T-L Photo/J.D. LONG Harrison County Community Improvement Corp. approved a contribution of $1,000 to invest in manufacturing technology.

CADIZ — Harrison County officials continue to push for growth.

Tuesday, at the Harrison County Community Improvement Corp. March meeting, county Economic Development Director Nick Homrighausen spoke of being contacted by the Advanced Manufacturing Coridor’s committee.

The multi-county committee is made up of several organizations including Kent State at Tuscarawas, Buckeye Career Center, the HCCIC and Ohio Means Jobs. Homrighausen said the grant would be for training for area residents or students “for advanced manufacturing techniques like robotics.” The HCCIC board was asked if it would be willing to donate; memberseventually approved a $1,000 gift.

Homrighausen said individuals have been trained for such things as injection molding and Computer Numerical Control machining, a process that involves pre-programmed computer software, which dictates the “movement of factory tools and machinery,” according to astromachineworks.com.

“I mean, that’s one of the big questions to ask, especially to these state leads is, ‘Where am I going to get workers from?'” he asked. “What’s in the area to train you know, what are the high school kids coming out of or the joint vocational school kids coming out of and being trained on? Is it available in the area?”

Homrighausen said the board did not have to take action at this time and had the luxury of discussing the matter further, but the 14 members went ahead and voted unanimously in favor. He also reminded them the HCCIC had donated $1,000 approximately four years ago but hadn’t since.

“We were one of the original founding people of that organization,” member Dave Wheeler said of AMC. “So, the fact that they are producing, you know, workers, there’s such a demand for that.

“I thnk that’s a good investment on our part in terms of showing support.”

Executive Board member John Jones also spoke on the subject, supporting Wheeler’s comments by relaying a story where he had employed an individual from a vocational school last summer. He was sent to Georgia and came back to apply for a job and was eventually hired in Columbus.

“So, yes, that program is working,” he told the board.