The Port’s Industrial Strategy Paves the Way for Global Investment

Givaudan’s $215 Million Facility in Reading Reflects the Power of Site Readiness and Redevelopment

What was once one of the region’s most challenging brownfield sites is now ready for new life. Through a multi-year cleanup and redevelopment effort, The Port transformed the former Dow Chemical plant in Reading (now known as Centennial Industrial Park) into a catalyst for growth and the future home of Givaudan Flavors Corporation’s $215 million Taste & Wellbeing facility.

The 25-acre property had housed heavy chemical manufacturing for more than six decades, leaving behind extensive environmental damage and costing the region 230 jobs and $4 million in payroll when operations ended in 2014. At the request of the City of Reading, The Port acquired the site in 2019 as part of its Industrial Revitalization Strategy and led a comprehensive cleanup that removed contaminants, demolished obsolete structures, and restored the land for safe, productive reuse.

With support from local, state, federal, and private partners, The Port revitalized a long-vacant industrial campus into a pad-ready site positioned for new development. After completing final environmental orders and infrastructure improvements in early 2024, the property was sold to Givaudan. The company’s $215 million investment ranks among its largest U.S. manufacturing projects in recent years and strengthens Greater Cincinnati’s reputation as a hub for innovation and advanced production.

Givaudan broke ground on the new facility on October 8, marking a major step forward for the project. Construction is underway, with completion anticipated in 2027. Once operational, the plant is expected to create more than 300 jobs and generate significant economic activity throughout the region.

This redevelopment exemplifies The Port’s role as a market catalyst: taking on the complex early work that makes challenging sites viable again and positioning Hamilton County for meaningful, long-term private investment and growth.