Taft Promotes Pro-Jobs Agenda in Northern Ohio
COLUMBUS, OHIO (March 4, 2004) - Governor Bob Taft today promoted his pro-jobs agenda during visits to two successful, growing companies in Northern Ohio. His first stop was Walgreen's Distribution Center in Perrysburg, a 100-acre facility which opened in May 2003, supplying over 300 drug stores in the mid-west. He then toured Hunter Manufacturing Company, a leader in heaters, filters and filtration systems for commercial, military and homeland security markets. Hunter's space heaters are currently being used by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Ohio is competing in a brutally competitive world economy and that's why I am focused on spending every day doing all I can to help create jobs for Ohioans," Taft said. "Walgreen's Distribution Center and Hunter Manufacturing Company are growing companies that show that Ohio is a good place to locate and expand a business, and they are the type of companies we want to grow more of through my jobs agenda."
Taft's 2004 State of the State address, delivered in January, outlines his pro-jobs agenda, which he reiterated during today's visits. Major points of this agenda include:
? The creation of a new Jobs Cabinet, chaired by Development Director Bruce Johnson, which is working to help those who have lost jobs, enable companies to find the skilled workers they need to succeed, and cut red tape through regulatory reform.
? Asking the legislature to pass comprehensive tort reform legislation and workers' compensation reform.
? Enacting tax reform to lower rates, broaden the tax base and ensure taxpayers are treated fairly.
? Sustaining the Third Frontier Project through the tobacco budget and capital bill, and redirect additional dollars to protect investments already made.
? Investing in training Ohio's workforce by redirecting funding to double our commitment to job-training programs that match company training initiatives, and create the Worker Guarantee Program to recruit, train and screen workers for companies that create at least 100 new jobs.
? Extending the Ohio Enterprise Zone Program and expanding the Job Creation Tax Credit to provide new economic development tools to keep Ohio competitive with other states.
? Protecting Ohio's defense jobs by providing an additional $1 million to fully fund local community efforts to fight the federal base closure process.
Walgreen's Distribution Center in Perrysburg, Wood County, opened in May 2003 with a commitment to provide 318 jobs within three years. Less than a year since operations began, the company already has almost 600 employees. Hunter Manufacturing Company in Solon, Cuyahoga County, has tripled its workforce in the last three years, now employing almost 250 people in Ohio. In 2002 Hunter was awarded a new 10-year, $100 million contract to design, build, fabricate and test a new large capacity heater for the US Army.
