Baus, Others Optimistic About Archbold's Future
by David Pugh Buckeye Staff Writer

Larry Baus

(Editor's Note: This is the second part of a two-part series based on an interview with Larry Baus, a four-term Archbold Village councilman. This week, he talks about 2007, when he and others reveal optimism about 2008.)

Larry Baus summed up 2007 in basically one sentence.

"This year has been a very trying one," the four-term village councilman said.

He should know. The lifelong Archbold resident has served 16 years on the council, first from 1975 to 1983, then from 2000 until the end of 2007.

Archbold, which has enjoyed a robust industrial base for many years, saw some factory closings and closing announcements, and a layoff at Sauder Woodworking in 2006. The closed factories remained vacant in 2007, and the Archbold Gendron plant closed. The plant was a village fixture since 1959.

"We (village council) came off a year we couldn't give the (village) employees what we wanted in (2006), because we just didn't feel it was right," Baus said.

"I've got to say this and I say this sincerely: I am proud of the village employees. They stepped up.

"When we needed them, they came through. I know a lot of times, people find fault with public employees. I would say they stepped up and did a very good job when they were asked.

"There were some complaints, of course; there always are, but they stepped up and did what they needed to do, and that was huge.

"The department heads in every department stepped up and found ways to save money, work with one less employee. They just basically saved the town money," he said.

Baus said 2007 "was a scary year. You know we're down- I think about $400,000 in income tax for the year- but I look at that, it could have been so much worse. "

Positive News

There may be good news just around the corner.

"I'm not at liberty to say much of anything at all, but I would say that Jim (Wyse, Archbold mayor) and Dennis (Howell, Archbold village administrator) are working on some things that hopefully, in the next year, will come through, and we'll have some real positives.

"We've been exploring some things; there have been some things that have explored us, and that's about all I would dare say," Baus said.

Wyse and Howell confirmed Baus' remarks.

"There are several things we are working on that might come to fruition. Hopefully, we will be in a position to announce them in 2008," Wyse said.

"There are positive things in the works," Howell said. "There are a couple of things we're working on that could bring new jobs and positive things to Archbold.

"The Mayor and myself have put a lot of hours into these things. We hope they will come through."

Optimistic

"I'm optimistic," Baus said.

"There's very few communities around- and I'm not knocking any other communities- that can offer what Archbold can offer.

"We've got good workers, we've got water, we've got a wastewater treatment plant that can handle just about anything. We've got tax incentives, we've got the CIC (Community Improvement Corporation) that can help, we've got a lot of things that are positives for people who are looking for a place for a new business or a new industry."

Add the Archbold Industrial Park to that list.

"That was a big deal. I think in the future, you're going to see some things happen here that are going to really make us happy we have an industrial park.

"It's going to pay off. It has paid off, but it's going to pay off even more," Baus said.

"We've struggled along with some of the industries that have struggled. We appreciate the ones that are here.

"I think we'll see some new ones in the next couple of years," Baus said.