FREMONT, Ohio — As the Ohio economy continues to grow, Fremont and Sandusky County are beginning to stand out.
Once again, the city of Fremont and Sandusky County are in the top 10 list of Site Selection magazine's top micropolitan communities at seventh.
The newest ranking bumps the region three spots from last years ranking of 10. This is the fifth consecutive year the community has been in the top 20 for economic development projects.
Fremont Mayor Danny Sanchez said he and other local leaders focus on selling the community and collaborating with each other to show what the region has to offer.
In 2022, Fremont-Sandusky County saw 67 projects valued at more than $84 million in capital investments. The projects are credited with creating more than 300 new jobs and retaining and more than 1,700 jobs.
Sanchez said that along with trying to bring in new businesses, the city focuses on retaining and growing established businesses as well.
City leaders also are expecting the economic success to continue as they are working on plans to develop a new industrial park north of town.
"The city of Fremont is within 300 miles of most major cities in the U.S., with the turnpike, Route 20, and all of the other bypasses that we have here. We knew that we needed to capitalize on that. We're still not finished, we're excited especially with the new industrial park that we're developing," Sanchez said.
Economic Development Director Bob Gross said a major draw for new businesses is the city's relocation grant program, which helps pay for a business's current employees to move into the area.
"We're getting ready to update our 'Think Fremont' plan, we're hoping to get the execution of this industrial park done and many of these current housing projects. And then move onto the next wave of housing projects and another industrial park and just continue to meet the needs for residents here in Fremont and Sandusky County." Gross said.
Gross said another key to their success is the city's ongoing efforts to improve quality of life for residents with upgrades to local parks and trails, and work on a proposed amphitheater downtown, along with recent new school construction.
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