State of the State Address [Video] The annual address presented by the Governor of Ohio, highlighting the goals and accomplishments of the state. Held as a joint session of the Ohio General Assembly in the House Chambers of the Ohio Statehouse.

LANCASTER – Zebco, a foam packaging provider in downtown Lancaster, was recently granted a $50,000 JobsOhio Inclusion Grant to invest in machinery and equipment. Getting their start right in Lancaster, this company has been serving the public since 1969 with their vision of meeting and surpassing the foam and packaging needs of customers with state-of-the-art products and superior customer service. “Today, that vision remains alive as we strive to continuously lead the industry in cutting-edge innovation as found in our products and services, and in what we hale with our motto ‘Performance Beyond Expectations,’” said Bill Cipparrone, Sales and Marketing Manager of Zebco Industries, Inc. “We are a company founded on and sustained by hard-working employees willing to take on any challenge. A culture rooted in ethics and values is at the core of Zebco, in what we call the ‘Zebco Way.’" Zebco will use this grant to purchase new equipment to expand product lines, intended to free emplo

Excellent news for the City of Lancaster! LANCASTER − Cirba Solutions plans a $200 million expansion project at its battery recycling operations plant in the Rockmill Industrial Park. The new plant will be near the two current buildings on Quarry Road. Workers will recycle electric vehicle batteries and use the components and minerals in those batteries to make new batteries. Cirba Solutions, formerly known as Retriev Technologies, said the new plant will be one of the largest battery recycling plants in North America and create an additional 150 local jobs, along with recycling enough batteries to power more than 200,000 electric vehicles annually. Cirba Solutions Vice President of Marketing and Communications Danielle Spalding said the project will include expanding a current building and possibly building another one. The company has not yet decided on the amount of square footage needed for the project. Spalding said construction should start sometime next year, although the compan

[Carroll, OH] Discovery Friday at the Workforce Center was made extra special last week as Governor Mike DeWine paid a visit to meet the students and community partners, County Commissioners, and education leaders, who all play a vital role in the success of the Center. The Governor was able to tour the facility while hearing from the faculty and students participating in HVAC (Hocking College) and Advanced Manufacturing (Ohio University Lancaster) classes, and CPR training provided by Claypool Electric. In addition, he met with stakeholders, hearing first-hand how the collaboration and cooperation of educational institutions and business organizations across the county are responsible for growing success at the Workforce Center. The Fairfield County Workforce Center provides short-term training that can lead to jobs in high-demand fields with local employers as well as provide a pathway to a college degree. It partners with Hocking College and Ohio University to offer training in manu

[Carroll, OH] Discovery Friday at the Workforce Center was made extra special last week as Governor Mike DeWine paid a visit to meet the students and community partners, County Commissioners, and education leaders, who all play a vital role in the success of the Center. The Governor was able to tour the facility while hearing from the faculty and students participating in HVAC (Hocking College) and Advanced Manufacturing (Ohio University Lancaster) classes, and CPR training provided by Claypool Electric. In addition, he met with stakeholders, hearing first-hand how the collaboration and cooperation of educational institutions and business organizations across the county are responsible for growing success at the Workforce Center. The Fairfield County Workforce Center provides short-term training that can lead to jobs in high-demand fields with local employers as well as provide a pathway to a college degree. It partners with Hocking College and Ohio University to offer training in manu

The Fairfield County Workforce Center to partner with Ohio University, Hocking College in Appalachian Semiconductor Education and Technical (ASCENT) Ecosystem through Intel grant funding Coalition will collaborate to create pathways for increased student learning, workforce development in support of state’s growing semiconductor industry (Carroll, OH) — The Fairfield County Workforce Center will partner with Ohio University Lancaster and Hocking College in the Appalachian Semiconductor Education and Technical (ASCENT) Ecosystem through grant funding awarded by Intel to lead institution Ohio University. The ASCENT program will create an inclusive workforce development and training program to cultivate the next generation of skilled technical professionals for Ohio’s emerging semiconductor industry. The funding is part of the Intel ®Semiconductor Education and Research Program for Ohio that was announced today in conjunction with Intel’s groundbreaking ceremony for its leading-edge semic

Lancaster, Ohio – As Fairfield County prepares for future growth, the county commissioners have announced they are seeking proposals for a comprehensive economic development strategic plan. The plan will focus on smart growth to ensure the county maintains a balance between its agricultural base and expansion of residential and commercial land. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of economic and workforce development and this plan will help address that. Intel’s announcement for a massive complex in New Albany will lead to unprecedented growth in the region. An update to Fairfield County’s 2018 land use plan is necessary to make it more relevant due to these new factors. “Fairfield County is poised to benefit from the job growth throughout the Columbus Region,” said Jeff Fix, Fairfield County Commissioner. “It’s important for us to provide a roadmap to our villages and townships to make sure they are prepared for that growth while at the same time preserving the landscape t