Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) announced plans to invest a total of approximately $65million in Hilliard, Ohio, near the company's existing headquarters. This investment will fund the development of a nearly 110,000-square-foot industry-leading Engineering & Technology Center. The company plans to break ground in October at a 17-acre site at Lyman Drive and Davidson Road.

The site is located west of ADS' Trueman Blvd. headquarters and will have a frontage on I-270. Barbour said the new facility is expected to open in late 2023.

The expansion to ADS' engineering and technology operations at the center will allow the company to consolidate all of the current product development and testing operations and manufacturing engineering development into one central location. It will include: A product development lab focused on the full range of a product's life cycle including: An area to prepare product samples for testing. A fabrication lab to develop prototype parts and test fixtures.

A lab to analyze structural performance of prototypes under different conditions. A 3D printing lab to rapidly develop and vet concepts. A hydraulics lab that supports ADS' water treatment businesses including separation, traditional filtration, and low-impact development filtration.

An advanced technology lab for manufacturing and engineering prototyping. Materials science laboratories providing: Extensive performance-based materials test capability. Analytic tools to generate structural and chemical information on investigated materials.

Extrusion capability for development of next-generation product formulations. The Ohio Tax Credit Authority also announced it will provide ADS with tax credit assistance to continue the company's expansion in Hilliard. In return, the company must invest at least $10.8 million into the project, retain 322 existing jobs currently in Hilliard, and create 200 new jobs that would result in $20 million of new payroll to the state. All told, ADS plans to invest approximately $65 million in construction and equipment for the new engineering center.

ADS also received significant assistance from Jobs Ohio, Ohio's unique private economic development corporation, and One Columbus, its regional economic development partner, in site selection and connecting ADS with the appropriate economic development and city partners to ensure successful completion of the project.