Yarder Manufacturing Utilizes Port Authority Capital Lease Financing Structure to Construct New Facility at Legacy Business Park

Yarder Manufacturing, a fifth-generation, family-owned business specializing in custom sheet metal fabrication, is preparing for a new era of growth with the construction of its state-of-the-art headquarters and manufacturing facility in Monclova Township.

Founded more than a century ago, Yarder Manufacturing has long been a cornerstone of Northwest Ohio’s industrial community. The company provides precision sheet metal fabrication for local and global OEMs, and employs over 72 full-time workers. Having expanded five times since the 1940s at its current facility, the company’s growth had been constrained by space.

To meet its growing needs, Yarder purchased a 70-acre site, with plans to utilize approximately 20 acres for a new 95,000-square-foot headquarters and reserve the remaining land for new development opportunities. The project is expected to create at least 26 new jobs at Yarder.

Yarder Manufacturing is utilizing the Port Authority’s Capital Lease Financing Structure, for the project, which will help reduce construction costs through sales tax savings on the purchase of project building materials. The site, located at 6416 Riverfort Drive, within the newly branded Legacy Business Park, will feature advanced manufacturing technology and modern equipment—enabling Yarder to meet increasing customer demand and support long-term innovation and efficiency.

Construction on the $12.5 million project began in the second quarter of 2025, with completion anticipated in the second quarter of 2026.  The development is a collaboration between Yarder Manufacturing, Mosser Construction, and several public entities. Mosser, one of Ohio’s oldest construction firms, is overseeing infrastructure development for the site, including a 1,200-foot extension of Riverfort Drive and the construction of a new cul-de-sac.

“We are not developers. We are a local family business trying to give more opportunities for hardworking individuals and their families," said Matt Yarder, Executive Vice President of Yarder Manufacturing. "The idea of this expansion was daunting. We needed partners to make it happen, and Craig Teamer and the team at the Port walked us through their portfolio of products so we could explore the advantages of their partnership. Without the Port, Mosser Construction, and many other partners in our community, this project would still be a dream. Now when we drive down I-475, we get to see our dream coming to life.” 

The Port Authority’s Capital Lease Financing Structure, coupled with strategic state and local partnerships, ensures that this project will not only strengthens Yarder’s operations but will also support continued economic growth and investment in Northwest Ohio.

The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority has developed a national reputation for innovative business financing, assisting more than 900 economic development projects representing a total investment of more than $2 billion while helping to create and retain more than 21,000 jobs. Financing options include the Northwest Ohio Revolving Loan Fund, Fixed Interest Rate Revenue Bonds, Infrastructure Financing, Conduit Revenue Bonds, the Ohio Regional 166 Loan Program, the U.S. Small Business Administration 504 Loan Program and the BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio Energy Efficiency Loan Program.

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