Celina named No. 22 'micropolitan' U.S. community

CELINA - A flurry of economic activity rocketed Celina to No. 22 on Site Selection Magazine's 2022 ranking of top micropolitan communities in the United States.  

Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development, recently stopped by the city administration building to salute local officials for Celina's high placement on the list.

She met with mayor Jeff Hazel, council president Jason King, Mercer County Commissioner Jerry Laffin and county community development director Jared Ebbing.

A micropolitan is defined as having a least one urban core area of at least 10,000 but fewer than 50,000 people, "plus adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured by commuting ties," according to Site Selection Magazine.

Mihalik presented a proclamation from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted congratulating the city.

"Your commitment and dedication to making a positive difference have made your community, and Ohio, a better place to live, work, and raise a family," the proclamation reads.

Hazel and Ebbing were pleased with Celina's showing on the list which they believe illustrates the city and county are on the right path.

"Even though we know there's roughly about 500 micropolitan cities identified across the country we were in the top 25 and that has to do with a number of elements, certainly the cost of living, the kind of development we've had, our unemployment," Hazel said.

The award bears the name of Celina, the county seat, but is also reflective of economic development in the greater Celina region, noted Ebbing and Hazel.

"I think that we have done very, very well, certainly as a city but also from a county standpoint, and we work hand and hand with Jared Ebbing with economic development and certainly the Mercer County commissioners," Hazel said. "A rising tide floats all boats."

Ebbing pointed out Sidney in Shelby County and Greenville in Darke County made it in the top 25, too.

"To have three communities or counties within this immediate region be in the top 25, I think, is good. I know in the years past Auglaize County has been in the top 25," Ebbing said.

Celina captured the 18th position in 2017.

"We are unique being an outlier in … a less populated county but nonetheless we work," Hazel said. "We know the value of work. We have that ethic, and so I think that all feeds right back into one of the main reasons that we did receive this award."

Ron Starner, executive vice president of Conway Inc., the Site Selection publisher that employs a full-time research team responsible for compiling the data each year, a few years ago explained the selection process.

The criteria for inclusion are based on the number of corporate facility projects with at least $1 million or more in capital investment, 50 new jobs or more or 20,000 square feet or more of new space, Starner had said.

Ebbing in his application to Site Selection outlined expansions at Cooper Farms, Celina Tent, S&K Product and other businesses.

Celina Tent manufactures and distributes tents, tarpaulin, ducting and military vehicle accessories worldwide.

Ebbing said of Celina Tent's project: "That's a 110,000-square-foot addition. Major expansion."

"They are hiring 60-plus employees and they're investing well over a million dollars. That hit the trifecta (of the selection criteria)," Ebbing said.

City and county officials also held a roundtable discussion with Mihalik during her visit to Celina. She is a former mayor of Findlay, which regularly sits atop of the top 25 micropolitan list.

"We did talk about the cost of development for extending roads and infrastructure and why that becomes such a barrier, and she did indicate that the governor and lieutenant governor have been working on ways to help facilitate that for communities within Ohio," Hazel said.

A lack of new of new housing was another concern shared with Mihalik.

"She indicated that they would be open to looking at anything that we would send them for a request for assistance or help," he said