Youngstown helps with business expansion efforts

City council agreed today to provide up to $150,000 to a food packaging business and a 10-year tax abatement to an aluminum can and bottle company for expansion projects.

Council voted to authorize the board of control to provide the money to Valley Foods and the abatement to Exal Corp.

Valley Foods is expanding its operations to the former Weatherbee Coat Factory at 439-461 E. Federal St.

The company is keeping its location on East Boardman Street and wants to use the former Weatherbee site for food packaging.

Council agreed to permit the board of control to give a 10-year, 75-percent real property-tax abatement to Exal Corp.

The company wants to build a 10,689-square-foot expansion to its current location at the city-owned Performance Place Business Park on Poland Avenue. The abatement will save Exal about $12,500 annually.

For the complete story, read Thursday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com