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Leed’s to Bring Hundreds of Jobs to Ohio

Leedsworld, Inc.’s will expand operations to the city of Warren, OH and create as many as 485 new jobs, making it the largest industrial attraction project in recent years in the Youngstown-Warren, OH area. The company will occupy a 256,000 square-foot facility at 655 North River Road and expected to move into the facility in July.

“Simply put, this is a huge announcement, and we are thrilled,” says Walter Good, director of the Regional Chamber’s Economic Development Action Team, which spearheaded efforts to attract the company to the area. “Leed’s is a dynamic and growing company that operates in the global marketplace. The fact that they decided to locate here gives testimony to the strategic advantages that our community affords to industry leaders such as Leed’s. I sincerely would like to thank the Leed’s site selection team for giving us an opportunity to demonstrate our desire for the company to locate here and prove that this is where they should be positioned,” he adds.

Given the competition with sites in Pennsylvania, an aggressive incentive package was critical to landing Leedsworld. The Chamber mobilized its state and local development partners, who responded aggressively. The State of Ohio is providing a $2 million, 1 percent loan, a $250,000 grant, a Job Creation Tax Credit valued at $436,255 and a $150,000 training grant. The City of Warren, under the leadership of Mayor Michael O’Brien, and Trumbull County granted a tax abatement, and the Northeast Ohio Trade & Economic Consortium has applied to create a foreign trade zone at the site—with assistance from the Western Reserve Port Authority. The City of Warren, Warren Redevelopment & Planning Corp. and the Mahoning Valley Economic Development Corp. worked together to provide additional land for Leedsworld’s projected future expansions.

New Kensington, PA-based Leedsworld is a supplier and producer of promotional products, such as portfolios, pens and stationary. The company’s sales have increased dramatically over the past few years, from $100 million in 2002 to $231 million in 2005.