Incentives

Hardin County offers business incentives to encourage investments that drive business growth and job creation. All incentive programs are aimed at helping companies retain jobs by enhancing their operating effectiveness, or to create new jobs through business growth and expansion.

The Revolving Loan Fund
Designed to encourage new start up business, and to assist those who are expanding, the Revolving Loan Fund allows a business to receive a portion of their project funding in the form of a low interest loan. In conjunction with a financial institution, the amount of the RLF loan is based upon how many new jobs the project will bring into Hardin County. 

Enterprise Zone Program
Designed to encourage manufacturing and industrial start up and expansion, the Enterprise Zone is a program which forgoes a negotiated percentage of taxes for the real and personal property that is involved in the expansion.
The Hardin County Chamber & Business Alliance staff administers the Enterprise Zone Program in Hardin County. The enterprise zone law in the State of Ohio allows tax abatement's of up to 75 percent for ten years for enterprises locating or expanding in cities and villages and 60 percent for those locating in unincorporated areas (without school board approval). Currently there are three designated enterprise zones located in Hardin County. The three zones are located in Kenton, Ada and Forest.

Downtown Building Improvement Loan Program
The purpose of the program is to encourage and facilitate development in the downtown areas of Hardin County’s villages and the City of Kenton. This purpose will be accomplished by providing easy to access, low cost loan funds to qualified property owners or business tenants who wish to make investments in the structure/appearance of buildings/properties they own or occupy. The ultimate goal is to stimulate property owner interest, inward business migration, storefront appearance enhancement, and overall economic growth for Hardin County.
More information is available at the Alliance office or participating institution.

Workforce Investment Act (OJT)
On the Job Training (OJT) is a federally funded program that assists employers with hiring and training for long-term employment. This is an opportunity for employers to recruit, pre-screen, hire new employees, and train them. The employer is reimbursed for the cost of training up to $6,000 per new hire. 

Foreign Trade Zone
Hardin County has the opportunity to be an extension of the Foreign Trade Zone in Findlay, Ohio (#151). It provides users with the opportunity to lower costs and boost profits. It can improve cash flow by delaying, reducing, or eliminating duties. 

  Foreign Trade Zone

Port Authorities

The Toledo- Lucas County Port Authority provides business financing for projects 1.5 million or more. It has assisted in a Hardin County project representing $7 million.  The project total investment is more than $32 million and will potentially create 45 jobs.

toledo Port Authority

Small Business Development Center
The Region 3 Ohio Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Rhodes State College is a public-private partnership supported by the US Small Business Administration, the Ohio Department of Development, Rhodes State College and other local partners. Through its programs and services, the Center provides entrepreneurial development assistance, training and business consulting to start-up and emerging business owners. The Center's services are offered at no cost to the client and all services are provided on a non-discriminatory basis.