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Group Sales proposes 72,000‑sq‑ft expansion; Alloy Development recommends 75% tax abatement for six years
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Summary
Alloy Development presented an enterprise zone agreement for Group Sales at the March 17 Hamilton County staff meeting: a proposed 72,000 sq ft expansion, an estimated $7.1 million investment, retention of 38 jobs and creation of 3 more; the item will be placed on the regular meeting consent agenda for a vote and then forwarded to the state per Ohio law.
Michael Witten, economic development specialist for Alloy Development, told commissioners the company recommends an enterprise zone agreement to support Group Sales’ plan to add a 72,000 square‑foot addition to its Laughlin facility, a project Witten sized at about $7.1 million. Witten said the expansion would retain 38 full‑time positions and create three additional full‑time jobs by 2029; he recommended a 75% tax abatement over six years to support the project.
Witten described the proposed spending breakdown as roughly $6.5 million for new construction, $250,000 for repairs and remodeling, $100,000 for furniture and fixtures and $250,000 for new machinery and equipment. He said the retained payroll would be about $4.7 million annually and the new payroll about $175,000, yielding an average annual salary near $58,000.
Village administrator and fire chief Doug Wiemeyer (Laughlin) addressed site access and emergency response, saying the area was rezoned for light industrial in 2012 and describing three or more entry points and sufficient roadway clearance for fire apparatus. He said four residential homes along the frontage are conforming nonconforming permitted uses within the industrial park.
Jason Ernst, president of Group Sales and manager for the property owner, described the expansion as necessary to retain the company’s operations in Laughlin after ten years and thanked Alloy Development and the village for their support.
Witten said the Village of Laughlin approved a resolution in support on March 9 and that affected school districts (including Great Oaks) were notified in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code; he said the districts expressed no objection. Witten told commissioners the recommended next step is to place the item on the county’s regular meeting consent agenda for approval, after which the county will forward the agreement to the state per statutory requirements.
No formal abatement was approved at the staff meeting; the presentation outlined the project, local support and the administration’s recommendation for the consent agenda. The transcript includes inconsistent spellings for the developer name ("Malloy"/"Alloy" in places); the presenter self‑identified as Michael Witten and described his role with the development firm, and this article standardizes the developer name as Alloy Development based on the presenter’s statements. The item will appear on the regular meeting agenda for formal board action.
