Welty Building Co., fresh from Scioto Downs project, establishes Columbus office

Biz JournalColumbus, OH– A commercial builder from the Akron area that worked on the Scioto Downs racino has established a toehold in Columbus as it seeks to expand its reach.

Welty Building Company LLC of Fairlawn hired Columbus native and commercial construction expert John Hartman to head the firm’s business development efforts in Central Ohio as group president.

“I’m employee No. 1 here,” Hartman told me. “My job is to grow the office.”

Hartman was director of business development in Columbus for Cincinnati-based Danis Building Construction Co. for more than five years, according to his LinkedIn profile. Prior to that, he worked in a similar business development job for nine years at Columbus-based Continental Building Systems.

Welty has taken office space at Regus suites at 20 S. Third St. in the Galleria building downtown.

“If we get more than five people in the office,” Hartman said, “we’ll get permanent space.”

Welty is not new to Columbus. It joined Gilbane Inc. in the joint venture that built the Scioto Downs racino. That project opened in June 2012.