Westlake Still A Possibility For American Greetings World Headquarters

Westlake may still be in the running to house American Greetings’ international headquarters.

CEO Zev Weiss, along with Gov. John Kasich, announced Monday that the business will keep its offices, and 2,000 employees, in Northeast Ohio, but has yet to name the city.

The announcement came on the heels of House Bill 58’s passage. The legislation will allow American Greetings, and other qualifying companies, to claim a credit on employee income taxes. To meet the requirements, companies must have at least 1,000 employees in the state, agree to invest $25 million in capital improvements and have received a written offer last year to relocate out of Ohio. The state also pledged $3.5 million in grants and a $15 million low-interest loan to the greeting card company.

"The state convinced us that Ohio is indeed open for business and is aggressively working to retain and grow jobs," Weiss said in a release, adding that the business will be investing in a "world-class headquarters" this year.

The Brooklyn-based company stated over a year ago that it was considering other locations after residents voted to raise the city's payroll tax from 2 to 2.5 percent.

“The State of Ohio produced a combination of resources, primarily in the form of loans and tax credits, that could be used to assist in the development of a new or renovated Ohio headquarters for American Greetings," said Gov. John Kasich in a release.

American Greetings had also previously considered moving out of state to the greater Chicago area. Other sites considered include Brooklyn, Beachwood, Brecksville, Independence and a spot at Crocker Park in Westlake.

“We have not heard anything from them,” said Westlake Mayor Dennis Clough. “We’re waiting until they tell us that we’re going to one of those in contention.”