Business projects will bolster North Perry Village’s economy

North Perry Village Service Director Jeramy Johnson speaks at the recent Eastern Lake County Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Community Reps Update program. (Bill DeBus — The News-Herald)

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Eastern Lake County Chamber of Commerce on March 14 hosted government officials from its communities to provide details on major projects for 2024 and cite accomplishments from 2023. This is one in a series of articles detailing the speeches that were given.

Several projects being conducted by area businesses will help to enhance North Perry Village’s economy in the near future.

Details on those endeavors were provided by village Service Director Jeramy Johnson at the recent Eastern Lake County Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Community Reps Update program.

Johnson, during his speech, said that Painesville Credit Union is getting ready to break ground on construction of a new branch office in the village.

The office will be built on the north side of North Ridge Road, on land that Painesville Credit Union purchased from North Perry.

Johnson also said that TekFab has nearly completed construction of a new building located behind its current manufacturing plant at 4823 North Ridge Road.

The company will use the additional building to assemble and test metal-forming equipment and machinery prior to shipping to these items to customers.

“That expansion is going to bring 30 to 35 new jobs into North Perry for us,” Johnson said.

In addition, Johnson said that new owners have taken charge of the Perry Nuclear Plant, which is located in North Perry.

Earlier this month, Vistra Corp. completed its acquisition of Energy Harbor, which was the parent company of the Perry and Davis-Besse Nuclear Power plants in Ohio.

Prior to being purchased by Vistra, Energy Harbor filed an application with the Nuclear Regulation Commission to renew the Perry Nuclear Plant’s operating license for an additional 20 years. The current operating license expires on Nov. 7, 2026.

NRC is still reviewing the license-renewal application.

Turning his attention to North Perry Village government, Johnson said Brian Titus took the oath of office in January as newly elected village mayor.

Titus had been serving as Village Council president in 2022 when then-Mayor Ed Klco announced he was retiring on July 31 of that year.

As council president, Titus took on additional duties as acting mayor for the balance of Klco’s unexpired term. Titus then ran unopposed for mayor in the November 2023 General Election.

During the same election, Rob Ford was elected as a new Village Council member, replacing Titus on the panel.

In addition, North Perry Village appointed Jennifer Schueren as its new fiscal officer on Aug. 1. She replaced Joann Clapp, who resigned to accept a new and similar position in Northwest Ohio.

“Jennifer is doing a wonderful job filling Joann’s shoes,” Johnson said.

Johnson also said that North Perry will be using NOPEC Energized Community Grant funds for several projects.

NOPEC is formally known as the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council.

A portion of that grant has been earmarked to upgrade some of the streetlights in the village. Plans call for replacing old high-pressure sodium lamps with new LED style lights.

Money from the Energized Community Grant also will be used to replace an old traffic signal at the intersection of Lockwood and Evergreen roads with a new signal outfitted with LED lighting.

In a separate project, North Perry has applied for a matching-funds grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission for paving the length of Evergreen Road and a section of Lockwood Road, Johnson said.