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(Conneaut, Ohio) – Saxcliffe Structural Building Systems hopes to put a headquarters and manufacturing plant on 17 acres here in this northeast Ohio town. If the deal comes together, company officials intend to break ground on a 60,000-square-foot facility in the spring of 2009 and move in by the end of summer.

The bulk of the company’s sales would come from licensing agreements and royalties on each home built by its construction clients, said Michael Ratcliffe, one of Saxcliffe’s owners. In addition to their system, Saxcliffe will sell pre-cut studs and a patented wall fabricating machine designed to be used on-site. The company will start with machines built under contract, but eventually manufacture the line in-house.

Ratcliffe said he and his partners have been developing and selling structural building processes for more than 40 years, but Saxcliffe is a new venture. His goal is to employ at least 100 within a year.

The company is in negotiations with the city over the proposed site.

According to Ratcliffe, Saxcliffe’s system eliminates at least 90 percent of wood used in residential construction, brings costs down costs 35 to 40 percent, and is stronger and more durable than standard construction.

“The timing is right for this product,” he said. “The cost savings on material and labor are absolutely phenomenal. This is going to take the building market by storm.”

Until now, Ratcliffe said the system hasn’t been commercially available. And although similar wall panels are built at factories, the transportation and manufacturing costs eat up any savings, he says.

Saxcliffe will start with a marketing surge in U.S. and then move overseas. Ratcliffe said the company has commitments for a significant number of homes from countries in Middle East and South America. “I think the Asian market is going to be a huge market for us, eventually.”

A website (http://www.saxcliffe.com) will be launched February 1, 2009.

Growth Partnership for Ashtabula County – a private, nonprofit economic development group – has been assisting the Saxcliffe project.

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