Oregon firm eyes 10-year tax abatement for expansion

3/21/2001

An Oregon company would receive a 10-year tax break on a $200,000 building expansion to manufacture dry ice using a carbon dioxide byproduct at the Sunoco Mid America Toledo Refinery under legislation to be presented to Oregon city council Monday night.

At the committee of the whole meeting Monday night, council approved putting the tax abatement agreement with Air Liquide America Corp., 1800 Navarre Ave., on the agenda.

The Houston-based company plans to make liquid carbon dioxide and dry ice used in food processing in a new 7,500-square-foot addition to its existing plant at the refinery site.

Council approved a 10-year tax break Feb. 26 for an estimated $8.1 million worth of new compressors, heat exchangers, dryers, strippers, and related manufacturing equipment that will be used in the new addition.

Air Liquide America Corp., which leases the site from Sunoco, will receive 75 percent abatement on the property taxes on the addition.

That figure is the same abatement that it received on the new equipment.

The tax incentives will retain 20 jobs at the facility.

The company plans to begin building the addition in June and to begin production in October.

As part of the agreement, Air Liquide would pay 60 percent of the abated amount, or about $42,000 a year for 10 years, to the Oregon schools.

Also approved for action at Monday's council meeting was an ordinance that would recognize the Oregon Spring Fest as a community sponsored event that is authorized by the Oregon Growth Corporation.

Spring Fest is scheduled to be held May 20 on Dustin Road near Harbor Drive.

A resolution authorizing the city to apply for a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Watercraft, was also forwarded to the agenda of the Oregon city council.

The city is requesting money to extend the board walk at South Shore Park.