Ravenna beats out North Jackson for $50M Menards project

A $50 million project and the associated jobs will be coming to Portage County instead of Mahoning County.

The Ohio Tax Credit Authority has approved a seven-year Job Creation Tax Credit for Menard’s production facility planned for Ravenna.

The home improvement retailer says the project will create 90 full-time jobs and generate $3.5 million in new annual payroll.

The estimated cost of construction is $50 million and includes two distribution centers and four manufacturing facilities.

Sites in North Jackson had been in the running for the project which included a truss plant, concrete plant, bagging plant, transload operation, and a cross-dock distribution facility to support Menard’s expansion in the Midwest.

A Menard’s spokesperson did not say why Ravenna was chosen over four other sites which included two sites in North Jackson, as well as sites in Kent, and Atwater, Ohio.