State to provide $450,000 in grants for Rotek's expansion

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by Marc Kovac

RPC's Capital Bureau

Columbus -- The state Controlling Board signed off on more than $450,000 in funding, part of a package to ensure Rotek's expansion in Portage County.

The board, without comment, OK'd a $300,000 Rapid Outreach Grant and $150,887 in road improvement funds for the expansion of Rotek in Aurora. The company also had considered a site in Kentucky for the project.

The firm plans to build a 100,000-square-foot addition to its existing 120,000-square-foot slewing ring bearing production facility, a 120,000-square-foot addition and a second ring rolling mill to its existing 64,000-square-foot seamless rolled ring facility.

Additionally, it will construct a 10,000-square-foot addition to its existing 10,000-square-foot office building.

Rotek will make an additional fixed asset investment at the project site of $18 million, including $17 million in building construction and $1 million in on-site infrastructure.

THE RAPID Outreach Grant will be used for machinery and equipment costs.

Total machinery and equipment costs at the site will be about $64 million, with the company paying the balance, according to documents.

The roadwork funds will be used for excavation, grading, base, pavement, utilities installation and other costs -- about $300,000 total -- with the city committed to paying the balance.

In other business, the board OK'd $19,198 for fire alarm upgrades in Taylor Hall at Kent State University.

According to documents, "This project will replace the existing outdated fire alarm system in Taylor Hall with a code compliant system that includes digital voice annunciation."

Meanwhile, the board waived competitive selection for contracts involving engineering consultants and firms statewide and the State Architect's Office for various projects.

Among the firms on the list are Domokur Architects of Akron, Scheeser Buckley Mayfield LLC of Uniontown, the Floyd Browne Group of Akron, Strollo Architects of Youngstown and Wheaton & Sprague Engineering Inc. of Stow.

Kovac is the Dix Newspapers' Capital Bureau chief. E-mail him at mkovac@dixcom.com.