware and its expanding product collection in Newell.
Founded in 1871, The Fiesta Tableware Co. was one of the first whiteware plants in the United States. The company is known for Fiesta Dinnerware, the colorful brand of dinnerware that has been made in the United States since 1936.
“I’m glad we found a buyer who is local. The Six family has always been interested in the success of our community,” McIlvain said.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
