Goodwill hosts groundbreaking at Bellevue Plant
By JILL GARTON
Goodwill Industries
BELLEVUE – Goodwill Industries of Erie, Huron, Ottawa and Sandusky Counties hosted a ground-breaking event at their Bellevue Plant in preparation for expansion of warehouse and dockage space.
The Goodwill Bellevue Plant site is the former Pamida building which sat vacant and was an eye-sore to the otherwise welcoming corridor into Bellevue on the north end of town on route 269. Upon the generous donation of the former Pamida property to Goodwill in 2015, plans to improve the blighted property began immediately with the goal of creating new jobs.
A full remodel including: lighting, electric, suppression system, HVAC, plumbing, interior, exterior and IT systems was completed in 2017. Manufacturing jobs were secured, employees were hired and work began at the new Goodwill Bellevue manufacturing facility.
Goodwill Bellevue Plant has established many partnerships with local businesses to complete light assembly and piece work and is looking to grow its business with Whirlpool. Expanded warehouse space and additional dockage area are both necessary to produce the increased assemblage items and to allow for the additional truck shipments and deliveries.
The mission of Goodwill is to provide customized employment support services to individuals in the community experiencing disabling or disadvantaging conditions. The traditional means of generating revenue for Goodwill is the iconic thrift store that so many are familiar with. The Bellevue manufacturing plant represents an alternate way of generating the necessary revenue to fulfill the mission work.
As a non-profit, Goodwill relies on the generosity of its community members for support and funding. To be the best possible stewards of the generous material and monetary donations received from the local residents is the primary goal of Goodwill; driving the decision-making processes to always identify how to better serve those in need.
Overall, this project not only establishes a renewed commitment to the community of Bellevue but allows Goodwill to stay committed to their mission of creating jobs in the local area. From the additional truck drivers and material handlers to the new assembly line positions that will be available, Goodwill is proud to be a Job Creator.
Jill Garton is marketing manager for Goodwill Industries of Erie, Huron, Ottawa and Sandusky Counties, 419-625-4744, jgarton@goodwillsandusky.org.
