Businesses
Perks for Businesses
To continue in our spirit of innovation and cultivate a community that is a great place to live, work, and play, the City of Barberton works to support businesses through:

Low Water & Sewer Rates

Investments in Infrastructure

Affordable & Available Land for Development

Comprehensive Business Assistance

Great Incentives & Financing Opportunities

Valuable Public-Private Partnerships
We Invest in Our Businesses
Incentives & Financing
The City of Barberton offers an assortment of incentives and financing opportunities for businesses of all sizes. All of these opportunities can be tailored to the specific needs of your business, whether that be real property tax exemptions for renovations or new construction, public infrastructure improvements, or financing of specialized equipment and working capital.
Financial Assistance & Public-Private Partnerships
Barberton Community Development Corporation (BCDC)
The Southern Summit County Community Improvement Corporation (CIC)
Barberton Community Foundation (BCF)
Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD)
Main Street Barberton
Continuing the Spirit of Innovation
Since Barberton’s founding in 1891 by noted industrialist Ohio Columbus Barber, Barberton has been an innovative community in industry and new technology. In the 1860s and 70s, O.C. Barber built his father’s match company into one of the largest in the country. Later, Barber brought several factories under the umbrella of the Diamond Match Company and became known as America’s Match King. Barber’s Diamond Match Company was a leading producer of wooden matches in 1891.
Barber developed an elaborate farm complex made up of some 40 brick barns and 400 acres, giving the nation one of the first agracorps and experimental farms. Barber believed farmland could be developed into vibrant industrial communities, and that people would flock to the city to buy land and build homes close to the factories that employed them.
This spirit of innovation continues to thrive in Barberton today. It is a center of research for Babcock and Wilcox Nuclear and Fossil Fuel Divisions and is home to PPG’s manufacturing of Teslin™, a synthetic polymer paper. A diversity of smaller companies also play a vital role in Barberton’s economy.
Contact the Planning Department
Learn how the planning department can help you get started with your new business. We encourage you to reach out!