State trying to lure Sheetz, 750 jobs to Findlay

The state is expected Monday to offer a tax credit and $1.1 million for road improvements to lure Sheetz convenience stores to locate a production-distribution facility — and 750 jobs — north of Findlay. Average pay of the jobs would be about $58,000 a year. The food production and distribution center would be located at the northeast corner of Township Road 99 and Distribution Drive, just north of County Road 212. It would be west and north of Lowe's Distribution Center, on County Road 212. It would be directly east across Distribution Drive from an American Electric Power substation; to the north and west of the proposed Sheetz site are a Findlay water tower and an Ohio Logistics building. Indiana is competing with Ohio for the Sheetz plant. But Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn expressed cautious optimism about Findlay's prospects. "We are fairly confident that we should get it as long as the incentive goes through on Monday," Muryn said Thursday. Findlay has stepped up, offering $3 million for water, sewer and storm sewer infrastructure and road improvements to accommodate Sheetz. The city will be splitting the cost of the $2.2 million in road improvements with the state. In addition, the State Tax Credit Authority is expected to approve a payroll tax credit for Sheetz for the 750 jobs and $43.5 million in annual payroll it would create. State officials declined to disclose details about the tax credit. Nicknamed "Project Hat Trick" by the state's Regional Growth Partnership office, the economic development project has been discussed by the city at council meetings this summer, and the business' identity was kept under wraps. If the state incentives are approved and Sheetz accepts them, construction of the building would start in 2024. Employees would be hired and the plant would be operating in 2025. About one-third of the employees would be food production workers, food scientists and corporate roles, Muryn said. The other two-thirds would be involved in warehouse and distribution, the mayor said. Sheetz, headquartered in Altoona, Pennsylvania, has over 700 stores located in central and western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina. The road improvements for Sheetz would include widening Township Road 99 by three feet on each side. Turn lanes would be added to the south side of Township Road 99 at the Sheetz site. Improvements also would include a new storm sewer system, new curb and gutter and thickened asphalt to accommodate heavy truck traffic. The roadway would be designed to accommodate turn lanes into any of the other properties along the roadway in the future.