Region Leads as Ohio Takes the Top Spot

For the second year in a row, Site Selection magazine awarded its Governor's Cup award to Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland.

Here's the opening to the magazine's cover story:

Ohio's second consecutive Governor's Cup is proof positive that manufacturing-intensive states can diversify their economies and retool their labor supplies enough to win Site Selection's annual corporate-facilities race. ... The Governor's Cup goes to the state with the most new or expanded capital projects the previous year as tracked by Site Selection publisher Conway Data Inc.'s New Plant database.

The state Department of Development is an invaluable partner in Advance Northeast Ohio's efforts to improve the region's economic competitiveness.

Last year, Team NEO's business attraction efforts, in partnership with the region's chambers, generated more than $45 million in new payroll for the region. Northeast Ohio accounted for 61% of Ohio’s total new jobs – more than 12,000 total, while also comprising 36% of Ohio’s economy.  Northeast Ohio wins in 2007 include:  TeleTech, PCC Airfoils, ValueCare Pharmacy, Quadex and many others.

And according to Dan Colantone of the Greater Akron Chamber: The Akron metro area, never previously ranked, came in second in metros of 200,000 to 1 million in population in the number of economic development projects last year, having finished 29 projects in 2007.  The top performers, in order, were Greensboro-High Point, N.C.; Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb./Iowa, and Akron, Ohio (tied for second); Wichita, Kan., and Dayton, Ohio (tied for fourth). Wooster was ranked third among smaller communities. Read more about Wooster here.