MANSFIELD — Charlie Powell was positively blunt Tuesday night when talking to Mansfield City Council about business expansion plans for Baker’s Collision.
“It’s quite a large investment for a family-owned business. But we feel like the time is now and there is no better place to do it than Mansfield,” Powell told lawmakers.
“We have a lot of family and friends in this community and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” he said.
With his mother, DeLee Powell, sitting in the audience, the now third-generation, family-operated company was granted a 50-percent property tax exemption for 15 years on the new investment, according to the community reinvestment area legislation approved by council.
The company, seeking the abatement as Powell Calibration, Glass and Service Centers, LLC, plans a $4.4 million investment at 705 Fifth Ave.
Nine new jobs will be added with the business expansion in 2026 with $500,000 in additional annual payroll.
“They are growing, they’re adding some new lines of business and they’re adding new buildings to facilitate all of this happening,” said Barrett Thomas, senior director of economic development at Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development.
The chamber has a contract with the City of Mansfield to work on economic development efforts.
It was one of two new such abatements approved by local lawmakers on Tuesday for local, family-owned companies.
The other was a 12-year, 75-percent property tax abatement in new investment for Ohio Valley Manufacturing. That business plans a $4.1 million investment at 1501 Harrington Memorial Road.
Charlie Powell said has a legacy to maintain as the family’s 72-year-old business was founded by his grandparents, Mervin and Esther Baker. Charlie said the vehicle repair business continues to become more technical.
“As the sophistication of automotive repairs continues to become highly complex, we’re constantly starting the repairs with computers. They vary … 18 to 20 different manufacturers with an average of five different model lines,” Powell said.
“The large investment we’re going to make is going to help us better serve the needs of our customers and continue to put safety at the forefront of our repairs,” he said.
“A lot of compliments we get all the time is when you come to Baker’s, it does not look like your traditional body shop.”
In paperwork filed with the abatement request, company officials said they will offer vehicle repairs that are currently not being offered in this area.
“Additionally, as vehicles are becoming more complex, they are requiring calibration services for all of the safety systems. Calibration of vehicles will be a large portion of this enterprise.”
The company, with current offices at 595 Fifth Ave., anticipates generating $1 million-plus in sales during its first year, which will increase annually.
Ohio Valley Manufacturing owners John Fanello, Jeffrey Fanello and Steven Fanello, sons of the founder, said the company’s expansion will help retain 152 current positions and add 19 new jobs over the next three years with a total annual payroll of $982,800.
OVM, involved in heavy gauge metal stamping, plans to add a toolroom and coil storage to accommodate new business.
Thomas told council one of OVM’s customers is in Kentucky and wanted the company to relocate there to move production closer to them.
“They said, ‘No, we’re from Ohio.’ We really want them to stay in Mansfield, so this agreement to help incentivize them to do this expansion here, rather than following their customer to Kentucky,” Thomas said.
Ohio Valley Manufacturing, according to the company website, was founded in 1999 by Mike Fanello. Since its inception, OVM has added presses, employees, quality systems and has grown to a 150,000-square foot facility, with as high as $79 million in sales.
Mike Fanello’s three sons took over the family business after the founder died in 2010.
