After just a year at a leased industrial building in Strongsville, woodworking tools maker and seller Woodpeckers is taking steps to build a nest of its own in Brunswick.

Through Woody Acres LLC, Richard Hummel, the owner of Woodpeckers, on Aug. 8 acquired a 30-acre parcel at 1564 W. 130th St. in the Brunswick South Industrial Park for $2.68 million, according to Medina County land records.

Woodpeckers, through presentations by Hummel and industrial design-builder Geis Cos. of Streetsboro, has received approvals from Brunswick Planning Commission for construction of a two-phased project on the site.

The first would be a 200,000-square-foot building. Its plans call for a future, second building of 225,000 square feet, according to city records.

Grant Aungst, Brunswick community and economic development director, said in a phone interview, "We as a city administration and city council are very excited about the project. The company will initially bring 250 jobs to the community."

Aungst said Brunswick will suit the company because its industrial districts are filled with similar niche companies, which he described as privately held, often family-owned, businesses. He said Woodpeckers has told the city it will build a small amount of office space for its headquarters, as well as manufacturing and warehouse space.

Woodpeckers did not request municipal incentives but will get a big one automatically when the multimillion-dollar facility is finished. It is able to receive a 15-year, full property tax abatement for developing the site. That is because the acreage is in an area designated under Ohio's original Community Reinvestment Act, which was revised in 1994 to provide greater controls on the incentive.

Woodpeckers says on its website that it began in 1988 as a seller of woodworking tools, originally at woodworking trade shows. In 1993, it began making router tables and mounting plates. It has since grown into a manufacturer of router lifts, router guides, measuring and layout tools and clamping accessories.

"We take pride in the fact that our tools are truly made in the U.S.A.," the website notes.

A profile of Hummel on the website of Legacy Business Advisors, a Medina business consultancy in succession and continuity planning and related services, stated he was a woodworking hobbyist until losing a job in information technology. At that time, he launched the company at his kitchen table.

The company currently occupies almost 80,000 square feet at a relatively new building in Strongsville built by Scannell Properties of Indianapolis.

Brent Painter, Strongsville economic development director, acknowledged he was not surprised by the Brunswick news about Woodpeckers. However, he declined comment on the company's planned exit.

Hummel did not reply to emails through the Woodpeckers website, Linkedin and phone messages by 2:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19.

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