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Old Dominion requests tax break for terminal

WARREN — Trumbull County commissioners are considering a request from Old Dominion Freight Line to abate a portion of property taxes on a new terminal the trucking company plans to build in Lordstown.

If approved, which seems likely when commissioners consider the application possibly as soon as next week, the North Carolina-based company would be free from 60 percent of taxes over a 10-year period on the roughly $6 million project.

Old Dominion plans to build a 30,400-square-foot facility on 15.2 acres of land on Tod Avenue near where General Motors is planning its multibillion dollar electric vehicle battery-cell manufacturing plant.

The trucking company’s facility would have 59 docks, fuel islands and other equipment it needs to operate. Old Dominion already has a facility on North State Street in Girard, but the property is landlocked, eliminating expansion possibilities.

The company employs 48 in Girard. It plans to hire 20 new employees in the next five years, with hopes to bring on more after that.

“Their goal is to hire 40 over 10 (years), but they committed to getting 20 new by five years,” said Nicholas Coggins, assistant director of the Trumbull County Planning Commission.

Commissioners held a public hearing Wednesday on the tax request. No objections were raised.

A rough estimate based on like buildings in the area has Old Dominion saving $27,500 per year in taxes. The actual savings cannot be determined until the building is constructed and appraised for tax purposes.

The Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber worked with the company to site the new location. It gives the company easier access to the Ohio Turnpike and provides the opportunity for future growth, said Lauren Johnson, business development manager for the chamber.

“We’re certainly please to be able to keep them in our market and help them grow here,” Johnson said.

Lordstown’s planning commission in March gave site approval for the project. Village council also must approve the abatement. It’s expected commissioners will wait to act until council makes a decision.

Old Dominion has 237 service centers in the United States. Its contractors for the Lordstown project is Furst Construction in Salt Lake City.

rselak@tribtoday.com

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