Packaging manufacturer wants to move to Canton

From Monday, Feb. 12, meeting of Canton City Council:

City Council will consider tax abatement for JIT Packaging of Cincinnati, which has asked the city for assistance in moving a Massillon operation to Canton. Council gave second reading to an ordinance that would provide JIT with 10 years of 75 percent property tax abatement if it purchases 180,000 square feet of industrial space at 1212 Seventh St. SW.

JIT manufactures industrial shipping containers for automotive parts, heavy manufacturing and other applications. It would move 14 jobs from Massillon, where it says it outgrew its facilities, and it could add six new jobs by 2021, according to Deputy Mayor Fonda Williams. 

He took pains to assure council members that Canton had not poached the business from Massillon. JIT found the building on its own and approached the city for assistance.

City Council was nearly unable to act Monday due to illnesses and other absences. It needed eight members to approve any suspension of rules during the course of the meeting. Councilman Edmond Mack arrived just as the meeting was about to begin, joining Members Chris Smith, James Babcock, Corey Minor Smith, Greg Hawk, Nate Chester, Robert Fisher and Kevin Hall. There are 12 members in all.

Note: An earlier version of this posting incorrectly reported that 16 jobs were coming from Massillon.