Minster Economic Development Opportunities Report May 2023

Available Properties in the Village of Minster, Ohio

Minster, a village of just over 3,000 residents, is nestled in beautiful rural Auglaize County, Ohio, yet it lies within easy reach of several metropolitan areas. Minster is a wonderfully innovative and unique place where you can explore parks and trails, attain an enviable quality of life, and locate your business and be among start-ups and multi-billion-dollar industries. Come and experience a unique place – Minster.

Welcome to the Village of Minster

Minster’s innovative streak has led to it leading the way in municipal renewable energy. The Village is home to the award winning Solar and Energy Storage Facility, consisting of a solar photovoltaic array on a 35-acre farm just to the west of town. The array provides 8.8 megawatts of capacity. The Village’s strong manufacturing base, including firms such as Danone US, have embraced this clean energy source for their industry-leading yogurt production facilities.

Access to Minster is convenient. You can easily access the intersection of Ohio State Route 119 and Ohio State Route 66, which connect inside Village limits, as well as the heavily traversed I-75 Corridor, which is within 15 miles of Minster. In addition, the Neil Armstrong Airport, with its 5,650-foot runway is a mere 15 miles northeast of Minster and the Dayton International airport 40 miles south of Minster. Lake Erie is the closest water port, just 100 miles north. As for rail, RJ Corman operates the Western Ohio Lines, which consists of four separate short line railroads with the distribution center in nearby Celina, Ohio.

Why Minster?

The Village of Minster exceeds expectations when it comes to workforce. The labor force of Auglaize and neighboring Shelby and Mercer counties, based on place of residence, exceeds 60,000 people; within a 30-mile radius, this number increases to approximately 149,000. The unemployment rate in Auglaize County is currently lower than the rate in the State of Ohio.

Many innovative, global companies have discovered the robust opportunities to grow their businesses in Minster. Many of the highly successful businesses in Minster began as small local start-ups and have now flourished into multi-billion-dollar, global enterprises. Businesses making an impact include:

• Danone US (maker of Dannon Brand Products)
• Globus Printing & Packaging
• Cotterman & Co.
• Albert Freytag, Inc.
• NIDEC Minster Corporation
• Baumer Construction, Inc.
• Crown Battery Manufacturing Co.
• MarkOne Manufacturing
• Precision Strip Inc.

Regionally, Minster is supported by the Dayton Development Coalition (DDC), one of Ohio’s most dynamic and innovative economic development partnerships. The DDC helps companies grow and connects them to the Dayton Region’s culture of innovation. The 14-county Dayton Region includes 1.8 million people in Southwestern Ohio.

Workers in advanced manufacturing can gain a competitive edge thanks to the Business Enterprise Center SkillsTrac Program. This program is a partnership linking Wright State’s Lake Campus, Edison Community College, Sinclair Community College and Upper Valley Joint Vocational School with industry partners to help workers acquire new skills.

There are numerous higher education opportunities in the immediate area, including the Wright State University Lake Campus, which is located nearby on the north shore of Grand Lake St. Mary’s. A branch campus of The Ohio State University in Lima is only 45 minutes to the north and Edison Community College is located only 20 minutes to the south in Piqua. A number of technical and vocational schools are within one hour driving distance of Minster.

Minster is a “Public Power” community with the highly valued American Public Power Association RP3 designation. This means our utilities are operated by the local government as a public service with the mission to provide electricity in a business-like manner at a reasonable cost and our services will be readily available as your business matures.

The Village of Minster is a destination for many a hiking enthusiast since it is home to a 40 mile hiking section of the Miami and Erie Canal Towpath Hiking Trails. The three-mile bicycle trail is a crushed stone path from the downtown Historical Park in New Bremen, Ohio to the north edge of Minster, Ohio which runs along the west side of the Miami and Erie Canal.

The Village of Minster is proud of its impressive parks and recreational opportunities. The 50-acre Four Seasons Recreational Complex is located on the northern edge of the Village. Oktoberfest/Centennial Park is located in the heart of Minster and is the home of the annual Minster Oktoberfest.

Grow Your Business in Minster

The Village has demonstrated its support for business by providing a real property tax abatement to Danone, a major factor in their decision to construct a new 280,000 square foot distribution center, creating over 125 new jobs. Workforce development and training grants from Jobs Ohio along with a local tax incentive offered by the Village of Minster have made it possible for Nidec Minster Corporation to announce the 20,750 S.F. expansion of their remanufacturing facility.

Through its local Enterprise Zone the Village offers Business Assistance to businesses who expand or locate to the area. Through this assistance program, businesses can benefit from substantial tax reductions on new real property investment, receiving up to 75% exemption in incorporated areas and up to 60% exemption in unincorporated areas on real property improvements for up to 10 years.

Minster offers a quiet, family friendly community that features a low cost of living and affordable housing options. The Village can boast of its beautiful well-kept neighborhoods filled with friendly, caring people. Our low cost of living and reasonably priced housing, allows more flexibility with one’s quality of life than other major metropolitan or coastal markets.

Come to western Ohio and you will find a unique community that prides itself on innovation and work ethic. Come and experience Minster and see what opportunities lie ahead.

Site opportunities include:

Route 66 Industrial Park

• 6 Acres of Industrial Parcels Available

Public Power and AMP

Public power utilities are not-for-profit, community-owned electric systems that work to provide the highest quality, most reliable power to residents and businesses. They are a part of the communities and focus on what is best for the people and businesses they serve.

American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) is the nonprofit wholesale power supplier and services provider for 133 members in the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia; as well as the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation, a joint action agency in Smyrna, Delaware. On behalf of our members, AMP deploys a diverse renewable generation portfolio along with environmentally responsible programs and services as part of a corporate commitment to sustainability.

For more information about our member communities and programs, visit searchampsites.com.