Director of Commerce Donna Owens celebrated the recent opening of the Ohio Department of Commerce's new regional office in Batavia earlier today.

Joining Director Owens during the grand opening were Superintendent of Industrial Compliance Carol Drake, area office holders, Clermont County building officials, and customers of the new facility. Harold Classen, a senior project architect with a Cincinnati-based firm, provided testimonial about the convenience that this new office's location offers southwest Ohio.

"Our new office in Batavia will help increase the competitive edge of businesses in southwest Ohio by providing a conveniently located 'one-stop-shop' customer service center for construction, permitting and inspection needs," said Director Owens. "Since it opened its doors 2 months ago, our Batavia office has worked on 70 projects taking place with a total value of more than $34 million."

The Batavia office joins the other regional offices in Akron, Athens and Toledo that, primarily, serve Division of Industrial Compliance customers needing building plans reviews in jurisdictions covered by the Ohio Department of Commerce. This new office also accepts plans for any state university or state building and conducts plumbing plan reviews.

Previously, customers in southwest Ohio had to travel with their plans in tow to Columbus or Athens for review. As a result, the Department of Commerce saw the need to locate an office in the region in order to provide greater geographic balance and improved customer service for southern Ohio.

"We look forward to working with building officials, contractors and members of the construction industry in southwest Ohio," said Superintendent Drake. "We are confident that our new, conveniently located office will provide greater accessibility to our customers which will, in turn, expedite their permit process."

The opening of the Batavia office is the first time the Department of Commerce has shared a location with a county building department to create a "one-stop-shop" for all building needs in an area, whether they are city, county or state-related.

This new office, designed to serve southwestern Ohio's construction needs, is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Walk-in service for plans review are available from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. daily for smaller projects that can be reviewed and approved while customers wait.

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The Division of Industrial Compliance is part of the Ohio Department of Commerce. Other Commerce divisions enforce regulations regarding financial institutions, fire codes, real estate, securities, auctioneers, unclaimed funds, and private investigators, among others. The former Department of Liquor Control joined the Department on July 1, 1997 as the Division of Liquor Control. The department's internet address is www.com.state.oh.us.