LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – The first Friday in October is designated as National Manufacturing Day to recognize the impact of national and local businesses.
Lima and Allen County are home to a strong manufacturing sector, with companies such as Ford, Procter & Gamble, and Bob Evans, among many others. According to the Allen Economic Development Group (AEDG), Lima ranks third in the nation for manufacturing among cities with populations of 150,000 or less and has 108% more manufacturing jobs than the average city.
One of AEDG’s key focuses is tailoring services to meet the needs of manufacturers.
Tim Fitzpatrick, Business & Work Development Lead for AEDG, said, “We have really good relationships with a lot of the companies around the Allen County area. We like to keep those relationships pretty positive, so that we're able to visit with them regularly and find out what is going on to support their needs.”
Fitzpatrick noted that workforce development is among the organization’s biggest requests, highlighting the ongoing need for skilled employees to support the local manufacturing economy.
