WORKERS' COMPENSATION Bureau: More than $2.2M owed by businesses in Ohio

COLUMBUS -- Two Mahoning County companies are among 100 businesses in Ohio listed by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation as owing at least $10,000 in unpaid workers' compensation premiums.
The two local companies are Buckeye Tire Recycling, 1130 Performance Place, and R. Tumbleweed Transportation LLC, 205 Edgehill Ave., Austintown.
In releasing the list to the BWC Web site and to the press, James Conrad, BWC administrator and CEO, said, "We will not tolerate businesses that are trying to cheat Ohio's workers' compensation system."
Of the 100 employers on the list, 73 are based in Ohio. Collectively, the group owes more than $2.2 million for the payroll period from Jan. 1 through June 30, 2004; the average business owes $22,016. The agency did not release premium amounts for each company because that information is not public record.
BWC officials said they attempt to get the premiums paid through phone calls, letters and business visits. Should these efforts fail, their premium amount is sent to the state attorney general for legal action, according to the BWC.
In July, the BWC released the names of 172 employers that owed the most in outstanding premiums. Of those, 68 were sent to the attorney general's office for legal action. The other businesses either paid their premiums, canceled their coverage or filed for bankruptcy, BWC officials said.