Behr Paint comes to Heath, decades after Ohio acquires Panhandle rail line, DeWine says
HEATH − Development discussions in Licking County often revolve around new technology for computer chip manufacturers, data centers and clean rooms.
Behr Paint Co., the latest newcomer to Licking County, chose to build a manufacturing and distribution center on James Parkway in Heath because of 200-year-old technology: the railroad.
Gov. Mike DeWine welcomed the company to Ohio on Tuesday, joining Heath Mayor Mark Johns, state Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, and Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority President/CEO Rick Platt in the company’s 300,000-square-foot facility at the Central Ohio Aerospace and Technology Center campus.
The governor said a decision in 1992 laid the groundwork for the rail service that helped bring Behr to Heath.
“I often talk about, in economic development, we are really planting a seed," DeWine said. "Sometimes we will not see immediate results (and it might take) many, many years to see results. Sometimes we’re out of office and doing other things, and finally that comes through. But occasionally we plant a seed, and we do get to see the outcome.”
The governor said it was 1992, when he was serving as lieutenant governor during Gov. George Voinovich's administration, that the seed was planted.
"I had the opportunity to announce the state’s acquisition of the Panhandle rail line," DeWine said. "I went from Columbus to Coshocton to make the announcement. Rick Platt was part of my team at that time and on that particular trip.
“What does that have to do with Behr today? Well, it turned out (when) Behr was looking for a site for this project, one of their site selection requirements was rail. Had to have rail accessibility. Ultimately, that rail access is really what enabled Behr to be able to come here.”
Based in Santa Ana, California, Behr invested more than $100 million and broke ground on the new facility two years ago. Distribution started in July, and manufacturing started Tuesday. The plant employs 67 today, but the company expects to eventually have 110 employees working three shifts.
Behr, which supplies architectural paint and exterior wood care products to U.S. and Canadian do-it-yourself markets, considered sites in other states, but Heath felt like the right place.
“We started our journey on this project and location selection process about two years ago,” Behr Chief Operating Officer Phil Markes said. “When the leadership team stopped here in Heath, Ohio, the comment that resonated with me was ‘now this feels like a Behr town.’ We eventually selected Heath, Ohio, for our new home, and the rest is history.”
Behr President Megan Selby said the company has the land to someday expand the facility and add more jobs.
"Behr has a very strong culture," Selby said. "We have been a company manufacturing for over 75 years. We have very low turnover. Our goal is to really have employees be employees with Behr for life."
Otho Behr Jr. founded the company, then known as Linseed Oil Products, in 1947. Linseed moved from Behr's garage to an 800-square-foot Quonset hut in Pasadena, California, a year later. Linseed Oil became Behr Process Corp. in 1954. In 1999, after 52 years of private ownership, Behr Paint Co. was acquired by Masco Corp. of Livonia, Michigan.
The Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority had other companies interested in the land, but they would not have employed as many as Behr, Platt said.
"Our board had the vision we'd hold out for manufacturing for the job impact," he said. "We turned away so many who wouldn't have the job opportunity impact for generations."
Johns said Behr made an big impression on the community by sponsoring local youth baseball and softball teams before it even opened.
“As mayor of a city, you always hope that your economic development projects don’t just bring jobs to your community," Johns said. "That’s important, but you also hope the company will be a good corporate citizen. It was noticeable that Behr Paint was making an investment in this community. You may think it’s insignificant to sponsor little league teams. It’s not.
“Over the past 15 years, the city of Heath has seen quite a bit of success in landing projects, but there’s no project that I’ve been involved with that has been as pleasurable to work with, as smooth to work with, as this project.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Behr Paint marks new manufacturing plant, distribution center in Heath
