Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, Ohio Department of Development Interim Director Mark Barbash, Wilmington Mayor David Raizk, State Senator John Carey, and State Representative David Daniels released the following joint statement today on the decision of DHL Express to close their remaining operations at Wilmington and relocate to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Kentucky.
“This is another unfortunate blow to the people of southwest Ohio. But we remain determined in our efforts to assist the hard-working employees, their families and the region through this difficult time. We are deeply disappointed by the announcement that DHL will be closing the remaining operations at Wilmington and relocating them to the DHL facility in Covington, Kentucky at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
“Since DHL’s initial announcement last year to leave, we have worked together – the State of Ohio, the City of Wilmington, elected officials and community leaders from the region – to diligently pursue a dialogue with DHL about mitigation assistance to offset the adverse impacts of the thousands of lost jobs. We will continue our steadfast pursuit of the possible donation of the Air Park to the community.”
Wilmington Mayor David Raizk, Lt. Governor Lee Fisher and Ohio Department of Development Interim Director Mark Barbash will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. today, April 17, to further discuss what the state and community leadership is doing to address this crisis and assist the workers and families affected. The press conference will be held in Wilmington City Council Chambers, 69 N. South Street, 2nd Floor, in Wilmington.