Aerosol corporation eyes Medina expansion
Spray Products, city to enter into tax-break agreement
Kimberly Marshall
MEDINA – A Philadelphia area company hopes to add nearly 40 jobs to Medina’s industrial district during the next three years in a new expansion at the former Valspar building on Lake Road.
Medina City Council in finance committee Aug. 28 unanimously voted in favor for the mayor to enter into a job creation grant agreement for the purpose of Spray Products – an aerosol packing and labeling firm – to acquire the facility, a $7.4 million investment for the company.
The agreement is expected to be formally approved when council meets in regular session Monday, Sept. 11.
Valspar, which employed nearly 100 people, closed last year. Spray Products President Bart Bastian told council his company’s new hires are expected to generate about $1.5 million in annual payroll.
“The grants are funded from non-income-tax generated revenues,” said Medina Economic Development Director Kimberly Marshall. “We definitely see the benefit here of getting this plant back up and running.”
The city’s grant agreement, subject to the law director’s approval, allows Spray Products to pay only up to 40 percent in new payroll taxes to Medina for a four-year period starting next year.
The agreement is similar to the one the city provided to Carlisle Brake & Friction for its recent expansion project expected to add about 70 jobs and $3 million in annual payroll.
Bastian said the Medina facility is larger than Spray Products’ eastern Pennsylvania location. The plan is to revive the four aerosol filling lines formerly in use when Valspar operated there, Bastian said, adding significant renovations will also be made to the building.
“We’re just very excited to have the opportunity to bring our business to Medina,” Bastian said. “We’ve outgrown our facility in Pennsylvania ... the idea is we’re going to bring our excess capacity at that plant to the old Valspar facility. That will be our first phase of the project.”
Bastian hoped the addition of nearly 40 local jobs is a “conservative estimate.”
Spray Products has a due diligence period of 90 days with the Sherwin-Williams Co., which now owns Valspar, to purchase the Lake Road property. That deal is still being worked out, Bastian said, and he expects it to “go fine.”
Ward 2 Councilman Dennie Simpson was the first to welcome Spray Products to the city. He also praised Marshall’s work in facilitating the deal.
“This and any other endeavor you have been working on, we know the city of Medina is in your heart and best interest,” Simpson told Marshall.
Fire district
Discussions continued relative to forming a fire district with Medina Township, Montville Township and the city of Medina.
The goal now to move the idea forward is forming an ad hoc committee comprised of government officials and citizens from each jurisdiction to discuss staffing and response times, as well as other topics regarding potential cost savings for the three entities. The committee would be non-legislative, but meetings would still be open to the public.
Councilman At-Large Paul Rose said he’s been in favor of forming the three-way district, adding, “It’s the way to go.”
The city recently entered into a contract with Medina Township to provide fire services to that jurisdiction. The city has provided Montville with the same for decades.
Medina City Council in finance committee Aug. 28 unanimously voted in favor for the mayor to enter into a job creation grant agreement for the purpose of Spray Products – an aerosol packing and labeling firm – to acquire the facility, a $7.4 million investment for the company.
The agreement is expected to be formally approved when council meets in regular session Monday, Sept. 11.
Valspar, which employed nearly 100 people, closed last year. Spray Products President Bart Bastian told council his company’s new hires are expected to generate about $1.5 million in annual payroll.
“The grants are funded from non-income-tax generated revenues,” said Medina Economic Development Director Kimberly Marshall. “We definitely see the benefit here of getting this plant back up and running.”
The city’s grant agreement, subject to the law director’s approval, allows Spray Products to pay only up to 40 percent in new payroll taxes to Medina for a four-year period starting next year.
The agreement is similar to the one the city provided to Carlisle Brake & Friction for its recent expansion project expected to add about 70 jobs and $3 million in annual payroll.
Bastian said the Medina facility is larger than Spray Products’ eastern Pennsylvania location. The plan is to revive the four aerosol filling lines formerly in use when Valspar operated there, Bastian said, adding significant renovations will also be made to the building.
“We’re just very excited to have the opportunity to bring our business to Medina,” Bastian said. “We’ve outgrown our facility in Pennsylvania ... the idea is we’re going to bring our excess capacity at that plant to the old Valspar facility. That will be our first phase of the project.”
Bastian hoped the addition of nearly 40 local jobs is a “conservative estimate.”
Spray Products has a due diligence period of 90 days with the Sherwin-Williams Co., which now owns Valspar, to purchase the Lake Road property. That deal is still being worked out, Bastian said, and he expects it to “go fine.”
Ward 2 Councilman Dennie Simpson was the first to welcome Spray Products to the city. He also praised Marshall’s work in facilitating the deal.
“This and any other endeavor you have been working on, we know the city of Medina is in your heart and best interest,” Simpson told Marshall.
Fire district
Discussions continued relative to forming a fire district with Medina Township, Montville Township and the city of Medina.
The goal now to move the idea forward is forming an ad hoc committee comprised of government officials and citizens from each jurisdiction to discuss staffing and response times, as well as other topics regarding potential cost savings for the three entities. The committee would be non-legislative, but meetings would still be open to the public.
Councilman At-Large Paul Rose said he’s been in favor of forming the three-way district, adding, “It’s the way to go.”
The city recently entered into a contract with Medina Township to provide fire services to that jurisdiction. The city has provided Montville with the same for decades.