ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Economic topics were on the table Wednesday for the Belmont County Board of Commissioners.

The board welcomed Steve Hill, owner and president of Hill International Trucks, and approved an Ohio Enterprise Zone agreement in preparation for him to bring a new dealership to the county. Belmont County Port Authority Director Larry Merry said the agreement is a 10-year, 50 percent real estate abatement for a facility east of St. Clairsville.

“They will probably start (construction) almost immediately,” Merry said.

The company plans to open a new location in St. Clairsville, along Interstate 70, investing $10 million into the area to build a dealership. Hill said the dealership should result in more than 30 jobs immediately, and 30 to 40 more in the next three years, if the economy and transportation industry remain strong.

The project is expected to be completed in the next 12 to 15 months. Hill said it will cover 16 acres and be located across from Belmont Hills Country Club. The building will be 31,000 square feet.

“We’re looking forward to taking the next step,” Hill said. “We’re excited to bring a project like this to Belmont County.”

According to a company statement, Hill International intends to build relationships with local high schools, career centers and job placement service centers.

This will be the first Hill International dealership in Belmont County, but its truck rental and leasing sister company Hill Idealease, has been operating in Martins Ferry since 1997 and NAPA Modern Truck and Auto Parts, owned by Hill International, has had a location in St. Clairsville since 2017.

Hill said the company has been interested in expanding into St. Clairsville for more than a decade. He added the location will allow easy access to the dealership for customers traveling along the highway.

“Visibility is important in our industry,” he said. “We sell service parts, new and used trucks.”

“We’re constantly looking for ways to get in front of more customers,” Nick Frantzis, marketing coordinator, added. “We have a lot of customers that travel the highway. It’s going to make it a lot easier for those customers to get to us. … We’re looking forward to joining the community.”

In answer to a question from Commissioner Jerry Echemann, Hill said they deal in vehicles ranging from semis to school buses, to ambulances and garbage trucks, dump trucks and cement trucks.

Commissioner J.P. Dutton asked about the type of employment that would be available as a result.

“Service is what drives our business, great-paying jobs,” Hill said, adding he hopes to reach out to high schools and vocational schools. “A lot of computers, a lot of technology, a lot of opportunity for a guy who likes troubleshooting problems.”

“This is going to be the anchor project for maybe a couple other projects,” Merry said. He added that the Richland Township Trustees have already voted their support earlier this week.

The commissioners also answered questions from Richard Hord of Martins Ferry, reaffirming their confidence that an ethane cracker plant will come to the Dillies Bottom area along Ohio 7, after Tuesday’s announcement that Daelim Chemical USA was pulling out of it’s partnership with PTT Global Chemical America, this after exploring the potential project for several years and purchasing property along the highway.

“It’s a very challenging time to do any type of work, let alone a multi-billion dollar project like this,” Dutton said.

“According to what they said, they remain committed to putting in the cracker plant,” Commissioner Josh Meyer said. “I’m sure they’ll do their due diligence in obtaining a new partner.”

“When you look at all the work they’ve done, I believe they are committed to it,” Echemann said.

Hord also asked about financial irregularities reported at Belmont County Transportation Improvement District. Cory Clark, fiscal officer, has been accused of theft in office, with more than $3,000 allegedly taken.

Dutton, a member of the board, said they noticed apparent discrepancies and took immediate action, suspending Clark and arranging a private audit, completed in the space of two weeks, then passed findings on to the state auditor’s office.