GROVE CITY, Ohio -- In the parking of the Wal-Mart shopping center on Stringtown Road, the steady stream of cars provide a glimpse of what Grove City leaders say is a welcome development: business as usual in an otherwise horrid economy.
"Right now it seems like we're a little bit insulated," said Don Walters, Grove City's Community and Business Relations Manager. "Every month we see four to six new businesses."
Netflix opened its distribution center in Grove City in May.
With affordable, open land to the south and a planned redesign of the Route 665 interchange along Interstate 71, the city expects to create new business opportunities for companies like Fed Ex and Wal-Mart, which already have nearby distribution facilities.
"It's going to continue to grow, it will. It used to be small, but it's getting larger and larger," said Grove City resident Dianna Cornell.
City income tax revenues are down 6.5 percent because of lower corporate profits, but employee income tax collections have stayed even, allowing Grove City's government to avoid layoffs.
But at least one resident says the city should aim its sights higher. IT consultant and Grove City resident Shawn Wallace says the city is not doing enough to attract high-tech jobs.
"The kind of professional jobs that you see locating to Dublin, up in computer corner, or even in Hilliard, or in Westerville. We don't get those kinds of jobs here," Wallace said. "We do have lots of warehouses and warehousing jobs."
Walters says that Grove City has high tech jobs and is working to pursue more jobs. While the city may not be as far along as other cities, it's moving in that direction.
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