A commercial door and access-control company based in Norwood, Ohio is weighing a move across the river to Covington, a relocation city officials say could pump $6 million into the Latonia neighborhood and create 57 jobs. Innovative Opening Solutions is considering buying the southern portion of the 96,950-square-foot building at 4293 Winston Ave., a property most recently occupied by Keller Logistics.
A Deal Still Taking Shape
According to WKRC, the company specializes in commercial doors, hardware and access-control systems and would create 57 jobs if the project moves forward, with average annual salaries around $80,300. City officials project the move could generate an estimated $4.7 million in additional payroll by the company's third year in Covington. The Covington Board of Commissioners formally approved an incentive agreement for a 15-year industrial revenue bond on Tuesday, though county property records as of that date still showed the company had not finalized the real estate purchase, according to LINK nky.
Covington's economic development division recommended the bond structure, and the city anticipates a 10-to-1 return on investment. John Sadosky, the city's economic development director, said the potential move represents exactly the kind of redevelopment Covington is seeking in Latonia. The project would bring jobs and private investment to a Latonia property.
Beating Out a Boone County Site
Covington did not land this deal without competition. The city competed directly against an undisclosed site in Boone County, Kentucky, to attract the company's headquarters relocation, per the same LINK nky account, corroborated by reporting from 91.7 WVXU. The proposed relocation would move 50 existing positions from the company's Norwood facility while creating seven new jobs spanning estimators, salespeople, fabricators and back-office staff.
Innovative Opening Solutions was founded in 2005 as Erlanger Hardware Consultants, before expanding and adopting its current name in 2020, according to the company's own history.
Site History Runs Deep
The Winston Avenue property carries its own layered past. Latonia Plaza II was originally part of the historic Latonia Racetrack before being converted into a retail shopping center that housed big-box tenants including Value City and Burlington Coat Factory, which closed in 2019, the same LINK nky report notes. Keller Warehousing & Co-Packing operated at the site, later making 200,000 square feet of the site available to the commercial market in April, according to a release carried by PR Newswire.
Beyond the building itself, Innovative Opening Solutions has outlined plans for landscaping improvements to the property's parking lot and, according to the city, has committed to participating in Covington Independent Public Schools' career and technical education program.
Tax Mechanics and Road Concerns
The proposed industrial revenue bond would direct payments as follows: local school districts receive 50 percent, while Covington and Kenton County each receive 20 percent, per the NKyTribune's government briefs coverage. The arrangement is designed to balance tax relief for the relocating company against guaranteed funding streams for schools and municipal services.
The Winston Avenue corridor itself remains a point of friction with the state. The site sits along a state-maintained commercial stretch where Mayor Washington and city commissioners have repeatedly urged the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to repair severe pothole damage, per 91.7 WVXU's reporting. Whether an influx of commercial activity from a relocated headquarters will spur faster road repairs remains an open question.
The Latonia move would also build on Covington's broader push to revive the neighborhood's commercial corridors. The city expanded its economic development efforts there this year by hiring a dedicated neighborhood staff member and approving an enhanced commercial façade improvement program offering up to $15,000 in loan assistance, a step Hoodline previously reported alongside news of a Thai cafe opening in a historic Latonia storefront. If the deal moves forward, the company would relocate to the Winston Avenue site.
