The Ohio Development Services Agency (DSA), the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA), and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office today announced that the three agencies have reached a $6.5 million settlement with a Perrysburg manufacturing company for unpaid loans. The settlement and payment to the state resolve collections actions against Willard & Kelsey Solar Group for loans owed to DSA and OAQDA.

“Because these types of debts are historically very difficult to recover, this $6.5 million payment is a significant recovery of taxpayer funds,” said Attorney General DeWine.

“This is a win for taxpayers,” said David Goodman, Director of the Ohio Development Services Agency. “These loans were given before the current system of monitoring and in those days, too often, when a company went under, taxpayers were left holding an empty bag.”

“The Ohio Attorney General along with the cooperation of DSA and OAQDA were successful in recovering a significant amount of taxpayer funds.” said Chadwick Smith, Executive Director for the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority.

Willard & Kelsey Solar Group was a startup company in Perrysburg that was founded to manufacture solar panel products. Willard & Kelsey was granted loans in 2009 with the former Ohio Department of Development worth $5 million and in 2010 with OAQDA worth $5.1 million on a $10 million line of credit.

After it ceased operations, the company was unable to make loan payments. As a result, DSA and OAQDA certified the loans to the Attorney General’s Office for collections. The settlement accepts a $6.5 million payment made yesterday to resolve both loans and related litigation.

The law firm of SheaHartmann LLP represented the state agencies in the collections litigation as special counsel, with the assistance of the Ohio Attorney General’s Collections Enforcement Section.

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