Water a key to Ohio's economic recruiting

State has a wealth of fresh water resources from the Great Lakes and the Ohio River

By John Nolan
Wednesday, June 25, 2008

WEST CARROLLTON — The Appleton paper mill consumes about seven million gallons of water a day, coming from company wells that draw from the Great Miami River aquifer.

The plant's 400 jobs and 24-hour production of thermal paper, for point-of-sale receipts, and carbonless paper, for business forms, depend on the steady flow of fresh and recycled water.
"You can't make paper without water," said Nancy McDonnell, the plant's environmental manager.

Businesses like Appleton thrive, in part, because of Ohio's abundant, reliable supplies of fresh water. In this region, those also include the Dannon Co. yogurt plant in Auglaize County and the Miller Brewing Co. brewery in Butler County.

Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, who also heads the Ohio Department of Development, said he believes that Ohio's wealth of fresh water resources will prove an increasingly valuable tool for economic recruiting in coming years. He expects that the state will step up its efforts to make corporate executives aware of the benefits afforded by the Great Lakes and the Ohio River.

"Part of marketing Ohio is marketing our access to water, both the Great Lakes and the Ohio River," Fisher said during an interview this month.

The Appleton mill, West Carrollton's second-biggest source of income tax revenue, has been in existence since 1947. Last year, the employee-owned company announced a $100 million investment in the plant to expand its thermal paper production capacity and add 35 jobs.

Increasing scarcity of water supplies in some Sunbelt regions have caused concerns about what it will mean in the long term for economic development there as the population increases.

Climate changes over time, and their effect on weather patterns and yearly precipitation, could increase the challenge for states that do not have access to freshwater sources such as the Great Lakes, said Mark Partridge, an Ohio State University professor of agricultural, environment and development economics. That could be a factor as companies consider where to locate new operations.

"It could potentially become a quality of life issue," Partridge said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or
jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.