Suit aimed at Suarez grant is dismissed

A lawsuit attempting to block a grant program North Canton officials developed for Suarez Corp. Industries has been dismissed.

Andy Martin, a New York resident who is a longtime critic of Ben Suarez, and Richard E. Bierie, a North Canton resident, filed the suit in June after North Canton Council approved an occupancy grant for SCI and two partners. The lawsuit argued that council improperly passed the ordinance as an emergency action.

The occupancy grant is based on the amount of income tax paid by employees hired by SCI, Patriot Enterprises and LT Enterprises. The companies will make EdenPURE products in an old Hoover Co. warehouse at 334 Orchard St. NE.

SCI hopes to have the operation running within a month. Plans are to employ 300 people who will assemble EdenPURE space heaters, air purifiers, vacuums and other products. Suarez said he is moving the jobs from China back to the United States.

Council passed an ordinance for the occupancy grant at its June 6 meeting. The plan had been discussed at meetings in May, but was passed as an emergency.

After Martin and Bierie filed the lawsuit, council passed a new ordinance — minus an emergency clause — over the course of three meetings.

Because the new ordinance negated the lawsuit, Stark County Common Pleas Court Judge Charles E. Brown granted the dismissal.