he City of Wadsworth has small town charm and provides big values. Its location offers ease of access without traffic congestion experienced by other communities. We have three interchanges on Interstate 76 which are assets for business development. We are located close to Interstates 77 and 71 making highway travel convenient. Wadsworth is a short commute to Cleveland Hopkins International and Akron-Canton Regional Airports. Travel and shipping to and from Wadsworth is smooth and simple. Wadsworth is designated a Business Friendly Community by the Greater Akron Chamber and strives to maintain and improve on the qualities that gave the City this designation.

Significant business growth has occurred in Wadsworth’s retail sector over the past three years. Wadsworth’s northern commercial area grew with the addition of Home Depot, Marie’s Italian Restaurant, Wadsworth Commons, Wal-Mart, and Weatherstone Commons. National retail organizations, such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Office Max and Target opened in Wadsworth’s newest retail development, Wadsworth Crossings. Wadsworth continues to see an increase in the goods and services available to our residents without having to travel outside the City. In addition to convenience, new retail has added over 1,000 jobs.

The City has experienced positive growth and investment in its industrial business sector, as well. Since 2004, the private investment for industrial and retail projects in the City exceeds $45 million. We look forward to continued business growth in the future. The City has many incentives to help companies be successful in Wadsworth, the most commonly used one being the Community Reinvestment Area agreement (CRA). All industrial zoned property in the City is within a CRA. This incentive gives companies an opportunity to save on their real property taxes on the new investment for a term up to 12 years.

In February 2005, a City-wide Enterprise Zone (EZ) was certified. This incentive is available to commercial and industrial projects and involves potential abatement of a portion of real and personal property taxes. Wadsworth Corporate Park was certified as a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) in 2006. In addition to these State and Federal incentives, the City has created the Local Job Creation Grant Program, which provides a grant back to a company based on new payroll and the new investment. This incentive was created to attract large employers and to set Wadsworth apart from other communities.