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If you’re seeking a place to illustrate the pandemic’s dramatic impact on the workplace, look no further than Twinsburg.
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The transformation to work-from-home routines, Mayor Ted Yates said Thursday, drained the tax revenues for hundreds of workers at the city’s two largest employers from Twinsburg’s coffers.
The city’s biggest employer, Cardinal Health, went from 1,000 employees to just 50, Yates said — and the second largest employer, EnvisionRX, “has left completely.”
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The community, however, is counting on growth and development to help make up for those losses, Yates said during the State of the City presentation hosted by the Twinsburg Chamber of Commerce at the Gleneagles Event Center.
And there are some bright spots on the horizon, city officials said.
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Frito-Lay, famous for its array of salty snack chips, has begun moving into a 207,000-square-foot distribution center in the Cornerstone Business Park.
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It joins other big names that have set up operations at the site of the former Chrysler Stamping Plant, including Amazon, FedEx, Lowe’s, Curbell Plastics, Vistar and O’Reilly Auto Enterprises.
Larry Finch, the city’s director of planning and community development, said the newly constructed building that houses Frito-Lay will soon welcome a second business, Avantor, a Fortune 500 company that works with biopharmaceutical and health care interests.
And Finch said a third business to be named will also set up shop at the site .
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Yates also said progress is also being made for a future downtown development, with the 16 acres in and around the Old School property. The city has been working with Heritage Development Co. in Moreland Hills to create a mixed-use development that would include commercial enterprises and townhomes.
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Yates briefly touched on COVID-19, noting the city has reason to be optimistic with cases declining.
He said it is too soon to know how much the work-from-home culture shift will impact the city’s bottom line, but he expects there to be some loss of revenue.
In 2021, the city’s total fund balance was a little more than $30 million, with roughly $22 million coming from local income taxes.
But changes in Ohio’s tax codes allow residents, under certain circumstances, to request a refund if they worked from home but had taxes taken out by a workplace in a different municipality from their residence,
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Yates said the city hopes employee spaces used by Cardinal Health and EnvisionRX will become available for other companies to flow on-site jobs back into the city.
Ravenna Road work ahead of schedule
Yates also provided an update on improvements planned along Ravenna Road between East Idlewild and Glenwood drives. The work will occur about two years sooner than expected, he said, with road resurfacing moved up to this year.
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Amy Mohr, the city’s municipal engineer, said a planning meeting is scheduled for later this month.
Perrin Asphalt Co. in Akron was awarded a $468,761 bid for the improvements, which will include asphalt grinding, asphalt and concrete pavement repairs, curb and storm basin repairs and resurfacing. The work is expected to be performed between June and August.
Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com
