LUCKEY — More than 2,000 good-paying jobs are coming in the next two years to the area as Peloton broke ground Monday on a new factory that will be its first large manufacturing plant in the United States.
Gov. Mike DeWine, using a sports analogy, said “we won” while addressing media and Peloton members during the groundbreaking event at the site of the planned facility, 22671 Pemberville Road.
“Peloton could have put this anyplace in the world,” DeWine said. “They chose Ohio.”
Although Monday was groundbreaking, DeWine noted that dirt is already on the move at the site of the million-square-foot factory scheduled to open in 2023.
The facility, which DeWine said is expected to employ around 2,200 people, will be within easy driving distance to people living in the west end of Ottawa or Sandusky counties.
William Lynch, Peloton’s president, told the News-Messenger the company is excited about partnering with Ohio, after choosing the Buckeye State over other opportunities in Michigan and North Carolina to become the home of the company’s first manufacturing site stateside.
“(There’s) a great employee base, there’s a lot of talent here from the auto industry,” Lynch. “This is our biggest manufacturing plant globally.”
Lynch said the Peloton facility will be the central nervous system in the country, connecting with warehouses around the country, such as in Detroit, and retail shops in Columbus. Major thoroughfares linking to U.S. 20 will allow the company to ship products around the country.
He said Ohio is one of the company’s top 10 membership states and Columbus is one of the company’s top retail stores.
$400 million investment
Products produced at the Troy Township facility will be shipped worldwide with a goal of investing $400 million over the next three years and having a $138 million in annual payroll.
The facility, which will settle in across the street from a Home Depot distribution center, is within 27 minutes of the east end of Fremont and 25 minutes from Oak Harbor, giving thousands of workers from the area the chance to secure a manufacturing job.
Peloton co-founder, John Foley, said the goal when they started Peloton 10 years ago was to prioritize health and wellness.
With the building of Peloton Output Park, Foley said the company will now be a “key player” in the production of products and service more members around the globe.
Foley said he is proud to bring jobs and manufacturing stateside and plans to become one of the best employers in Ohio, citing its impact on work culture in New York as one of the best places to work.
“Part of this was being ready,” DeWine said. “They were ready to do this site. The people of Wood County, the township, had the vision to say we’re going to create this.”
Enter Peloton, a company hoping to be at the forefront of at-home fitness with bikes and treadmills, along with other accessories and apparel, that comes at the cost of a monthly feel, much like a gym membership.
Job growth for Ohio
“This is truly, a very, very important day for the state of Ohio. The first large manufacturing site that Peloton is putting in the United States is here in the state of Ohio, ” DeWine said. “And I think that sends a signal to everyone. Ohio is open for business. Ohio is the go-to place.”
DeWine said the Peloton facility will make an impact on more than just those who buy and use the company’s products. He said the company will change the lives of the nearly 2,200 people who work at the facility and their families.
cshoup@gannett.com
419-334-1035
Twitter: @CraigShoupNH
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