Industry in Delaware County has come a long way from the grist mills and sawmills which first grew up along the Olentangy River. Many of today's industries occupy the several industrial parks in Delaware, Powell and Sunbury. Other companies have located along major highways leading into Delaware. The Polaris development has brought tremendous growth to the southeast corner of the county.

Delaware's central location offers transportation benefits which make the city very attractive to commercial firms. Area industry enjoys convenient rail service, easy access to the interstate highway system and the benefits of Delaware Municipal Airport, with runways capable of handling company jets. Don Scott Airport at Ohio State, 30 minutes away, and Port Columbus International Airport, 45 minutes away, offer broader air transport service.

Nearby, the Battelle Memorial Institute and the research laboratories of The Ohio State University, both in Columbus, offer research and consultation services. The area's many colleges and universities -- including Ohio Wesleyan University, Ohio State University, Otterbein College in Westerville and Marion Technical College in Marion -- provide a trained and educated labor market.

Honda operates an automotive manufacturing plant nearby, providing yet another spur to local industrial vitality. Shock absorbers are manufactured by American Showa in Sunbury.

Among many industries with operations in the Delaware area are: PPG, manufacturers of industrial and automotive coatings; Nippert Company, copper products; Trus Joist, roof and floor supports; Liebert Corp., computer environmental control systems and power backup systems; Willamette, corrugated containers; Delo Screw products; National Starch & Chemical Corp.; Midwest Acoust-a-Fiber, molded fiberglass acoustical insulation; Western Auto, distribution center; V&P Hydraulic Products, Inc., hydraulic cylinders; Oberfield's, Inc., concrete products; CSR Hydro Conduit; General Castings; and several stone companies. Recent additions in the area include, Campus Commodities, Carolina Color Corp. of Ohio and Fischer-Backus Corp.

The area is also home to Greif Bros, Corp., with national headquarters in Delaware and container plants across the country; and National Metal Shapes, which trades extensively in the European market. R.B. Powers manufactures awards and trophies in nearby Ashley and World Wide Games, Inc., in Ostrander, produces hardwood table games and puzzles.

Continue
Back to Tour Menu