Columbus CEO - The Columbus Region

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A REGION IN TRANSFORMATION

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A REGION IN TRANSFORMATION

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CONTENTS 08 About One Columbus and Its Board of Directors

10 Building a Prosperous Future How collaboration can propel the Columbus Region forward

14 Emerging Industries Drive New Opportunity

Growth sectors such as life sciences, electric vehicles and data centers are transforming the Columbus Region into a tech hub.

On the cover, clockwise from bottom: courtesy One Columbus (2), courtesy Vertiv and file photo by Kyle Robertson/The Columbus Dispatch

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24 Foundation for Growth These core industries have anchored Columbus’ business ecosystem for decades—and they continue to innovate.

37 The Columbus Way How working together across the private sector, government and academia unlocks a special brand of collaboration and creativity that lifts the Region.

46 The Region at a Glance Get to know the Columbus Region’s 11 counties.

MARKETING Marketing Manager

Lauren Reinhard Subscriptions/Customer service

760-237-8505 columbusceo@pcspublink.com Editorial/Advertising offices

605 S. Front St., Suite 300 Columbus, OH 43215

One Columbus, a supplement to Columbus CEO, is published annually by Gannett. All contents of this magazine are copyrighted © 2023, all rights reserved.

Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited.

Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials.

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A REGION IN TRANSFORMATION

ABOUT ONE COLUMBUS One Columbus is the economic development organization for the 11-county Columbus Region. Working with local and state partners, the team serves as a business location resource for companies across Central Ohio and around the world.

THE COLUMBUS REGION The thriving 11-county area in Central Ohio isn’t just home to 2.2 million people—it’s also home to some of the world’s most recognizable brands, innovative small businesses, powerhouse research hubs and top-notch academic institutions. Visit columbus region.com to learn more about the team working together to move the Region forward.

COLUMBUS REGION VISION

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sue Zazon, Chairwoman

President and Executive Vice President, Central Ohio Region, Huntington National Bank

Marc D. Reitter, Secretary

President and Chief Operating Officer, AEP Ohio

Mark Berven, Treasurer

President and Chief Operating Officer, Nationwide Property & Casualty

Kevin Boyce

County Commissioner, Franklin County Board of Commissioners

Corinne Burger

Chief Control Manager and Columbus Location Leader. JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Andrew J. Ginther

Mayor, City of Columbus

Lawrence Geise

Executive Vice President, Honda Development and Manufacturing of America

Phil Greenberg

Chief of Staff, JobsOhio

Brian Jepson

President, OhioHealth Central Ohio Market

To be the most prosperous region in the United States.

Jessica L. Mayer

Building prosperity is the process of advancing the social and economic well-being of all residents within the Columbus Region. An array of private, public and nonprofit leaders across the Columbus Region support this vision and work together toward its realization.

Peter Mohler

Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, Cardinal Health Inc. Executive Vice President for Research, Innovation and Knowledge, The Ohio State University, Chief Scientific Officer, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Gregory R. Overmyer

CEO, Overmyer Hall Associates

Top-ranked: One Columbus has received Site Selection magazine’s Mac Conway Award for six consecutive years, recognizing it as one of the top economic development organizations in the nation.

Robert H. Schottenstein

Results-driven: Since 2010, the One Columbus team has helped more than 650 domestic and international companies achieve their growth goals by locating in the Columbus Region, resulting in over $34 billion worth of capital investment and more than 68,000 new jobs created.

EX-OFFICIO

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CEO and President, M/I Homes Inc.

Rick Szabrack

Director of Economic and Workforce Development, Fairfield County

Matthew Bailey

Partner, Squire Patton Boggs

Sean Grant

Chief Financial Officer, Columbus Partnership

Kenny McDonald

President and CEO, Columbus Partnership

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A REGION IN TRANSFORMATION

Building a Prosperous Future

★

Transformational change takes time, energy and willpower. But here in the Columbus Region, it originates in something that can never be taken from us: our location. Here in the heart of Ohio, we boast a geographical advantage that has played a pivotal role in our journey toward progress. Our central location, a constant amid change, has underpinned our growth and development. It’s a valuable asset, but it’s just one element in a more complex equation—a formula that has brought us to a critical juncture as we strive to become the most prosperous region in the country.

Positioned within a day’s drive of nearly half of the U.S. population, our location is an economic asset. It has served as a key factor for the many who have chosen to make our region their home, granting them access to a vast customer base and extensive markets. Geography has been our silent partner, propelling us forward.

In recent years, our growth has been nothing short of remarkable. The tech sector has flourished, health care has thrived, and entrepreneurship has found fertile ground. Our skyline has evolved, neighborhoods have thrived, and communities have prospered. However, this isn’t just a tale of growth.

It’s a story of potential—a potential that has brought us to a turning point.

The Columbus Region now stands at a crossroads, a pivotal moment that necessitates strategic choices and collective endeavors. The growth we’ve experienced can serve as a springboard for prosperity, not solely in economic terms but also in terms of our citizens’ well-being. We have the chance to build a region brimming with opportunities, where innovation flourishes, and where equity and inclusivity are central.

Yet, this journey toward prosperity isn’t one that we can undertake alone. It’s a path that demands collaboration between government, business and economic development allies. The unity and shared vision in the Columbus Region are essential as we navigate the way forward. Collaboration has been

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Photo courtesy Randall L. Schieber

a linchpin of our success, and it’s this spirit that will propel us into the future.

The public-private partnerships that have emerged within the Columbus Region have paved the way for innovative solutions to complex issues.

They’ve enabled us to pool resources, combine expertise and magnify our impact. Whether in education, workforce development, infrastructure or community revitalization, our partnerships have driven meaningful change.

As we embark on this transformative journey, the importance of collaboration will only grow. The challenges before us—cultivating a diverse and skilled workforce, modernizing our infrastructure, strengthening public safety—demand multifaceted solutions.

It’s through our collaboration as allies that we can surmount these challenges and forge a future of unprecedented prosperity.

Our journey has been marked by resilience and innovation, and our path forward is guided by a shared vision of a thriving, inclusive and vibrant Columbus Region. As we move forward, we do so with determination, unity and a steadfast belief in the power of collaboration. In the pages ahead, you will learn more about our story and the potential on our road ahead.

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A REGION IN TRANSFORMATION

The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

File photo by Doral Chenoweth III/The Columbus Dispatch

Emerging Industries Drive New Opportunity Growth sectors such as life sciences, electric vehicles and data centers are transforming the Columbus Region into a tech hub.

By Tim Feran

★

It’s not just about investment or even advancement of what’s already here. It’s about an ongoing transformation of the area’s economy.

That’s the message economic development officials want to relay as three hot tech industries bring progress and more prosperity than ever before to the Columbus Region. The

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big three—life sciences, automotive/ electric vehicles and data centers— are a far cry from our traditional economic mix of state and federal government, banking, logistics and insurance. These three industries are transforming the Columbus area into a technology hub.

“The Columbus Region is all-in on becoming a technology and innovation center focused on the industries of the future,” says Kenny McDonald,

president and CEO of the Columbus Partnership. “The unprecedented investments in cloud computing, semiconductors, the electric vehicle ecosystem and life sciences in recent years have put the Columbus Region on the list of must-watch metro areas in North America.”

Bill LaFayette agrees. The economist and founder of Regionomics predicts that the presence of those three industries “is going to catalyze

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a bunch of stuff that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. It’s like the financial services sector has been for us,” LaFayette says. “When it started, it was really dumb luck. We got John McCoy [the transformative CEO of Banc One Corp.] thinking hard about credit card services. That’s grown over the years, and because there’s such a concentration here, it attracts workforce—because the workforce knows that if things don’t work out with one employer, they can always go someplace else.”

These industries aren’t just spending money, building facilities and bringing jobs. Many are going outside of the workplace and investing in the community, ensuring the progress and prosperity they bring will continue long into the future.

Here are some of the leaders in the move to transform the Columbus Region.

Life Sciences Nationwide Children’s Hospital is in the middle of the most ambitious strategic plan in its 131-year history: a five-year, $3.3 billion commitment aimed at transforming health outcomes for children locally and around the world.

A big part of that plan includes the leadership of Dr. Dennis Durbin, president of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Durbin not only oversees the direction of the research institute but also is supporting the recruitment of scientists, clinical investigators and behavioral health and health equity researchers.

A key moment in the institute’s development came in 2016 with the hiring of world-renowned researchers Dr. Richard Wilson and Dr. Elaine Mardis to spearhead and help grow its genomic medicine program.

“Attracting the team of Dr. Wilson and Dr. Mardis to lead our genomics program is one of the most significant scientific recruitments in this organization’s history,” Nationwide Children’s then-CEO Steve Allen said at the time.

Thanks to their presence, Nation-

wide Children’s Hospital is the nation’s pre-eminent genomic medicine program, research officials say. Wilson, Mardis and their team in 2008 became one of the first to use next-generation sequencing to compare a cancer patient’s tumor DNA with normal tissue DNA to help identify mutations driving cancer growth.

Durbin and his colleagues have continued to recruit an impressive roster of researchers to the institute and to Ohio State University as part of the institute’s ever-growing relationship with OSU and with the evolving biotechnology ecosystem developing locally.

Columbus is now competing with top-tier cities in attracting worldclass talent to its life sciences labs, Durbin says. In addition to new, cutting-edge facilities, “one of the strengths that we have [in attracting talent] is the spirit of collaboration in the Columbus Region,” he says.

While the institute’s world-renowned faculty move genome-based testing into the mainstream of pediatric diagnosis and treatment,

Nationwide Children’s is reimagining the traditional role of a children’s hospital, creating “a unique ecosystem for changing the way health care can be delivered to children here and everywhere,” says hospital CEO Tim Robinson. “This is about making children’s lives better.”

Because children’s environments have a major impact on their wellbeing, Nationwide Children’s has been investing in school-based health services, communitywide efforts to reduce infant mortality, and economic development to underresourced neighborhoods.

It’s important to approach the challenges from all angles—from executive offices down to local neighborhoods, and across all levels of employment. “You don’t necessarily need to hire a whole roomful of Ph.D.s,” to create momentum in fields such as life sciences, economist LaFayette says. “Folks at all skill levels are needed—even at a lab, you need a lab assistant, and that’s really important, because it’s the entry point to a career ladder.”

“The unprecedented investments in cloud computing, semiconductors, the electric vehicle ecosystem and life sciences in recent years have put the Columbus Region on the list of must-watch metro areas in North America.”

Genome research has become a major emphasis for Nationwide Children’s Hospital in recent years.

KENNY MCDONALD, president and CEO, Columbus Partnership

File photo by Tim Johnson

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The AmplifyBio headquarters in West Jefferson

File photo courtesy Battelle

“We are very excited about the life science/ biotech community that is growing so significantly in the Columbus Region.

We have important collaborative relationships with many of the organizations based here.

We all stand to gain from the strength of a growing biotech hub here.”

J. KELLY GANJEI, president and CEO, AmplifyBio

There are few better examples of what LaFayette calls a virtuous cycle of investment and expansion than AmplifyBio, and company President and CEO J. Kelly Ganjei knows it.

“We are excited to be a part of the growing life sciences cluster in the Columbus Region,” Ganjei says. “We benefit from collaborative relationships in the area and believe that the more opportunities there are here to grow careers in biotechnology, the more we will all be able to attract top talent.”

AmplifyBio launched in May 2021 as a spinoff from Battelle, the Columbus-based research and development organization that is one of the world’s largest such enterprises.

AmplifyBio’s roots date to 2011, when Battelle built a facility in Madison County devoted to such work as tobacco and asbestos safety studies, contract work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “and sometimes vaccines for the military,” says Kimberly LaPointe, AmplifyBio’s

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That testing work expanded beyond the traditional study of drugs derived from manmade chemicals, LaPointe says. “Over the last eight to 10 years, we’ve been going more to biological material—a protein, a cell or a gene.

Thanks to COVID, we’re all armchair experts about the fact that a lot of drugs are biological material now.”

AmplifyBio launched from Battelle as a contract research organization to help drug development companies test the safety and effectiveness of novel therapeutics and generating the data required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Since the launch, “We have added additional services dedicated to deeper analysis of the characteristics of novel drugs and getting a full system understanding of how they are working—something that is increasingly critical as more and more drugs are biologic material rather than small molecule compounds,” LaPointe says.

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That has included the addition of sites in San Francisco and New Albany, the latter of which is expected to be operational by the end of 2023.

At its 2021 launch, AmplifyBio had 125 employees from Battelle. “Today we have a total of around 325 between the three sites,” LaPointe says.

That number will undoubtedly grow as demand expands.

AmplifyBio is “very excited about the life science/biotech community that is growing so significantly in the Columbus Region,” Ganjei says. “We have important collaborative relationships with many of the organizations based here. We all stand to gain from the strength of a growing biotech hub. “

Automotive and Electric Vehicles In science fiction, the future of automobiles was envisioned as flying cars. But the real future is far more down to Earth, and it’s as close as Marysville.

In October 2022, Honda announced it would make its Marysville auto plant the first of its U.S. operations to transition to the production of electric vehicles. The effort is part of a $700 million investment to refashion that facility, the East Liberty auto plant and the Anna Engine Plant. The goal is to make Ohio the center of production for battery-powered electric vehicles starting in 2026.

Honda also has formed a joint venture with South Korean company LG Energy Solution to build a $3.5 billion battery plant in Fayette County, an investment that likely will grow to $4.4 billion.

The October 2022 announcement was held 45 years to the day after Honda announced its first production facility in Ohio—in Marysville.

Much has changed in the business since the company started manufacturing motorcycles in Ohio, says Bob Nelson, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co. Inc. “This

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LG Energy Solution CEO Robert H. Lee jokes with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Fran DeWine at the March 2023 groundbreaking for the new battery plant LG and Honda are building near Jeffersonville, Fayette County.

File photo by Doral Chenoweth III/The Columbus Dispatch

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is a very challenging time for our entire industry, but also a very exciting time as Honda invests in full electric vehicle production in the Buckeye State,” Nelson says. “When I joined Honda in 1987, just five years later my mission was to dramatically grow our purchasing of parts and materials from local suppliers. So, I understand the challenge of developing a new generation of high technology suppliers for EV production.”

In 2022, Honda produced and sold a record 100,000-plus electrified vehicles in the United States, including the Accord Hybrid, CR-V Hybrid and Insight hybrid sedan.

Honda employs more than 30,000 workers at 18 plants with the annual capacity to produce 1.86 million automobiles, nearly 4 million engines, 500,000 power equipment products and 300,000 powersports products.

Data Centers In June, state leaders announced that Amazon’s cloud business would

invest roughly $7.8 billion over six years to expand data center operations in the Columbus Region.

Amazon Web Services launched its first local data centers in 2016 and now operates campuses in Franklin and Licking counties. The investment is the second-largest private sector investment in Ohio history, behind the $20 billion chip plant announced

by Intel last year.

The company’s long-term commitment to Ohio supports an average of more than 3,500 full-time jobs annually, says Shannon Kellogg, AWS vice president of public policy.

“Ohio has been a terrific partner since 2015, which is a big reason we announced we’re investing an additional $7.8 billion by the end of 2029,” Kellogg says.

Through construction, operation and maintenance of its Central Ohio data centers, AWS’ investment added $2.2 billion to the gross domestic product in the Buckeye State from 2015 through 2022, according to

company data.

“That’s 3,500 jobs we didn’t have before,” LaFayette says. “And at all skill levels. That’s what we really need. Just developing six-figure salaries is really not enough.”

Those investments in turn have supported jobs in sectors such as telecommunications, software development, facilities maintenance and electricity generation within the AWS supply chain.

Amazon originally chose the Columbus Region as a data center hub because of its electric grid reliability and the region’s low exposure to extreme weather, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Since arriving, the company has invested in 18 solar and wind farms in the state, and once fully operational, these projects will generate more than 6.5 million megawatt-hours of clean energy each year—enough to power 609,000 U.S. homes.

There’s more to Amazon’s presence than jobs. “We aim to be a

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good neighbor wherever we are,” Kellogg says. The company’s investments in the Columbus Region include new workforce development and educational programs that “support the next generation of talent by emphasizing collaborative, longterm public and private partnerships across the state.”

That includes helping Columbus State Community College establish a data center technician training program and creating a $50,000 scholar-

ship fund for students in the program.

To advance women in tech careers, Amazon created Girls’ Tech Day for grade-schoolers, a free, half-day event that includes learning about artificial intelligence by programming and building robots and hearing from female tech trailblazers who share their career journeys.

Last year, 400 girls in grades 5-8 from Columbus-area schools participated in the event.

Tim Feran is a freelance writer.

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Intel is a high-profile example of how the Columbus Region is luring tech companies, but there are numerous others.

Pictured: Construction at Intel’s site in New Albany.

File photo by Doral Chenoweth III/The Columbus Dispatch

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File photo by Doral Chenoweth III/The Columbus Dispatch

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BY THE NUMBERS 3,500

full-time jobs with Amazon in the Columbus Region

$7.8 billion

additional local investment by Amazon planned by the end of 2029, on top of $6.3 billion committed since 2015

$3.3 billion

cost of Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s plan to advance genomic science and pediatric medicine

$3.5 billion

plans for Honda-LG Solution battery plant in Fayette County, an investment that likely will grow to $4.4 billion

$20 billion

estimated cost of Intel’s semiconductor chip production campus in Licking County, an investment that could grow to $100 billion • ColumbusCEO

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A REGION IN TRANSFORMATION

The Columbus Region is home to robust insurance and financial services sectors, including Nationwide (left) and Huntington Bancshares Inc. (second from right).

File photo by Doral Chenoweth III/The Columbus Dispatch

Foundation for Growth These core industries have anchored Columbus’ business ecosystem for decades—and they continue to innovate.

By Virginia Brown

★

When it comes to business, the Columbus Region has kept a relatively open mind, so to speak. Instead of depending on one or two sectors that carry outsized impact (and outsized risk), the region supports a wide array of diverse businesses, which propels higher productivity and growth, research shows.

While no single industry represents more than 18 percent of employment in the Columbus Region, a few sectors have anchored the local economy for decades.

“As a risk officer, it was fascinating to me learning just how diversified

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this economy is and how many large companies we have, very few of whom compete directly against one another,” says Mike Mahaffey, executive vice president and chief strategy and corporate development officer at Nationwide, who has worked in major markets including Chicago and

Los Angeles. “It’s about the most resilient large city you can find.”

From insurance and finance to logistics and retail, several industries have served as growth catalysts for dozens of other companies and industries in Columbus—and they’re still going strong.

“As a risk officer, it was fascinating to me learning just how diversified this economy is and how many large companies we have. It’s about the most resilient large city you can find.”

MIKE MAHAFFEY, executive vice president and chief strategy and corporate development officer, Nationwide

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Insurance The insurance industry and related businesses account for more than $8 billion in Columbus’ regional economic output. Anchored by Nationwide, ranked No. 83 on the 2023 Fortune 500, over 30 companies in the region are now mapping the industry’s future.

As the second-largest private sector employer in Columbus, Nationwide has grown to more than 12,000 employees in the region. The company’s property and casualty business sells car, motorcycle, home, pet, farm, life and commercial insurance, while its financial services arm provides retirement plans and other investments for major employers.

Through innovation, it’s grown into a lot more than an insurance company.

“We have a very simple and clear mission, which is to protect people, businesses and futures with extraordinary care,” Mahaffey says.

The mission dates to 1926, when Nationwide sold its first policy as

Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. Within a few years, it expanded to several states, and by 1955, the company had acquired other businesses, changing its name to Nationwide. The company broke ground on its Columbus headquarters in 1978.

Since its inception, Nationwide has been a company of firsts, putting innovation at the forefront. In the 1960s, it led a vehicle safety initiative that paid an additional 50 percent in medical benefits to policyholders who wore seatbelts at the time of an accident. It was also the first insurance company to establish a 24-hour claims reporting service, in 1968.

By 1999, the company had become the first in the industry to combine comprehensive long-term care benefits with retirement savings, and today, Nationwide also sells annuities, mutual funds, retirement plans and specialty health services.

“All of our businesses are constantly iterating and introducing

new products and services, trying to figure out the best application of new technology to unlock value for the customers we serve,” Mahaffey says. For example, the company was an early leader in connected-homes technology, using data and devices to analyze and mitigate risk.

The company also became a major driver of development in Downtown Columbus. Through its real estate investing arm, Nationwide Realty Partners, it remade 75 acres of warehouses and surface parking lots around Nationwide Arena into thousands of apartments and condos and 2.1 million square feet of commercial space over 20 years. The Arena District today is home to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Columbus Clippers and Columbus Crew. West of Downtown, the company planned and built the Grandview Yard mixeduse development on 125 acres formerly occupied by the defunct Big Bear grocery chain.

Through its foundation, the Nationwide’s corporate headquarters in Downtown Columbus

File photo by Doral Chenoweth III/The Columbus Dispatch

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JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s 2-million-square-foot McCoy Center, located off Polaris Parkway, is the bank’s largest facility worldwide.

company also invests in other industries, such as donating $10 million to Nationwide Children’s Hospital for the Nationwide Children’s Pediatric Innovation Fund.

Nationwide is currently working to advance the quickly evolving pet insurance industry, partnering with companies like Walmart and Petco to lower the cost of care.

“It’s a fascinating place,” Mahaffey says. “I think people are shocked at just how digital and tech-forward the organization has become. I’ve been here 19 years, and I continue to learn.”

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Finance With the fifth-largest financial sector in the country, Columbus’ financial services companies make up roughly 7 percent of the region’s economy, rooted in part by major operations for JPMorgan Chase & Co. and locally based Huntington Bancshares Inc. The Columbus Region houses JPMorgan Chase’s second-largest employment market in the world, with more than 18,000 employees based here. About 12,000 of them work in the bank’s 2-million-squarefoot McCoy Center, which is one of

the largest office buildings in the United States.

Columbus is an important center of innovation for Chase, housing the tech talent charged with delivering industry-leading ATM and mobile banking products and envisioning the future.

Huntington, which started over 150 years ago as a modest local bank, has grown to a $189 billion asset regional institution focused on personal and business banking, wealth management and risk management.

Today, Huntington has more than

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File photo by Adam Cairns/The Columbus Dispatch

1,000 branches across 11 states.

“The economic development that’s going on throughout Central Ohio, including Columbus, has just been remarkable,” says Steve Steinour, Huntington’s chairman, president and CEO. “We have lead market share here, and a rising tide floats all boats.”

Indeed, Huntington has helped support and advise executives within the local banking field, including Adelphi Bank, a newly opened Blackowned financial institution that aims

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“It’s a very important part of an ecosystem that you have growth, and that growth brings prosperity.

What we try to do is make sure that prosperity is shared.”

STEVE STEINOUR, CEO, Huntington Bancshares Inc.

to remove barriers to financial equity.

The company also is active in building up the community that has been integral to its growth. The Huntington Empowerment Center at the Columbus Urban League is a 6,500-square-foot facility that includes a minority business assistance center offering financial readiness, contract assistance and one-on-one counseling to small businesses. It’s also home to a STEM learning lab and My Brother’s Closet, a service that provides help with professional attire.

Through its Lift Local Business program, Huntington aims to support small businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans through loans, as well as business-planning support, free financial education courses and more. “This community has been extraordinarily good to us,” Steinour says.

“It’s a very important part of an ecosystem that you have growth, and that growth brings prosperity,”

he says. “What we try to do is make sure that prosperity is shared.”

Retail The Columbus metropolitan area’s more than 2 million residents makes the city an ideal testing ground for major retail businesses.

Bath & Body Works, which opened in 1990 with just a few fragrances, has evolved into a beauty behemoth.

Today the company manufactures and sells roughly 1.4 billion products a year.

Chief supply chain officer Tom Mazurek, who joined the company in 2000, oversees production and sourcing, and in partnership with logistics, distribution to global stores.

One of the company’s keys to success is having its headquarters, manufacturers and suppliers all located within the Personal Care and Beauty Campus of the New Albany International Business Park.

Conceptualized in 2008, Bath & Body Works’ Beauty Park was built

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with the vision that speed and agility were going to be paramount to longterm growth. It broke ground in 2010, and the first product rolled out in 2011. Today, the more than 15 manufacturers in the 4.15-million-squarefoot park represent the entire Bath & Body Works supply chain.

“Between 2011 and this year, we’ve continued to build on capacity and capabilities across the park,” Mazurek says. “We buy about half of our finished goods from New Albany,

ABOUT THE COLUMBUS REGION The Columbus Region’s resilient economy relies on its central location and a growing population and robust talent pipeline for a diverse set of industries.

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which gives us incredible speed and agility to react to the market.”

Previously, bottles of Sweet Pea lotion might have traveled 13,000 miles, taking up to three months to get into customers’ hands. “Now it’s about 10 miles and about three weeks, when we are at our best,” Mazurek says. “It has completely enabled a game change for us and our ability to react to customer trends.”

The Beauty Park has a symbiotic relationship with Columbus. “We have such a diverse and inclusive customer base right here in the Midwest, and it’s a fantastic testing ground for our product,” he says.

“Plus, it enables us to attract, retain and develop a very diverse and inclusive workforce—great access to labor, great access to talent.”

At peak production, Beauty Park employs up to 5,000 full-time associates, plus seasonal employees.

“It’s been a great job creator, a great economic engine,” he says. “And through local partnerships with various organizations, we provide jobskill training and English as a second language training, so outside of the capability and the business benefit, it’s had a significant impact on our decentralized economy.”

Mazurek estimates the Beauty Park investment at several hundred million dollars, including financing, construction and robotics.

“It’s been a tremendous success story, and importantly, the ownership groups that own the factories that consist of Beauty Park also have access to hundreds of millions of dollars of additional capital that they’re willing to invest. So it’s very fluid, and we are growing and investing in capacity and capabilities seemingly every day.”

Logistics With nearly half the U.S. population accessible within a day’s drive, Columbus is a natural hub for logistics, connecting people and markets. The region is a hot spot for fashion, retail and apparel headquarters—all industries where innovation in logistics and e-commerce is essential.

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DHL Supply Chain, headquartered in Westerville, is an industry juggernaut, consisting of 529 facilities, 51,000 associates and more than 160 million square feet of warehouse capacity—a far cry from its modest roots.

In 1969, Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn founded DHL in San Francisco. Initially, the company transported cargo documents by plane, from San Francisco to Honolulu, making it possible to begin customs processing of a ship’s cargo before arrival, which significantly reduced waiting times.

With it, a new industry of international air express service emerged.

Growth has come over the years through a series of iterations and mergers and acquisitions, and today DHL Supply Chain is the global and North American contract logistics leader within DHL Group. The company offers a broad suite of integrated solutions for customers’ supply chains.

“The geographical location of Columbus, Ohio, has created a thriving business community,” says Scott Sureddin, CEO of DHL Supply Chain. “Consumers are continuing to demand faster delivery times, and having a presence in strategic cities like Columbus allows us to help our customers to meet these needs.

Additionally, the infrastructure—such as highways and railroads—makes it a good place to do business.”

Given those demands, the company is constantly looking for creative solutions to supply chain challenges.

In January 2023, DHL Supply Chain became the first company to adopt Stretch, a system of autonomous mobile robots that automate inventory handling. “We are also utilizing AI in our business across several use cases to improve the service to our customers and improve operational efficiency,” Sureddin says.

Cutting-edge technology and a variety of industry integrations help to make supply chain careers attractive. “We work closely with local universities to develop their supply chain management offerings and

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“The geographical location of Columbus, Ohio, has created a thriving business community.”

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Engineers, Surveyors, Planners, Scientists

extend scholarship and internship opportunities, which enables us to play an active role in the next generation of logistics professionals,” says Sureddin. “While warehousing and transportation may be a large part of our business, we are also actively developing talent in supporting fields such as finance, human resources, marketing, engineering, technology, data analytics and more.

“Columbus is full of opportunities for us to continue to expand our footprint,” Sureddin says. “And we look forward to doing that.”

Virginia Brown is a freelance writer.

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File photo by Doral Chenoweth III/ The Columbus Dispatch

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34 ColumbusCEO •

The DHL Supply Chain warehouse at 2849 Rohr Road near Rickenbacker International Airport.

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A REGION IN TRANSFORMATION

The Columbus Way

Working together across the private sector, government and academia unlocks a special brand of collaboration and creativity that lifts Columbus.

By Katy Smith

Walkers traverse the pathways along the Scioto Mile in Downtown Columbus.

File photo by Fred Squillante/The Columbus Dispatch

★

A decade ago, the Scioto riverfront through Downtown Columbus wasn’t exactly a draw. There weren’t many appealing places to enjoy the river on foot or by boat, and opportunities to dine or take in music there were essentially nonexistent during much of the year.

Fast-forward to 2023, and the Scioto’s banks are a lush greenway supporting 33 acres of new parkland.

Residents and tourists alike enjoy the riverfront from North Bank Park south to Bicentennial Plaza, walking, biking, picnicking and boating.

Public art dots the trails, including statues of deer sporting human expressions that have become favorites for silly selfies and humorous engagement photos.

In the summer and fall, the Scioto is the energetic hub for festivals that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Food, drinks and fun flow, with the whole scene overlooking the Columbus skyline.

The brand-new Scioto Peninsula development adds 56 acres of housing, offices, hotels and entertainment to the west of COSI, the city’s renowned science museum, and just south of the landmark National Veterans Memorial and Museum. A

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bit farther to the west, a revitalized Franklinton arts district continues to see new buildings and park projects announced each year.

It’s a complete transformation for Columbus, representing hundreds of millions of dollars in development guided by public-private collaboration. And the Scioto’s new life is only one example of the monumental change taking place across the region as cities welcome droves of new residents and the economy is remade with new industries including semiconductor manufacturing, electric vehicle battery plants and biotechnology innovation.

This transformation took just 10 years to bring into being.

How? The Columbus Way.

An Ethos Born out of Struggle Following the banking and housing crises that set off the 2007 to 2009 recession, business leaders in Columbus came together to work on restoring the region’s economy.

Based on a benchmarking assessment by the Columbus Partnership, Columbus 2020 was created as a public-private organization dedicated to regional economic development; it was renamed One Columbus in 2019.

By 2014, the significant strides that had been made and the genuine “get-it-done-together” fashion of working in the Columbus Region had caught the attention of Harvard Business School researcher Jan Rivkin, who wrote “The Columbus Partnership” case study published in May 2015.

That level of civic engagement by business and government leaders, coined by Rivkin as “The Columbus Way,” became the focus of a Harvard course of the same name. At the heart of the Columbus Way is putting aside individual interests to advance the common good.

“The Columbus Way is about creating a common good through ambition, collaboration and aspiration. I’ve witnessed that professionally and personally. And it’s exciting to be a part of,” says Doug Ulman,

38 ColumbusCEO •

the former leader of the Livestrong Foundation who came to Columbus in 2014 to become CEO of the nonprofit Pelotonia.

Pelotonia itself is a living example of the Columbus Way. With its signature annual bicycle ride, an event that galvanizes people from around the region, the organization and its supporters have raised more than $258 million in the past 15 years dedicated to one cause: fighting cancer.

All of those funds are directed to the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, which

Above: Pelotonia participants start their 100-mile trek on Aug. 5, 2023. This year marked the 15th for the annual bicycle ride that raises funds for cancer research.

Right: A second tower at the Hilton Columbus Downtown opened in October 2022.

“The alignment on a vision and speaking with one voice is allowing us to win, and win in ways that have impact on Ohio.”

PETER MOHLER, executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge at The Ohio State University

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Lower.com Field was constructed after a successful campaign to keep the Columbus Crew in Ohio.

established the Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology in 2019 with a $102,265,000 pledge from its namesake.

“There are very few philanthropic, charitable events like this around the country where companies coalesce and say, ‘We’re gonna go all in together, we don’t care who [quote] owns it, we don’t care whose brand is bigger, we don’t care whose logo gets credit. We actually just want to drive the mission,” he says.

The Columbus Way plays out every day, week and month in myriad manifestations, says Ulman, who has the opportunity to see it through his service on several boards and as a member of the Columbus Partnership. When leaders from outside the area marvel at the latest economic development win or innovative

workforce equity program, “the answer is always the same,” Ulman says.

“The answer is we collaborated.

We each contributed in some way, whether it’s time, talent or treasure, and we knew that it would add up to something that benefits the community at large.”

A Decade of Catalyzing Big Initiatives Getting alignment across the private sector, government, nonprofits and academia has been a game-changer for the Columbus Region as it looks to attract companies to do business here.

“We think that that leads to better outcomes,” says Kenny McDonald, president and CEO of the Columbus Partnership. “At the end of the day,

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File photo by Adam Cairns/The Columbus Dispatch

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it’s more equitable and more thoughtful. And actually, it’s more scalable, because you have these other sectors in the community actually helping you execute.

“It isn’t just a marketing line—people genuinely want to catalyze big initiatives and build a future together,” McDonald says.

Alignment across state government, local municipalities, and state and regional economic development groups gives the region the ability to move rapidly when opportunities arise. When an outside group meets with stakeholders in the Columbus Region and they all say the same thing, it’s powerful, says Peter Mohler, executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge at The Ohio State University and chief scientific officer at Ohio State

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The new Google data center on the south side of Columbus, pictured in July

42 ColumbusCEO •

low-on investment.

• The Columbus Crew soccer franchise is almost sold to outof-state buyers but is saved nearly at the last minute to the cheers of an enthusiastic fan base. Bought by the owners of the Cleveland Browns, the team gets a new stadium built with a major commitment from the city of Columbus.

• The Hilton Columbus Downtown expands to a second tower, giving it 1,000 hotel rooms and 75,000 square feet of meeting space connected to the Greater Columbus Convention Center, putting Columbus on the map for major events and gatherings.

• Santa Clara, California-based Intel Corp. chooses Licking County as the location of a planned semiconductor chip manufacturing complex, with an initial investment of $20 billion that could grow to as much as $100 billion in the coming years. What was a bucolic rural landscape is set to become the “Silicon Heartland” with thousands of jobs and dozens of tech companies.

• More than 20 Ohio community colleges form a coalition pledging to develop curriculum to train a workforce for Intel and other tech companies. Columbus

A rendering of Carmenton, Ohio State University’s innovation district

State Community College establishes the Columbus Promise, giving Pell-grant-eligible students from low-income families in the Columbus City School District the chance to attend CSCC tuition-free.

• Facebook, Amazon and Google build data centers in New Albany and elsewhere, placing Columbus among the top 10 data center regions nationally. Utility American Electric Power Company Inc. offers reduced rates to help attract the tech giants.

• The life sciences sector takes root in the Columbus Region.

Building on advances in genetic medicine at Nationwide

File photo by Doral Chenoweth III/The Columbus Dispatch

University Wexner Medical Center.

“The alignment on a vision and speaking with one voice is allowing us to win, and win in ways that have impact on Ohio,” he says. “And I think that last piece is really important: These are not simply economic deals for the sake of the economic deal. These are relationships, built on trust, that are really meant to make the local economy in the state flourish.”

All the major wins for the Columbus Region since 2013 involve coalitions among public and private entities: • The completion of the Scioto Mile and Scioto Greenways restoration project brings the Downtown Columbus riverfront and surrounding properties to life.

• Franklinton, just west of Downtown, rises from a floodplain-challenged neighborhood with few residents and 100 years of disinvestment into a flourishing creative center.

• Columbus wins the U.S. Department of Transportation Smart City Challenge, bringing $50 million in grants to create an urban lab studying technological connectedness and next-century mobility such as electric and autonomous vehicles. The win attracted $525 million in fol-

File image courtesy The Ohio State University

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THE COLUMBUS PA R T N E R S H I P : The Values We Believe In The Columbus Partnership is committed to the Columbus Way. It’s the practice of community stewardship, anchored by a set of values and principles that power progress in our region.

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Fellowship

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Inclusivity

The recognition that leaders and change agents spring from everywhere

Common good

A commitment to service that elevates all Source: The Columbus Partnership

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File photo by Doral Chenoweth III/The Columbus Dispatch

The Gravity development in Franklinton

Children’s Hospital and spinoff companies born from that work—and with collaboration from Ohio State University and Battelle, the world’s largest contract research and development organization—companies such as Amgen Inc. announce major projects here.

• The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center embarks on nearly $2 billion in development, including a new main hospital tower.

• The state of Ohio designates 270 acres near OSU’s campus as an innovation district. Carmenton, as it is called, will eventually host collaborative space for the entrepreneurial, corporate, academic and health care sectors.

• A Honda and LG Energy Solution joint venture breaks ground on a $3.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Fayette County south of Columbus.

The Goal: “To Be the Most Prosperous Place in the Country” With the population of the metropolitan area set to grow from about 2.1 million in 2010 to 3.15 million by

44 ColumbusCEO •

“It isn’t just a marketing line— people genuinely want to catalyze big initiatives and build a future together.”

KENNY MCDONALD, president and CEO, Columbus Partnership 2050, according to projections from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, practicing the tenets of the Columbus Way will help the region attain its ultimate goal: true prosperity for all.

“Our goal is not to be the largest economy. It isn’t to be the richest local economy,” McDonald says. “It really is to be the most prosperous place in the country, meaning we’re growing at a measurable, sustainable pace, but we’re also closing gaps.”

At a recent small group dinner gathering of Partnership members, the conversation centered on how to achieve shared prosperity for everyone in the community, says Matt Scantland, who founded health

care companies CoverMyMeds and AndHealth.

“There’s a recognition that as we grow, that growth doesn’t always help everyone,” Scantland says. “This has been a fact of economic growth in every country in every century.

So we realize we need to do things differently to make sure everyone wins.”

That means considering initiatives from many perspectives and joining hands to get the work done, McDonald says.

“For our communities to prepare for the future and be ready to react in a rapidly changing world, we have to lean into being adaptable. And we’re going to take down our old barriers between communities and programs. It’s much, much more than a simple marketing entity or business attraction entity. It is about truly having a regional collaboration to build the most prosperous region of the country.”

Katy Smith is a freelance writer and former editor of Columbus CEO. (Editor’s note: Katy Smith is also a contract writer with CoverMyMeds.

Scantland sold the company and departed before Smith joined its marketing team.)

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A REGION IN TRANSFORMATION

The Charleen & Charles Hinson Amphitheater in New Albany

Photo courtesy Robb McCormick Photography

The Columbus Region at a Glance Each of the Region’s 11 counties offers unique assets for both business and residents.

46 ColumbusCEO •

By Julanne Hohbach and Laura Newpoff

★

Home to 2.23 million people, the Columbus Region is a vibrant metropolitan area that is experiencing significant growth in both the business community and population. A diverse crosssection of companies operates in its 11 counties, including retail, restaurants, financial services, insurance, logistics, biotech and many more. The Region is welleducated and hosts numerous

colleges and universities, serving both undergraduates and those seeking continuing education opportunities. From family-owned startups to Fortune 100 industry leaders, the business climate embraces all types of enterprise.

A true spirit of cooperation sets the Columbus Region apart and— along with its numerous assets and innovative mindset—creates a place where companies and their employees can prosper.

Data sources: population from 2021 Census estimates; age, households and income from 2020 ACS 5-year estimates

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The Alum Creek State Park Marina is a popular recreation spot for residents of Delaware County and beyond.

File photo by Doral Chenoweth III/The Columbus Dispatch

D E L AWA R E Population

229,938 Median age

39

Historical growth 1980-2021

310%

Projected population growth 2021-2050

80.2%

KNOWLEDGE IS AN ASSET in Delaware County, which is home to three institutions of higher education: Columbus State Community College (Delaware Campus), Methodist Theological School in Ohio and Ohio Wesleyan University. More than half of the county’s residents have a bachelor’s degree. Despite its inland location 25 miles north of Downtown Columbus, it has 140 miles of shoreline along its rivers, lakes and reservoirs—the most of any county in the state.

Notable Employer McGraw Hill 8787 Orion Place, Columbus mheducation.com Business Educational publishing company Founded 1888 Headquarters New York

The former Carnegie library is now used for Delaware County offices.

File photo by The Columbus Dispatch

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The Lancaster Festival attracts nationally known performing artists and thousands of visitors to the county seat each year.

File photo courtesy Martin Barker Design

FA I R F I E L D Population

163,513 Historical growth 1980-2021

Notable Employer Claypool Electric Inc. 1275 Lancaster-Kirkersville Road NW, Lancaster • claypoolelectric.com

Projected population growth 2021-2050

Founded 1954

Median age

40.8

71.9%

33.4%

AS THE FOURTH-fastestgrowing county in Ohio over the past decade, Fairfield County is home to more than 3,000 businesses amid a wide range of community surroundings, both metropolitan and rural.

Fairfield County is home to more than 5,000 acres of parkland and preserves, as well as the scenic Hocking Hills, and the county has a rich history in farming and manufacturing.

Business Family-owned electrical contractor

Canal Winchester, a suburb of Columbus, spans Franklin and Fairfield counties.

File photo by Doral Chenoweth III/The Columbus Dispatch

48 ColumbusCEO •

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FRANKLIN

American Electric Power’s headquarters in Downtown Columbus

Photo courtesy American Electric Power Company Inc.

Population

1,354,876 Median age

35.8

Median household income

$68,551

Notable Employer American Electric Power Company Inc. 1 Riverside Plaza, Columbus aep.com

Percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher

44%

Business Investor-owned electric utility Founded 1906

FRANKLIN COUNTY is at the epicenter of the state’s political, economic and social presence.

Ohio’s capital city, Columbus, is located in Franklin County, which is home to thriving businesses, outstanding educational institutions and strong public-private sector alliances. Rapidly becoming known as a tech hub, Franklin County attracts renowned researchers, entrepreneurs, millennial talent and forward-thinking leaders.

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KNOX

Kenyon College in Gambier File photo by Adam Cairns/The Columbus Dispatch

Population

63,471 Median age

40.4

Households

23,798 Percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher

24%

Notable Employer FT Precision Inc. 9731 Mount Gilead Road, Fredericktown ftprecision.com Business Automotive parts manufacturer Founded 1994

GIFTED WITH SOME of the finest landscape views in Ohio, Knox County offers a rural lifestyle while being deeply dedicated to the Columbus metro area. The county seat, Mount Vernon, is the largest city and is surrounded by development-minded communities. Knox County is home to the highly ranked higher education institutions Kenyon College in Gambier and Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

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LICKING

Population

182,210 Median age

41.4

Historical growth 1980-2021

49.1%

Projected population growth

2021-2050

30.9%

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THE PERFECT MIX of small-town charm and big-city benefits, Licking County offers a high quality of life and low cost of living. The county’s strong infrastructure, diverse workforce and incentives for new and growing businesses are assets for economic growth. Three universities (including the private, liberal-arts-focused Denison University), two technical schools and more than 20 public and private schools help create a diverse and talented workforce. Intel is investing more than $20 billion to build two new semiconductor factories here in the New Albany International Business Park.

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The Licking County courthouse in downtown Newark

File photo by Sheridan Hendrix/The Columbus Dispatch

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Transportation Research Center Inc. performs multiple types of automotive testing at its facility in East Liberty.

LOGAN

Population

46,414 Median age

42.6

Households

19,260 Median household income Photos courtesy Transportation Research Center Inc. (3)

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HOME TO THRIVING communities such as Indian Lake, West Liberty and Bellefontaine, Logan County is situated at the highest point in Ohio, 60 minutes from Downtown Columbus. Industry is expanding and continuing to invest in the county; nearly 10,000 people commute to work here daily. The county is home to Transportation Research Center Inc., the largest independent vehicle test facility and proving ground in the country.

Notable Employer Transportation Research Center Inc. 10820 State Route 347, East Liberty trcpg.com Business Independent mobility testing service provider Founded 1988

A FAITH BASED RESIDENTIAL RECOVERY ORGANIZATION HELPING WOMEN OVERCOME LIFECONTROLLING ADDICTIONS SINCE 1970

COLUMBUS CELEBRATING OVER 53 YEARS.

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MADISON

Population

Plain City boasts small-town charm but is close to Columbus.

44,386

File photo by Doral Chenoweth III/The Columbus Dispatch

Median age

40.4

Historical growth 1980-2021

34.5%

Notable Employer Stanley Electric U.S. Company Inc. 420 E. High St., London stanleyelectricus.com Business Exterior vehicle lighting producer

Projected population growth 2021-2050

Founded 1979

30.9%

PURPOSE-DRIVEN BRANDED MERCHANDISE Improved employee recruiting, onboarding and retention Support for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives Sustainable merchandise for social impact Reduced financial risk with managed inventory Local and global distribution Contact us today to get started. support@leaderpromos.zendesk.com 614.416.6909

LEADERPROMOSAGENCY.com

56 ColumbusCEO •

MADISON COUNTY OFFERS a rich combination of agricultural heritage, a growing business and residential sector, and a strong sense of community. With 88 percent of its land operated as farms, the county ranks fourth in Ohio for both corn and soybean production. It’s also home to strong local school districts and successful companies in a variety of industries.

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MARION

A Whirlpool Corp. factory in Marion

Population

65,076 Median age

41.2

Households

24,943 Median household income

$51,488

File photo by Adam Cairns/The Columbus Dispatch

Notable Employer Whirlpool Corp.

1650 Marion-Agosta Road, Marion whirlpoolcorp.com Business Appliance manufacturer Founded 1911 Headquarters Benton Harbor, Michigan

MARION COUNTY is an innovative and evolving community with a key focus on workforce development. With numerous educational offerings such as RAMTEC Ohio, an industry leader in providing robotics and advanced manufacturing certifications, and a collaborative business environment, the county is a place where both companies and families can prosper.

Proudly Serving Ohio's Business Community for Over 55 Years We are here to empower organizations to succeed by allowing them to focus on what they do best, because we take care of their payroll and human resources needs with the utmost accuracy, expertise, and caring.

www.ahola.com 800-727-2849 214 Hoff Road Unit J Westerville, Ohio 43082

• ColumbusCEO

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Sippel Family Farm in Mount Gilead also operates Kokoborrego Cheese Co.

We are a powerhouse when it comes to business.

Our economic development team spans 25 not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperatives in 77 of Ohio’s 88 counties. We proudly serve and advise members, ranging from Fortune 500 industrial manufacturing plants to family-owned businesses, in how to grow, prosper, and be competitive in Ohio.

Contact Dennis Mingyar, director of economic development, at 614.430.7876 or dmingyar@ohioec.org for assistance and to receive our newsletter.

File photo by Tim Johnson

MORROW Population

35,181 Median age

42.4

Households

13,511

Median household income

ohioec.org 58 ColumbusCEO •

HOME TO GLOBAL employers and local companies, Morrow County continues to strengthen its employment and economic base.

Its small-town atmosphere, colorful history and strong manufacturing presence all contribute to its growth. The county is home to global employers such as Dollar Tree Inc. and Cardington Yutaka Technologies Inc., as well as homegrown brands like Lubrication Specialties.

$67,064

Notable Employer Lubrication Specialties 3975 Morrow Meadows Drive, Mount Gilead lubricationspecialties.com Business Performance lubricant manufacturer Founded 1997

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Unrivaled Financial Resilience In the ever-changing private aviation industry, NetJets offers discerning travelers investment security, today and tomorrow.

Invest in the smartest way to fly at netjets.com.

NetJets Inc. is a Berkshire Hathaway company. Aircraft are managed and operated by NetJets Aviation, Inc. NetJets is a wholly owned subsidiary of NetJets Inc. NetJets® is a registered service mark. ©2023 NetJets IP, LLC. All rights reserved.

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P I C K AWAY

TS Tech Americas Inc. operates TriMold in Circleville.

Population

Photo courtesy Kyosuke Ohgame

60,057 Median age

41.1

Historical growth 1980-2021

35.9%

Projected population growth 2021-2050

34.6%

60 ColumbusCEO •

Notable Employer TriMold 200 Pittsburgh Road, Circleville tstech.com Business Manufacturer of resin-based products for automobiles Founded 2005 Headquarters Parent company TS Tech Americas Inc. is based in Reynoldsburg.

WITH A POPULATION of more than 60,000, Pickaway County is poised to grow by more than 16,000 residents by the year 2030. The area has rural charm and a strong work ethic, but also boasts the comforts of being situated in a large metropolitan area. The county has a well-developed transportation and utility infrastructure system that can accommodate most industrial and business needs.

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UNION

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. factory on Industrial Parkway in Marysville

Population

67,092

File photo by Doral Chenoweth III/The Columbus Dispatch

Median age

38.7

Historical growth 1980-2021

120%

Projected population growth 2021-2050

Notable Employer The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. 14111 County Highway 105, Marysville scottsmiraclegro.com Business Lawn and garden products producer Founded 1868

48.8%

UNION COUNTY is the second-fastest-growing county in Ohio, with a strong emphasis on economic diversification and vitality. Union County provides businesses with many advantages, including a diverse and highly skilled workforce, a growing population, low costs of living and doing business, plus direct access to surrounding metro areas.

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COME PRACTICE UNDER THE MOST AGGRESSIVE PROTOCOL IN THE REGION

PHYSICIANS A M B U L A N C E 62 ColumbusCEO •

PHYSICIANSAMBULANCE.COM

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Building a safe, lively and environmentally conscious community Nationwide is proud of its heritage as a Columbus-based Fortune 100 Nationwide is proud of its heritage as a Columbus-based Fortune 100 company. And we’re proud of the continued success of the central Ohio company. And we’re proud of the continued success of the central Ohio region, fueled by its unique private/public partnership that spurs growth, region, fueled by its unique private/public partnership that spurs growth, innovation and competitiveness in a global economy. innovation and competitiveness in a global economy.

Nationwide and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2023 Nationwide CPR-1150AO.2 (08/23) Nationwide and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2023 Nationwide CPR-1150AO.2 (08/23)