3 NW Ohio locales gain state money for projects

7/7/2006

COLUMBUS Defiance and Ottawa counties and Norwalk have been awarded $1.1 million from the Ohio Department of Development to assist with development projects, the state said yesterday.

The money was awarded through the Ohio Small Cities Community Development Block Grant economic development program to:

• Defiance County, $142,000 to assist First Federal Bank of the Midwest s $8.2 million expansion. The grant will be used to install water and sewer lines.

• Norwalk, $500,000 that the city will loan to Highway Composites LCC, which will buy the building it now leases. Highway Composites plans a $2.3 million expansion of its subsidiaries, Monroe Industrial Molding and PIPO Inc.

• Ottawa County, $500,000 grant to help two firms in the Erie Industrial Park expand: Fenner-Dunlap and SliPS Lubricants LCC. The grant will be used to install water and sewer lines.