Abundant woodlands and people who can turn timber into profit
South Central Ohio’s JEDISO Region is where the Appalachian foothills emerge from the land, and our counties are blanketed in tree-lined hills that have long been a source of high-quality timber and natural beauty. Those carefully managed woodlands provide a renewable source of white oak, red oak, maple, and other woods that have been the backbone of our local economy for centuries. It’s no surprise that many forest products industries have established operations here.
The natural resources are only part of the story. Local residents have grown up with respect for the land, along with the work ethic that’s always been at the center of the timber industry and farming. For generations, they’ve not been strangers to hard work and self-motivation, and that spirit lives on in today’s workforce. The JEDISO Region draws upon a 16-county labor shed that’s home to more than 327,000 people, many of whom are experienced woodworkers and craftspeople. Local education providers constantly renew the workforce pipeline by helping young people develop and sharpen skills in carpentry, industrial maintenance, management, building and property maintenance, HVAC-R, and other in-demand fields.
We’re also centrally located for consumers of forest products, within a single day’s drive (600 miles) of more than 176 million people in eastern North America. And thanks to a network of Interstate-caliber divided highways in every direction that offers fast access to Interstates 64, 70, 71, and 77, it’s easy for local producers to connect with those consumers. For larger shipments, we have sites with direct rail service and access to truck-to-train transload sites. And our area’s utility providers offer plenty of capacity at remarkably affordable rates.
