Kasich and JobsOhio President and Interim CIO Mark Kvamme toured the Franklin company’s recent expansion at 1400 Commerce Center Drive that was done through tax breaks from the state.
VRI’s partnership with JobsOhio includes a seven-year, $367,000 Jobs Creation Tax Credit that allowed the company to expand its facility to 25,000 square feet.
VRI officials in February told JobsOhio the company should be able to add 100 to 125 new jobs by February 2014, but now estimate it should only take the next nine to 12 months, said Andy Schoonover, the company’s CEO.
The company added 42 employees this year, bringing its total workforce to 150 employees, Schoonover said. VRI expects to add another 60 or 70 jobs by year’s end, he said.
Kvamme said people like Schoonover and VRI President Chris Hendriksen help make companies grow. “It’s innovation. It’s change. It’s looking at problems in a whole different way,” Kvamme said. “What we want to do is, we want to inspire folks like this.”
Marty Hohenberger, vice president of business development for the Dayton Development Coalition, praised the “entrepreneurial spirit” of VRI’s leadership and management team and the quality of service their team provides.
“Today not only marks another milestone in a long list of successes, it is the sign of many more successes to come,” Hohenberger said.
VRI moved from West Carrollton to Franklin in February 2011.
The company now serves more than 75,000 clients in all 50 U.S. states with annual revenue of $20 million to $30 million, Schoonover said.
Kasich said companies like VRI are “the future of medicine.”
“It doesn’t mean we’re not going to see doctors anymore. It doesn’t mean we’re not going to go into hospitals,” Kasich said. “What it is going to mean is that we’re going to have a more rational, more independent way for people to maintain their health, which will result in lower prices ... while giving them the care that they need, which is fantastic.”
Franklin Mayor Scott Lipps said he is proud that the city took just three months to iron out a deal to help VRI after company officials asked for help.
“We proved we’re business friendly,” he said. ‘It’s not about talking about it, it’s about doing it.”
About the Author
