WARREN — An expansion request by Charles Manufacturing Corp. is expected to be unanimously approved today by the Trumbull County commissioners after they were able to hear from company founder and CEO Dave Frazier about his company’s growth and plans for its future.

In addition, Trumbull County Assistant Planning Director Nicholas Coggins outlined how the county’s enterprise zone policies place the responsibility of determining the length and level of tax abatement a company receives on the communities in which they are located, not with the county.

Charles Manufacturing Corp. is requesting a 10-year, 75% abatement on a $270,000 construction project that will create offices for four new full-time employees that will create at least $400,000 in annual payroll. There also will be two additional part-time employees.

Commissioner Denny Malloy last week questioned whether commissioners should have input on the level of the abatement and its time frame.

Malloy noted the commissioners and other area economic development agencies two years ago discussed creating a rubric that would allow them to follow set guidelines in making these types of determinations whenever abatement requests are brought to them.

However, nothing was done.

At that time, another local company, Dawn Inc., was seeking a similarly sized abatement request and there were questions by area unions and others whether it should receive the abatement request. Malloy, at the time, voted for the abatement request, then-commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa voted against it and then-commissioner Niki Frenchko abstained.

That company’s owner later decided not to pursue the abatement.

On Tuesday, Coggins said since the mid-1990s, Trumbull has had an approved enterprise zone policy under which approximately 30 cities, villages and townships are able to do the research and vote on whether to allow abatement requests to move forward in their communities. The requests then go to the county.

He suggested if the county wants to have more input on the size and length of abatement requests, it will have to get approval to do so from the majority of the governmental subdivisions in Trumbull.

“Any city who also still has the power under the Ohio Revised Code to create their own enterprise zone decides to participate and go on their own, they could press and change the structure of the county wide enterprise zone and affect our townships,” Coggins said. “As it stands right now, they have the power of negotiation.”

Commissioner Rick Hernandez said allowing Charles Manufacturing Corp. to move forward with its abatement request not only will benefit Warren’s income tax collection, but also the entire county.

“Warren is part of Trumbull County,” Hernandez said. “Any time somebody comes and wants to make that type of investment, we should look at that and we should emphasize economic development.

“This is a great way to bring companies in — manufacturing and employment. That’s what we are all about. This is our job. We are obligated and responsible to stimulate economic activity. I believe that any business of this size wanting to expand, I’m all for it.”

Warren Mayor Doug Franklin said the city’s 1994 decision to participate in the countywide enterprise zone was done in the spirit of cooperation for regional growth.

“The city has done everything it needed to do on this issue,” Franklin said. “We have the authority. However, your vote is important for several reasons. Most importantly, by the message you send to others that the county is open for business, then we have to act like it. We have to perform like we are open for business. We have to make sure we’re working with one another properly.”

“There was no opposition on this issue. The abatement is only on new investment. No one loses anything,” Franklin said.

Dave Frazier, founder and CEO of Charles Manufacturing Corp., said he was born and raised in Warren. Frazier said the company was created in the 1980s by himself and his wife.

In 1991, Frazier met with city leaders who convinced him to go into the still-developing Warren Commerce Park.

“We put up a 10,000-square-foot building in 1993,” he said. “In 2004, we added another 20,000-square-foot building.”

Today, the company serves 130 customers in northeastern Ohio.

“Our business is very strong,” he said. “2026 and 2027 are looking to be really good. I need more help. I need more help in the engineering area. That’s why we need more space.”

The company has 15 employees making products that are being sold outside the county.