Fremont recognized as top 25 micropolitan region

FREMONT – A national economic development publication, Site Selection Magazine, recently announced that Fremont-Sandusky County has been recognized as one of the top 25 micropolitan regions in the country for business investment and expansion.

Fremont-Sandusky County tied for the 23rd ranking with Van Wert County. Other Northwest Ohio counties recognized included top ranking Findlay-Hancock County in the No. 1 spot and Tiffin-Seneca County finishing at No. 42.

“In the 2014 year over $200-plus million of announced capital investment projects were reported from the Sandusky County business community that includes the City of Bellevue; which is located in four counties, Erie, Huron, Seneca, and Sandusky Counties,” said Kay E. Reiter, executive director for Sandusky County Economic Development Corporation.

According to Site Selection Magazine officials, the qualifying projects were located in the cities of Bellevue, Clyde, Fremont, the village of Gibsonburg, and the township of Ballville.

The U.S. Census Bureau defines a micropolitan community as a rural county whose largest city does not exceed a population of 50,000. According to the Census Bureau there are 576 micropolitan communities in the United States.

Site Selection Magazine’s standard for a qualified project is a project with a dollar investment greater than $1 million for building and equipment, square footage of at least 20,000 in new or expanding construction or the addition of 50 new jobs.

“This recognition for Northwest Ohio is a testament to the strength of our regional assets and the outstanding collaboration among economic development partners to ensure the continued growth of our region,” said Dean Monske, president of RGP.

The success of these Northwest Ohio communities helped the state of Ohio to a second-place ranking for top states in the country, according Monske.

The entire story is available by visiting www.siteselection.com. For information, call 419-332-2882 or email director@sanduskycountyedc.org.