ASHLAND – Former Ashland Mayor Bill Strine was honored Tuesday morning in a special ceremony for his work establishing the Ashland Business Park on Faultless Drive.
Following the ceremony in City Hall, a 14-ton rock was unveiled on the north side of Faultless Drive in the Business Park in honor of Strine.
“This is a little get-together to honor a former mayor, Bill Strine, for his foresight and for what he thought needed to happen in Ashland, Ohio, to put us on the edge of being able to attract new industry,” said Mayor Glen Stewart during Tuesday’s ceremony. “Our community has benefitted greatly from the discernment and good judgment of Bill Strine.”
Strine served the city as finance director for 26 years before becoming mayor in 2001. He was mayor when the city purchased the Riley Farm, which later became the 209-acre business park at U.S 250 and Faultless Drive. He resigned at the end of 2007 due to health issues.
“Everyone worked very hard on this project and it really meant a lot to me,” Strine said. “When I was finance director, the main reason I decided to run for mayor was to hopefully get this though. I had so much support to get this through and I’d like to thank everyone.”
Stewart, who was a member of City Council during Strine’s tenure as mayor, shared the history of the Ashland Business Park and gave updates on the businesses within the park.
Novatex, a German-based manufacturing company, launched Novatex North America and took over a baby bottle nipple contract when Hospira closed in 2007, becoming the first company to locate in the Ashland Business Park. Barbasol and Ashland Conveyor were the next two plants to become part of the Business Park.
Stewart said the 11 businesses that are currently within the Ashland Business Park employ more than 350 workers, and there is still room for growth.
“Looking to the future, we still have about 160 acres out there and we’ve got lots that are ready to build on,” Stewart said.
City Finance Director Larry Paxton praised the efforts of Strine and City Council in making the Business Park become a reality. Besides Stewart, other council members at the time the park was created included Greg Gorrell, Ruth Detrow, Paul Wertz and Bob Valentine.
“Where Holsteins once grazed, factories now stand. Those factories employ our friends, our neighbors and our citizens. Without the forethought and visionary thinking, our community would not have had the ability to employ several hundred of our citizens in those factories,” Paxton said. “The city has been blessed to have leaders that are not afraid to get dirt on their shoes or dirt on their hands to get the job done, and I’m just very appreciative of their efforts.”
Simonson Construction donated the boulder from their reclamation lot to be used as the monument for Strine. Ashland Monument did the engraving on the rock after it was moved to its location.
