Consultants Forum Advertise
Subscribe
Close

  • Free for qualified executives and consultants to industry

  • Receive quarterly issues of Area Development Magazine and special market report and directory issues

Subscribe Now
Renew

Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Quick Loadz Container System Expands Production to Athens County, Ohio Facility

10/30/2019
Quick Loadz Container System, a rapidly growing manufacturer of patented truck beds and trailers that automatically load and unload shipping containers, is expanding its operations into the Bill Theisen Industrial Park in Athens County, Ohio.

The company will invest approximately $1.2 million to renovate the building and to get it ready for increased production. The company is moving into a building that has been vacant since 2014 and had fallen into disrepair. The property has housed several different businesses over the years and was originally the location of Columbus & Southern Power's Poston Power Plant.

The move from a small building in Nelsonville to the 47,000 square foot building in the industrial park will enable QuickLoadz to take more orders, reduce delivery times, and increase sales. That, in turn, will result in new jobs for skilled, well-paid workers to fabricate and assemble the trailers and truck beds and manage the growing company. QuickLoadz plans to add 40 new jobs and grow to 52 employees over the next three years as it expands its production capacity and grows sales of their unique shipping system.

"QuickLoadz has been a familiar face in the thriving Athens entrepreneurial scene," commented Sara Marrs-Maxfield, Executive Director of Athens County EDC. "We are very excited that the company will stay in the county as they mature and continue to be successful. This is a great example of growing your own, and we are thankful that JobsOhio and APEG recognize the value of supporting emerging companies that already exist in the region." JobsOhio and the Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth (APEG) assisted the company in obtaining a $300,000 JobsOhio Revitalization Grant to renovate the property. The program is designed to encourage redevelopment of underutilized properties and support companies that are creating new jobs and investing capital in fixed assets.

"We are very pleased we could support a smaller growing company that is doing world class business from right here in southeastern Ohio," commented APEG President Mike Jacoby. "QuickLoadz is a leading example of a local company combining innovation with manufacturing expertise to grow, create jobs and positively impact our economy."

The announcement was made in London as QuickLoadz celebrated its graduation from the London Stock Exchange Group's ELITE Program, a program in partnership with JobsOhio. Designed to provide high-growth potential companies with intensive education, business support, and direct contact with the international financial and advisory community, QuickLoadz was one of ten companies from southeastern Ohio to complete the program.

"The ELITE program is helping us support important growth opportunities in Ohio, and the expansion of QuickLoadz today is the perfect example of how this partnership can help propel new job creation across the state," said Lt. Governor Jon Husted. "I'm confident that JobsOhio's strategic investment in these Southeast Ohio companies will continue to support new growth in the region."

"QuickLoadz is a great example of how innovative companies can establish a business in southeast Ohio and continue to thrive and grow," said Dana Saucier, JobsOhio Vice President and Head of Economic Development. "This investment demonstrates the confidence QuickLoadz has in Athens County's talent, and brings new opportunity to a vacant facility there."

Appalachian Growth Capital (AGC), a new federally designated Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), provided financial advisory and analysis services to QuickLoadz during their planning phase. AGC also linked the company to secondary lenders, one of which ultimately provided financing for the expansion project.

Exclusive Research