News feeds
E-mail alerts
Mobile
Text alerts
Twitter
FacebookWater a key to Ohio's economic recruiting
State has a wealth of fresh water resources from the Great Lakes and the Ohio River
> Can Ohio's water supply help attract jobs?
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Appleton Paper Environmental Manager Nancy McDonnell observes the Number 93 paper machine at the West Carrollton plant. Appleton uses about seven million gallons of water each day and recycles or treats all of it. The State of Ohio is promoting the state's abundance of clean water in an effort to attract and retain new businesses. Staff photo by Ty GreenleesWEST CARROLLTON — The Appleton paper mill consumes about seven million gallons of water a day, coming from company wells that draw from the Great Miami River aquifer.
The plant's 400 jobs and 24-hour production of thermal paper, for point-of-sale receipts, and carbonless paper, for business forms, depend on the steady flow of fresh and recycled water.
"You can't make paper without water," said Nancy McDonnell, the plant's environmental manager.
Businesses like Appleton thrive, in part, because of Ohio's abundant, reliable supplies of fresh water. In this region, those also include the Dannon Co. yogurt plant in Auglaize County and the Miller Brewing Co. brewery in Butler County.
Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, who also heads the Ohio Department of Development, said he believes that Ohio's wealth of fresh water resources will prove an increasingly valuable tool for economic recruiting in coming years. He expects that the state will step up its efforts to make corporate executives aware of the benefits afforded by the Great Lakes and the Ohio River.
"Part of marketing Ohio is marketing our access to water, both the Great Lakes and the Ohio River," Fisher said during an interview this month.
The Appleton mill, West Carrollton's second-biggest source of income tax revenue, has been in existence since 1947. Last year, the employee-owned company announced a $100 million investment in the plant to expand its thermal paper production capacity and add 35 jobs.
Increasing scarcity of water supplies in some Sunbelt regions have caused concerns about what it will mean in the long term for economic development there as the population increases.
Climate changes over time, and their effect on weather patterns and yearly precipitation, could increase the challenge for states that do not have access to freshwater sources such as the Great Lakes, said Mark Partridge, an Ohio State University professor of agricultural, environment and development economics. That could be a factor as companies consider where to locate new operations.
"It could potentially become a quality of life issue," Partridge said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or
jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.
Comments
By josh
June 25, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this
Karon,
I too have been to Europe and Asia. The reason they have such excellent public transport is that the average citizen can’t afford to maintain their own vehicle. I, for one, consider myself fortunate to live in a country where I don’t have to wait for a bus to go shopping.
By Karon
June 25, 2008 2:03 PM | Link to this
Josh,
I have been fortunate enough to travel the world…specifically Europe and Asia. My husband and I used high speed light rail during all those trips and were able to travel all over Japan and Europe with ease. It pains me to see how the US is so dependent on their automobiles. Honestly, it’s never been a better time to implement a light rail passenger system here in Ohio. Imagine being able to leave Dayton and attend a Reds game without having to drive, pay for parking, etc.
By joe
June 25, 2008 1:55 PM | Link to this
Here’s the brutal truth. If you have nothing to offer an employer you will not be able to keep a good job. Nobody in local or state government can change that and all the water in the world won’t make any difference. Sometime during the last 30 years the perception of what a job is has radically changed. A job is simply you trading your time to someone for money. You are not owed a job by anybody and if you don’t make your employer any profit then why should he keep you around?
By josh
June 25, 2008 1:25 PM | Link to this
Karon,
Do you have a used high-speed train you’re trying to unload? Every post I’ve ever seen from you is about how high speed trains will fix things.
Where is it you want to go and why do you have to get there so fast?
By Karon
June 25, 2008 11:44 AM | Link to this
Come on people…let’s wise up. High speed train infrastructure should first be implemented before we allow these water thirsty corporations to tap our H2O supply. That way, a company can build their company in a remote part of the state, and all the employees can travel safely, quickly, and green using high speed trains. What a grand idea!
By Team-Builder
June 25, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this
Josh I understand it’s painfull when we live in a city where the government doesn’t seem to know what is going on. But as a concerned cityzen then we need to band together for a solution. I have a Elks club we can hold a meeting at if anyone wants to. And Craig you are right about the taxes for new busenesses, they are high compared to other states in the midwest you can look it up and see folks.
By Craig
June 25, 2008 11:01 AM | Link to this
I agrree that our water resources will be a major factor in saving Ohio. However we must also become a much more business friendly state. Taxes of all types need to be looked at as well as continuing to become more “labor friendly”.
By josh
June 25, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this
I apologize for making funny. I didn’t mean to be a troubele-maker
By Team-Builder
June 25, 2008 10:41 AM | Link to this
OK EVERYONE. PLEASE stop this madness! Do people realize the Dayton area is in troubele and people make funny about it?!?! What we should do is have a meeting of concerned citzenes and put out heads together and come up with ides to bring businesses to the area. If we do that I KNOW we can save the area. Anyone want to have a meeting (for real) maybe after the 4th of July in the area?
By josh
June 25, 2008 10:35 AM | Link to this
Be on the lookout for corporate CEOs walking around with divining rods.
By VJW
June 25, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this
She’s fat and ugly, but has a great personality — so all the boys will come running.
Lt. Gov. Fisher and his henchmen are crazy if they think businesses are going to flock to Ohio without lowering taxes and enacting right-to-work laws.
By joe
June 25, 2008 9:33 AM | Link to this
We should start a bottled water company and hire all the displaced GM and DHL employees. We can call it Daysani
By bobby
June 25, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this
Market the region’s number one resource? BRILLIANT. Tool town, Tech town, Ghost town, Water town. The region should hire a marketing firm[ at a ridiculous cost], to invent a marketing campaign. Got Water?
By brenda
June 25, 2008 9:03 AM | Link to this
Water is in such short supply that many people are referring to it as “liquid gold.” Others have said that if you think we’ve gone to war over oil, wait until you see what happens when people fight over water. Parts of Georgia were 60 days away from their taps going dry last summer. The Miami Valley is blessed to have an abundant supply of good drinking water in our aquifer — water that companies may well come back for. You can’t compare roads and water. Water is a limited resource.
By 1972 Ohio
June 25, 2008 8:26 AM | Link to this
Ohio has a lot of buildings too. Maybe we can attact people to Ohio to live or work in them? We also have a lot of dirt. If we work hard maybe Ohio can become the mud-cake place to be. Like we could make them and ship them out on Ohio roads. but then we should charge toll on the roads. But where will we make the trucks to deliver the mud-cakes…maybe in Japan or some other China country.
By 1972 Ohio
June 25, 2008 8:25 AM | Link to this
Ohio has a lot of buildings too. Maybe we can attact people to Ohio to live or work in them? We also have a lot of dirt. If we work hard maybe Ohio can become the mud-cake place to be. Like we could make them and ship them out on Ohio roads. but then we should charge toll on the roads. But where will we make the trucks to deliver the mud-cakes…maybe in Japan or some other China country.
By Papa Ubu
June 25, 2008 7:51 AM | Link to this
If only you knew how much water D8N really has. Bill Pout and his Creative Crass Banalists have water on the brain!
By joe
June 25, 2008 7:51 AM | Link to this
Nothing amuses me more than idiots like Eric who are impatient to post their wisdom and end up posting it 3 times.
By Eric
June 25, 2008 7:44 AM | Link to this
Nothing amuses me more than ‘know nothings’ like Joe feel the need share without truly understanding the situation. May I direct you to the south (where I live) which is going through a second year of drought. This is effecting both manufacturing and development in the area. Manufacturing jobs that have migrated from Ohio and other Midwestern states are dependent on water. Smart government and business leaders could woo those jobs back to Ohio.
By Eric
June 25, 2008 7:43 AM | Link to this
Nothing amuses me more than ‘know nothings’ like Joe feel the need share without truly understanding the situation. May I direct you to the south (where I live) which is going through a second year of drought. This is effecting both manufacturing and development in the area. Manufacturing jobs that have migrated from Ohio and other Midwestern states are dependent on water. Smart government and business leaders could woo those jobs back to Ohio.
By jdc
June 25, 2008 7:43 AM | Link to this
How about some places to eat at the lakes we boat at or even on the ohio river they hav them in ky
By Eric
June 25, 2008 7:41 AM | Link to this
Nothing amuses me more than ‘know nothings’ like Joe feel the need share without truly understanding the situation. May I direct you to the south (where I live) which is going through a second year of drought. This is effecting both manufacturing and development in the area. Manufacturing jobs that have migrated from Ohio and other Midwestern states are dependent on water. Smart government and business leaders could woo those jobs back to Ohio.
By joe
June 25, 2008 7:16 AM | Link to this
Ohio also has lots of air. Maybe we could attract balloon makers. We also have sunlight for half the day. Someone could start a chain of outdoor tanning beds.