Ohio Star Forge Looks to Move Forward on Expansion

WARREN, Ohio – State officials are in conversation with representatives of Ohio Star Forge about the company’s planned expansion in Champion Township, Genna Petrolla, manager of business development in Trumbull County for the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber, said Thursday.

“We are working to see what the state can put together for this project, given the fact that there’s some out-of-country competition,” she said. “I’m hopeful that they’ll be able to come back with something that’s favorable.”

The chamber is working toward obtaining additional assistance to help the company break ground in Trumbull County, Petrolla said.

Trumbull County Commissioners approved a 10-year, 60% property tax abatement over 10 years for Ohio Star Forge on Wednesday. The company plans to expand its existing facility in Champion Township by 15,000 square feet to accommodate new machining equipment. The investment will include $1 million in facilities construction and approximately $3 million in new equipment.

Having a machine shop on site will save the company money and will greatly improve its competitive position in the market, said Nicholas Coggins, a planner with the Trumbull County Planning Commission.

“Doing this consolidates services in house and allows them to remove a supplier and reduce costs to their customers. It makes them more competitive cost-wise, and it makes them more globally competitive,” he said.

The project will create seven new jobs in two years and retain 117, according to company officials. More jobs could be potentially created in the future, Coggins said.

The company also is investing in the training of students from the Trumbull Career and Technical Center, Coggins said. “They’re working with the local technical center to create a very specialized training-apprentice program that works specifically with the machines they’re putting in,” he said.

Ohio Star Forge has been in Champion Township since 1988. The company makes parts for automotive industry, oil and gas and alternative energy industries.

After the company gets confirmation from the state, they plan to immediately start the expansion, Coggins said. “They have an aggressive construction schedule. They want to start before the end of the year,” he said.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.