FAIRFIELD, Ohio (From The Enquirer) - Fulfilling a promise made in 2014 after moving its headquarters to suburban Atlanta, Veritiv Corp. said Monday it will retain a "significant" Greater Cincinnati employment base.

As part of its plan, Veritiv will move its regional office to Fairfield from Clermont County's Miami Township by the end of September, keeping a critical piece of operations and 400 workers here.

The distribution and packaging company will locate its employees in 72,000 square feet of space at the Gilmore Pointe building at 6120 Gilmore Road. At that location, it will be a neighbor to and tenant of Fairfield-based insurer Cincinnati Financial Corp. under a 10-year lease.

Veritiv will become one of the city's 10 largest employers, said Greg Kathman, the city's economic development manager. Cincinnati Financial employs about 2,900 people in Fairfield and is the city's largest employer.

Fairfield City Councilman Bill Woeste, who serves as chair of council's Development Services Committee, said city leaders are excited to land the big job commitment from Veritiv.

"We're looking forward to them being here a long time and we're glad that Cincinnati Financial has been able to lease a building that's been vacant for a long time," he said.

Greater Cincinnati is Veritiv's largest U.S. employment base and it's home to its information technology, finance, customer service and credit divisions, spokesman Ed Patterson said.

About 400 people work for Veritiv in Miami Township. The company employs about 520 people in Greater Cincinnati and 600 people in Ohio.

"For many years, we have found the area an ideal market for exceptional talent to support our company's operations and our customers," Veritiv CEO Mary Laschinger said in a statement. "This move reaffirms our long-term commitment to the area, and we look forward to contributing to the local economy and community in Fairfield and the Greater Cincinnati area."

Patterson said the company selected Fairfield after about a six-month real estate search. He said the new space offers Veritiv the chance to grow while effectively managing its operations. The talent and expertise in the region were among the reasons the company decided to remain here, he said.

Fairfield City Council approved incentives Monday that allow Veritiv to be reimbursed up to $2 million over 10 years for its expenses building out its operation in the city. The incentives are tied to the company maintaining its annual payroll of $30 million in the city. City leaders could provide additional perks if the company expands upon initial investment or hiring plans.

Veritiv was the result of a 2014 merger of International Paper's xpedx division and Unisource Worldwide Inc. The Sandy Springs, Georgia-based company generated $9.3 billion of revenue in 2014.

A new space in Butler County gives the company a fresh start under its relatively new identity.

"We'll get to put our thumbprint on our home in Cincinnati," Patterson said.

Patterson praised regional economic development group REDI Cincinnati for helping it identify space and retain its employment base in Cincinnati.

Johnna Reeder, REDI president and chief executive, told The Enquirer in 2014 the company's merger spurred a series of meetings locally and in the Atlanta area with Veritiv officials. Reeder said Ohio's business environment, skilled labor force, and low business costs were among the selling points communicated with leaders from the firm.

"REDI Cincinnati has three goals: Attract new companies to the region, help new and current companies grow, and keep them here," said Kimm Coyner, REDI's managing director of projects and JobsOhio. "We're happy to see Veritiv remain in our region."

The company provides print, publishing, packaging, facility and logistics services for customers. It employs about 8,900 employees across about 180 distribution centers throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.