Officials say Medina County is experiencing economic growth

BRUNSWICK — Medina County officials said the area is experiencing economic growth with lots of business investment, yet there is a lack of workers to fill job openings. Representatives from Brunswick, Liverpool Township and Medina County each gave an economic update on their area during a Northern Medina County Chamber Alliance luncheon on Wednesday at the Brunswick Recreation Center. There was $230 million in capital investment last year in the county, Medina County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Bethany Dentler said. Capital investment reflects the companies that added on, renovated, built a brand-new building or bought new machinery or equipment. "It was down a little bit from the prior year's record level of activity, but it was right on target with what we call a historically healthy year," she said. "This does continue an upward trend since 2020 when the county had $154 million in capital investments in that year." Brunswick Economic Development Director Grant Aungst said in the past year, there has been approximately $79 million in real direct investment of cash in the city. The figure does not include the multiplier effect. "Every time you buy within a community here in Brunswick or over in Liverpool Township, that money stays local and continues to grow and expand," he said. Brunswick itself has seen an increase in job creation as well as the overall quality and standard of living, Aungst said. "I've seen everything from our family household incomes of upwards of $88,000 a year to as high as $90,000 a year," he said. "Back in 2015, they were in the range of $62,000, so that's a big jump." Already in 2024, Medina County has $48 million in new capital investment announcements, Dentler said. The projects are estimated to generate around 85 new jobs and $2 million in new payroll. Medina County is also experiencing population growth. Liverpool Township Trustee Sean Lackey said the township's population expanded from around 4,200 in 2000 to nearly 6,000 people now, and it continues to grow. "Right now we're working on our strategic plan for Liverpool Township and trying to find that balance to make sure we control our growth," he said. "We don't want to be like other communities where they just let it go wild, and next thing you know they're in a pickle because there's too much, and it's put a strain on school systems, the roads and everything else." Yet, Medina County does not have enough workers to fill all the jobs that are being created, Dentler said. "In Medina County, we have 96,900 people who are in the labor force," Dentler said. "Only 2,500 are unemployed or seeking work, but if you talk to our partners at OhioMeansJobs Medina County, they regularly report there's over 15,000 job openings in the county in any given month." Therefore, it is beneficial for businesses to work with the local schools, she said. There are programs available for students like pre-apprenticeships and career coaching. "From an economic development perspective, it's also important to support the growth of human capital," Dentler said. "That is our supply of talent, which helps our businesses grow and sustains your operations." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.