The community’s lead economic development agency

The Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority is the lead economic development agency for the community. The Port Authority owns and markets three industrial park properties, NorthPointe, EastPointe and Airport Distribution Park, all fully served, and administers local and state incentive programs. The Port Authority is a public entity created in 1987 by the City of Zanesville and Muskingum County. A five-member board of directors governs the agency.

Port Authority Staff

Jerry Nolder, Executive Director, jerry.nolder@zmcport.com

Stacy Hazen, Executive Secretary, stacy.hazen@zmcport.com

Port Authority Board

Tom Bopeley

Paul Masterson

Richard McClelland

Bill Moore

Tom Poorman

Contact Information

205 North Fifth Street

Zanesville, Ohio 43701

740-455-0742

740-452-9703 (fax)

info@zmcport.com

Office hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern)

Monday through Friday

Overview of Port Authority Services 

Almost all of Muskingum County, including the city of Zanesville, is part of an Ohio Enterprise Zone. This state program allows local governments to negotiate tax abatements as incentives for new and existing businesses. The Port Authority acts as the local Enterprise Zone administrator, and also assists companies with other incentive programs such as the Job Creation Tax Credit and the Ohio Manufacturer’s Investment Tax Credit.

But that’s not all the Port Authority does. The agency also maintains a database of available local properties, buildings and land for prospective businesses. It utilizes state and local financial assistance to actively market the community for business development. And, as part of an "after the sale" commitment, a Retention & Expansion Program helps the Port Authority and Chamber of Commerce officials stay in touch with a company’s needs.

Counted among our community’s major economic development successes over the past decade are AutoZone’s 533,000-square-foot distribution center, Kellogg's ever-growing manufacturing and distribution facility and the All American Homes of Ohio modular home manufacturing plant.  In May 1999, Dollar General Corporation announced a $118 million, 1.2 million square-foot distribution center that opened in late 2000. A number of smaller but no less important businesses have also benefited from the Port Authority' s can-do reputation, and the agency remains ready to build on its recent successes.

In recent years, New Bakery Co. of Ohio, Inc. a subsidiary of Wendy's International constructed a new building with new machinery, equipment, furniture, fixtures and inventory to manufacture hamburger buns at the EastPointe Park.  The total investment was $23.3 million.

Mattingly Foods, Inc. has undertaken two projects, the first one was to construct a 30,000 square foot freezer and make improvements to existing buildings.  Total project investment was $8.8 million.  This project was to expand warehouse capacity, add a freezer and alter existing buildings to accommodate and service current and future customers in the food service industry.  The second project was to add another 45,000 square foot freezer and further alter existing buildings.  The project investment was $3.3 million.

White Castle opened a distribution center/meat processing plant in 2001.  They constructed a new 34,000 square foot building in the Airport distribution park.  Total investment was $8.7 million.