CASTLO News!

"CASTLO Holds 31st Annual Meeting"

~ March 26, 2009

 

STRUTHERS—Celebrating 31 years of service to the Mahoning Valley, the CASTLO Community Improvement Board of Trustees, at its recent annual meeting, elected Bill Kennedy, Jr., a Poland Township resident and president of Redex Industries, as a new at-large trustee. Kennedy is also a member of the Ohio Commodores, an organization promoting statewide economic development and international trade. Current trustees re-elected for additional three-year terms include: George Garchar, Walter Good, Sherri Hartzell, Mary Kropinak, Jean McBride and Vivian Powers. A commemorative plaque was presented to Bill Livosky who is stepping down after 15 years of distinguished service on the CASTLO Board. Richard Melvin, who chose not to stand for re-election, was recognized for his assistance in developing CASTLO’s web site, www.castlo.com, in 1998.

The CASTLO Board re-elected five of its existing officers for another one-year term, including: William Binning, chairman; Marion Creed, president; McBride, secretary/treasurer; Sarah Lown, vice-president of Industrial Park Management; and Randy Partika, vice-president of Program. Two new officers were also elected: Kropinak, vice-president of Finance and Carol Hirt, vice-president of Nominations & Personnel. Other CASTLO trustees include: Coitsville Township trustee Walter Avdey, Kelly Becker, Ray Calcagni, Jr., Campbell mayor Jack Dill, Frank Galletta, Atty. Mike Hoza, Lowellville mayor James Iudiciani, Michael Kusalaba, Poland Township trustee Robert Lidle, Jr., Ed Reese, Paul Stebelton and Struthers mayor Terry Stocker. William DeCicco serves as CASTLO’s executive director.

Incorporated on March 21, 1978 in response to the 1977 closing of the former Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company’s Campbell Works, CASTLO’s mission is to advance, encourage and promote the industrial, economic, commercial and civic development of Campbell, Struthers, Lowellville, Poland Township and Coitsville Township. The CASTLO Board owns and operates the 120-acre CASTLO Industrial Park in downtown Struthers and also is an active member of the Mahoning River Corridor of Opportunity, organized in 1995 to promote the redevelopment of former Republic Steel and YS&T brownfield property along both sides of the Mahoning River from the southeast edge of downtown Youngstown, through Campbell, to the Struthers/Lowellville border. This year CASTLO became a founding member of the Mahoning River Corridor Initiative, a group based at Youngstown State University’s Center for Urban & Regional Studies, which has as its purpose to promote economic development and recreational opportunities alongside a nearly 40-mile stretch of the Mahoning River from Newton Falls to Lowellville.

Chairman Binning, during his annual message, noted three existing tenants extended their leases: Aqua Ohio Inc., Youngstown Class “B” Baseball, Inc. and Argon Steel. In addition, he announced G-Force Contracting and StateLine Paving, LLC enlarged their respective premises. Anchored by the Industrial Timber & Lumber Company and the Drywall Barn, the park’s 22 tenants, in 2008, employed about 140 with a combined annual payroll of nearly $5,000,000.

DeCicco reflected that a recent significant accomplishment was the obtaining of a clean bill of health, in the form of a Covenant Not to Sue, which was recently issued by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency that will open 43 acres of vacant rail-served property at the Industrial Park for future development where new buildings can be constructed. He said CASTLO is a candidate for an Ohio Job Ready Sites Program grant that will enable the extension of infrastructure to serve the site which could accommodate six or seven new structures.

As a non-profit organization, DeCicco noted CASTLO is eligible for various federal and state grants, including Ohio’s Ohio Clean Ohio Assistance Fund Program, to remediate additional property at its Industrial Park which was originally the former YS&T Struthers Works. He emphasized the Industrial Park is economically self-sufficient with the vast majority of its revenues generated by rent from current tenants. Since its formation, he noted CASTLO has never been the recipient of any local tax monies, and in fact pays income and real estate taxes benefiting the school system and the community.

Former Finance Committee chairman Galletta reported CASTLO expended approximately $127,000 for various building and site improvements in 2008 with a similar amount budgeted for 2009. Major improvements last year included: $18,275 for various painting projects, $23,500 for roofing, siding and window repairs, and nearly $40,000 to upgrade existing sprinkler systems at two buildings.

Program Committee chairman Partika outlined plans for CASTLO’s second annual recognition awards ceremony scheduled for September, 2009, to thank those companies, organizations and individuals whose efforts make the CASTLO communities a better place to work and reside and also the Industrial Park possible. This year, he said individuals would be selected from both the public and private sector. Award recipients from CASTLO’s 2008 ceremony included: company – Aqua Ohio, Inc.; organization – Struthers Rotary Club; and, individuals – Frank DiVito and Alan Donatelli of DonaVito’s Italian Grille, Jon Jacubec and Eric Ryan of Fat E’s Attic Bar & Grille, and Brian Palumbo of Selah Café. Former Ohio state senator Harry Meshel was also honored for his vision along with the late former Ohio governor James A. Rhodes in creating the CASTLO Industrial Park in 1979.

Looking forward to 2009, Binning said additional marketing and outreach activities will be undertaken by both CASTLO and the MRCO noting under-utilized brownfields provide ideal locations for future industrial development and a viable alternative to the Mahoning Valley’s undesirable urban sprawl.