Italian Company, Sofidel Group, Officially Breaks Ground in Circleville

Location, logistics and a solid talent pool helped move Ohio to the top of the site consideration list for Italian manufacturer The Sofidel Group, a world leader in the manufacturing of paper products. On July 11 government officials, including Ohio Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor, economic developers, alongside Sofidel representatives officially broke ground initiating construction of the company's first integrated paper mill built from the ground up in the United States. The $300 million tissue paper factory will create 300 new jobs in the region.

Successful collaboration between Pickaway Progress Partnership, Columbus 2020, JobsOhio and several state, regional, local, and private partners was a driving force helping Sofidel select Central Ohio. In his keynote address, President Obama recognized Ohio's foreign direct investment activities highlighting the state's presence at the 2015 SelectUSA Investment Summit connecting Ohio economic developers with Sofidel, leading to the largest private sector investment in Circleville in decades.

In a news release from the company, Sofidel CEO Luigi Lazzareschi explained why his team chose Pickaway County over 100 other potential sites in the United States for what is a very large project for the company. “This is a very good location for us. Twenty-eight acres of relatively flat land,” Lazzareschi said. “A good rail system connected to water and gas, a good airport, good logistically, lots of customer distribution centers, and a potential workforce of hard-working people.”

The Sofidel facility is expected to become operational by 2018, with hiring for management and manufacturing positions scheduled to begin in 2017.

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• Italian Company, Sofidel Group, Officially Breaks Ground in Circleville