COLUMBUS - The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) today approved a grant of up to $75,000 to Norfolk Southern Railway, Inc., (NS) to re-establish rail service to Art Iron, Inc., a Toledo firm that fabricates large steel beams.

James E. Seney, Executive Director of the ORDC, said the project will involve installing a switch for rail cars at Art Iron's warehousing and distribution center on Airport Highway. He said restoring rail service would eliminate the need to truck the beams from the Airport Highway facility to Art Iron's plant on Curtis Street in Toledo, where the fabrication takes place.

Seney said the project would create 10 new jobs and help preserve 120 existing jobs. He said Art Iron plans to spend $1 million on a 35,000-square-foot material handling facility at the Airport Highway site that would be served by NS.

Seney said without rail access, Art Iron might have been forced to move its distribution and fabrication facilities to Indiana.

"This is just another example of how rail access is critical to Ohio businesses," said James E. Betts, the Chairman of the ORDC. "The ORDC's mission is to help businesses acquire or retain rail service and that is what we have done for Art Iron."

Contact: James E. Seney
(614)644-0306