Ohio drinks plant took persistence Plus more than $9M in incentives.

TIPP CITY — Ohio beat Canada and Indiana in landing the $270 million Abbott Laboratories nutritional drinks plant, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said Monday at the plant’s ceremonial groundbreaking.

The plant will employ 240 workers with room to grow just west of County Road 25A, Abbott and public officials also said.

Kasich expressed confidence that Ohio would recoup its incentives investment into the plant in little more than a year.

“It’s a good thing on so many levels,” he said.

The Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved in late March a 75 percent, 15-year “job creation” tax credit for Abbott worth an estimated $8 million. And Tipp City recently approved an incentive package worth more than $1.2 million, including an agreement to build an east-west access road on the south side of the Abbott lot, off County Road 25A in southern Miami County. The road is being partially paid for by the state.

Kasich believes the state’s investment will be won back through worker tax revenues in about 15 months. Work has already begun at the site.

The 250,000-square-foot plant, which will be completed in about 18 months, will produce three drinks: Ensure, for adults; Glucerna, for those with diabetes; and PediaSure, for infants and young children.

Kasich said shortly before Abbott’s location decision was announced on March 1, Abbott leaders appeared to be leaning toward another state.

“We were competing with Indiana at the end, and we really weren’t doing well,” Kasich said. He said he made several calls to Miles White, Abbott chairman and chief executive.

And Boehner — in whose House district the plant is being built — called White at home, something the CEO said he did not expect.

“You have some very passionate leaders,” White said.

The company chose Tipp City because of its proximity to interstates 75 and 70, its familiarity with Ohio (the company’s nutrition products division was founded in Columbus) and its expectation of a well-trained workforce.

John Ginascol, Abbott Nutrition’s vice president of supply chain, said the wages to be paid at the new plant is still being determined

“We will be very competitive.” He also said it was too soon for those interested in working at the plant to attempt to apply for job openings.