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Wayne County: Discover What’s Made Here

Leading manufacturers, suppliers and nationally recognized brands like Smuckers have made their home in Wayne County, Ohio. We are consistently ranked in the top ten for business expansion by Site Selection Magazine because we have the assets to support business growth. Large, shovel-ready sites, rail and interstate access, skilled talent and a low-cost business environment make it easy to choose Wayne County for expansion. Plus, we have an asset that can’t be found anywhere else - the largest agbioscience research facility in the United States.

Our charming award-winning communities make Wayne County the ideal choice for businesses and their employees. A strong K-12 system, Ohio State, the University of Akron Wayne Campus and the College of Wooster (a Top 10 Liberal Arts College) create world-class educational opportunities close to home, while providing businesses with a ready supply of educated talent. It’s no wonder that companies are choosing Wayne County. Contact us to join them.

Featured News

Click the Wayne Economic Development Council launches a new website with seamless navigation and enhanced user engagement Slide Photo to Open

Wayne Economic Development Council launches a new website with seamless navigation and enhanced user engagement
Tuesday, August 15, 2023

8/15/2023 WOOSTER, OHIO -- Wayne Economic Development Council is pleased to announce the launch of its new website, developed in collaboration with Golden Shovel Agency, to enhance its online presence. Located at https://www.waynecountyedc.com/, the website serves as a dynamic one-stop-shop, providing valuable resources such as...

Click the Biden-Harris Administration Partners with Agricultural Producers to Promote Competition, Strengthen Food Supply Chain and Rural Economies Slide Photo to Open

Biden-Harris Administration Partners with Agricultural Producers to Promote Competition, Strengthen Food Supply Chain and Rural Economies
Thursday, June 29, 2023

Des Moines, IA, June 29, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is making investments to increase independent meat and poultry processing capacity, expand market opportunities for farmers and support a growing workforce in rural areas. The announcement...

Click the New/Expanded Incentives for Sustainability-Related Investments Slide Photo to Open

New/Expanded Incentives for Sustainability-Related Investments
Thursday, June 1, 2023

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), signed by President Biden on August 16, 2022, changed a wide range of tax laws, and includes some $369 billion in new and expanded incentives for energy efficiency, renewable and clean energy investments, fleet decarbonization, infrastructure improvements, and...

City	Distance in Miles
Atlanta	660
Boston	670
Cleveland	60
Columbus	100
Cincinnati	200
Charlotte	470
Chicago	350
Detroit	180
Indianapolis	270
Nashville	470
New York	470
Philadelphia	440
Pittsburgh	130
St. Louis	510
Toronto	340
Washington DC	380

Source: WEDC

Wayne County Regional Map

Why Wayne County?

1

in Ohio (POLICOM Strengths Ranking, 2023)

8

Best performing micropolitans in the country (Site Selection Magazine, 2023)

3

Manufacturing Growth in Ohio

3

Agriculture Economy in Ohio

What Our Investors Are Saying

Critchfield
Wooster Community Hospital
Westfield Bank
City of Orrville and Orrville Utilities

Critchfield invests its resources, and I invest my time, in the WEDC because the heartbeat of any community lies in its economic health. Good jobs create a ripple effect that strengthens our schools, community facilities, and social support systems. Good jobs help keep families stable through tough times. Good jobs don’t appear by accident in today’s competitive global marketplace. Economic health requires collaboration between the private sector and public leaders. To safeguard Wayne County’s special character, this must all be accomplished while preserving our superior agricultural base. WEDC is the one agency that helps pull all of the players together.

-Robert Gorman
Of Counsel
Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston

Wooster Community Hospital provides excellent healthcare services for our community, including not only the City of Wooster but to the greater Wayne County area. The strong economic environment in our county is also critical to all entities in the healthcare space, as good jobs are tied to good healthcare insurance benefits. WEDC’s varied and collaborative efforts are vitally important to continue to help local businesses grow while attracting the new companies to our community in a balanced way to enhance the quality of life we all enjoy in Wayne County.

-Scott Boyes
Chief Financial & Operating Officer
Wooster Community Hospital Health System

The Wayne Economic Development Corporation has been a leader in economic development for over 30 years. Through its diligent efforts and collaboration with local, county, state and federal officials, Wayne County has attracted some of the finest companies in the nation by making Wayne County a place where people and business want to live, work and play. Westfield Bank has been an investor because of our belief in what the WEDC has achieved and the role they will play in the future of Wayne County. Westfield recently and proactively increased our investment into WEDC because of this belief.

I have served on the boards of other economic development entitles for over 20 years, and the success and results of WEDC are second to none. WEDC’s passion, dedication, collaboration and commitment to its business partners have made Wayne County a leader locally, regionally and nationally.

-William F. Schumacher
Senior Vice President, Market Leader
Westfield Bank

Seal of the City of Orrville, OH

Most every city is interested in attracting new businesses and certainly helping existing businesses grow and expand when they are ready. Any help we can get is greatly appreciated. Our Office of Economic Development is always on the lookout and always ready to help a business with growth, but the extra connection we have through WEDC makes us even stronger to serve our individual clients. If it is a new industry looking for land to build or an existing business looking for help to expand and grow, our WEDC teammates work with us to help make that happen.

-Dave Handwerk
Mayor, Orrville

“We have continuously been impressed with the care and dedication the Wayne Economic Development Council has shown to not only Rittman, but our fellow communities. Maribeth and her staff work diligently and in harmony with Team Neo, JobsOhio and the many partners it takes to bring and keep Economic Development thriving in Wayne County.”

-Bobbie Beshara
City Manager, City of Rittman

“Wayne County is a great place to live, work and raise a family. This county is special in many ways and is the home to many hard-working people. Wayne County is the top dairy producing county in the state of Ohio and Lowe & Young has been blessed to have served this community for over 73 years. We have been fortunate to be able to hire young, ambitious employees that come from farming backgrounds. The staff at WEDC has been very helpful over the years by supporting and assisting in the growth of our business.”

- Bill Hartzler
President, Lowe & Young

Wooster Hydrostatics, The Power to Perform

"Wayne County is a great location to do business. The work force available possesses solid Midwestern values that equates to good employees. The quality of life offered in our area is also a strong attribute to attracting and retaining skilled employees. Wayne County has a tremendous team spirit not found elsewhere. If you need anything, you can be assured that government, the business community and other organizations will be there to assist you in any way possible. They have all certainly been there for me."

- Steve Matthew
President, Wooster Hydrostatics

d+s distribution, inc.

“Combine a solid business community, consisting of numerous ‘world-class’ and internationally recognized companies, with an exceptional workforce and efficient, cost-competitive transportation access and you have a formula for success. Wayne County takes full advantage of these key economic development components, focussing on the continued prosperity of our existing business ‘partners’... as well as attracting new ‘growth-oriented’ business opportunities.”

- Jon Ansel, President