About Us

Founded in 1993, when a group of private sector business leaders approached the Wood County Commissioners with the idea of a public/private partnership to grow the employment and tax base of Wood County, the Wood County Economic Development Commission (WCEDC) is one of the more successful economic development organizations in the State of Ohio.  Funded through a 1/10th of 1% real property transfer fee on the public side, and a membership dues structure on the private side, the WCEDC has attracted over $2.5 billion of private sector investment and 7,000 jobs since being incorporated as an Ohio non-profit corporation in March, 1993.

Honored by the Ohio Economic Development Association(OEDA) with its President’s Award in 2007, the WCEDC takes the message of Wood County onto the worldwide stage through participation in trade missions with the Ohio Department of Development and the Center for Automotive Research’s Automotive Communities Program.  Recognizing that even local economic development does not take place in a vacuum, the WCEDC is an active participant in the Northwest Ohio Economic Development Association (NORED).

Among the higher profile projects which the WCEDC has facilitated in recent years are the Northwest Ohio Intermodal Hub-a $175 million segment of CSX’ National Gateway project; the initial siting and two subsequent $100+million expansions of First Solar, the nation’s largest facility manufacturing utility grade photovoltaic panels, the 750,000 square foot distribution center for Walgreen’s, and the $87 million regional hub for Fed Ex Ground.