2021
Q3
QUARTERLY REPORT
FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO
October 8, 2021
Dear Columbus Partnership Members, In July, I announced that my time as CEO of the Columbus Partnership would come to an end at the close of this year, with Kenny McDonald to take the helm. The Columbus Partnership is a special organization, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done to advance the greatest city in America. After 13 extraordinary years, the time is right to pass the torch. Kenny has been my longtime partner in Columbus, and his vision and commitment to advancing both business and community interests is steadfast. I couldn’t be more supportive of his leadership as we work together to ensure a seamless transition over these last few months. On behalf of myself, Kenny, our Chairman Les Wexner, and Vice Chairs Nick Akins, Nancy Kramer, and Steve Steinour, we thank you for your collective commitment to Columbus through your engagement in the Partnership. Our business leadership’s impact on community issues sets this city apart from all others, and it will ensure Columbus’ momentum during the important year ahead.
Alex R. Fischer President and CEO 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Membership and Engagement .........................04 Economic Development ......................................06 Smart Columbus .................................................... 09 Public Policy ............................................................ 10 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion .............................12 Columbus Brand ......................................................14 Our Team ....................................................................15 Member Roster .........................................................16
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MEMBERSHIP & ENGAGEMENT
UPCOMING ALL-MEMBER ENGAGEMENTS
Q3 ENGAGEMENT RECAP August 26 | New Member Overview We hosted 7 of our newest members at the Columbus Partnership offices to discuss the history and evolution of our organization and our collective work to advance community issues.
Strategic Member Worksessions (virtual)
July 16 and September 17 | DEI All-Workgroups Sessions In Q3 we hosted two DEI all-workgroups sessions where members discussed our progress and how to advance the work ahead. The group also engaged with Ryan Donahue, our partner in this work, to begin to build a framework for goal-setting, impact and future investments.
Due to Covid-19, the annual Leadership Retreat at Harvard has been postponed. We are hopeful to revisit those plans in early 2022.
July 28 | Competitiveness Council Members of the Competitiveness Council convened at The CoOperative, Nationwide’s innovation center, to discuss our public policy priorities and economic development progress and hear from Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley.
OCTOBER 14-15
We will use these two days together to advance conversations about the future of the Columbus Region, community issues we are facing and our collective leadership role.
DECEMBER 9 | 6-9 PM
Holiday Party (location TBA)
Vaccinated members and spouses are invited to join us in celebration of our collective community efforts and the holiday season.
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NEW MEMBERS We welcomed five members to the Columbus Partnership this quarter:
Chris Calamari Senior Vice President, U.S. Nutrition Abbott Nutrition
David Ciesinski Chairman & CEO Lancaster Colony Corporation
Dr. Andy Thomas Interim Co-Leader and Chief Clinical Officer; Senior Associate VIce President of Health Sciences OSU Wexner Medical Center
Arthur Scherbel Managing Partner PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
Lewis Smoot, Jr. Chairman, President & CEO Smoot Construction
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT YALP On September 2, Columbus YALP alumni participated in a special virtual conversation with Heather McGhee, chairman of Color of Change and author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, moderated by Nancy Kramer. The program was held in conjunction with The Columbus Foundation’s Celebration of Philanthropy.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT YTD RESULTS
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$2B
EXPANSIONS AND NEW LOCATIONS
INVESTMENT
5,015 JOBS COMMITTED
$285M NEW PAYROLL CREATED
OHIO TO WORK
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Governor DeWine and JobsOhio announced the expansion of Ohio To Work. The initiative provides those seeking employment with career opportunities that increase income and improve quality of life, personalized career coaching, accelerating job training options, local employer connections, career tools, and more. Our One Columbus team is working closely with JobsOhio and the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio on this initiative. To get your organization involved as an employer seeking talent, contact David White at dw@columbusregion.com.
Q3 PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Google announced continued expansion in the Columbus Region with a $1B investment in New Albany and the purchase of land for future data centers in Columbus and Lancaster. The sites will give Google more than 1,000 acres of land in the Region and will soon be one of 28 global “regions” for Google Cloud – there are currently only eight in the United States, not including Columbus.
Marker Development LLC, an affiliate of Marker, Inc., broke ground on 200,000-squarefeet of new speculative construction at Peak Industrial Park in Bellefontaine, investing more than $14 million. The development will be comprised of two new 100,000-squarefoot institutional-grade speculative buildings, demisable in 20,000-squarefoot increments.
Marker Development
American Nitrile
River Financial
Hollingsworth
FlightSafety International
TenCate
Aware
Hollingsworth, a leading logistics provider to the manufacturing and distribution industries, plans to expand its operations in Columbus, investing $550,000 and creating 95 new jobs.
FlightSafety International, the world’s premier professional aviation training company and supplier of flight simulators, visual systems and displays, announced plans to relocate its headquarters to Columbus, investing $3.1 million.
American Nitrile, a newly launched Columbus-based company, is building the most advanced U.S. manufacturing facility dedicated to producing nitrile gloves for healthcare, government and industrial use. Production at the 527,000-square-foot industrial facility in Grove City, is expected to begin early next year, creating 400 new jobs.
TenCate Advanced Armor, a leading provider of lightweight armor solutions, announced plans to expand its presence in Hebron, creating 20 new jobs.
River Financial Inc., a Bitcoinfocused financial services firm that enables clients to easily integrate Bitcoin into their investment portfolios and broader financial strategies, announced plans to open a new operations hub in Columbus, creating 30 new jobs.
Aware, an all-in-one governance, e-Discovery, data loss prevention (DLP) and intelligence platform that removes risk, analyzes organization sentiment and delivers authentic insights, plans to expand its presence in Columbus, creating 50 new jobs.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (CONT’D) The fourth quarter is positioned to also be strong, with four One Columbus client companies having announced more than 1,200 new jobs within the first week of October alone:
Upstart
NetJets
Bark
VARGO®
Upstart, a leading artificial intelligence (AI) lending platform, has announced plans to expand its operations in Columbus, creating 508 new jobs. With this expansion, Upstart is on track to have more than 250,000-square-feet of total office space in the city of Columbus. As the company continues to further develop its AI lending platform through relationships with banks, the Columbus Region has become the market of focus for its operations growth, doubling its Columbus workforce.
The Original BARK Company, a leading global omnichannel brand for dogs and their parents, plans to further expand in Columbus, creating 500 new full-time jobs over the next four years. The planned new hire will triple the headcount at BARK’s Columbus office and enable the company to further scale its growing product offerings.
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NetJets, the world’s first and largest private jet company, has announced plans to expand its global headquarters in Columbus, creating 154 new jobs. The company currently has 1,516 full-time associates in the Columbus Region, and the addition of 154 new jobs will support its recent growth and meet future objectives.
VARGO®, a leading provider of material-handling systems integration, warehouse execution software and equipment solutions for major fulfillment and distribution centers, has announced plans to expand its operations in Dublin, investing approximately $4 million and creating 24 new jobs.
SMART COLUMBUS As we pivot Smart Columbus toward a new direction, many local leaders and others across the country have reached out expressing commitment for the long-haul and sharing how the lessons of this program have made the industry and our community smarter overall. To position our efforts for success into the future, we’ve brought on two new team members, David Ingmire as director of operations and Savannah Sockwell as digital inclusion coordinator.
ACCELERATION PARTNER PROGRAM COMMITMENTS
In July, we introduced the final goals for the next chapter of the Accelerator Partner program and we are actively enlisting Partnership companies to recommit for the next four years. Partners pledge to achieve 75%+ of eligible goals by 2025. Please contact Jordan Davis at jld@columbuspartnership.com to get involved.
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PUBLIC POLICY The Partnership has taken action on a variety of federal and local policy issues, including vaccine legislation, tax credit opportunities, energy legislation, the capital budget process and more.
HOUSE BILL 248 The Columbus Partnership has expressed its opposition to House Bill 248, legislation that would prevent the COVID-19 vaccine from being mandatory and would apply to all immunizations, including childhood vaccines. As current Ohio law allows for school immunization exemptions to decline vaccinations for medical, religious, or reasons of conscience (known as the philosophical exemption) and most businesses allow for flexibility in regard to vaccinations, we strongly oppose HB 248.
TRANSFORMATIONAL MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT Senate Bill 39 authorized the Ohio Tax Credit Authority to award up to $100 million in tax credits available for property owners and insurance companies that invest in eligible TMUD projects through the calendar year 2023.
OPPOSITION TO CITY OF COLUMBUS ISSUE 7 The Partnership is opposed to Issue 7, a ballot initiative that would take critical funds from city services and give them to ProEnergy Ohio, LLC, an out-of-state organization that has no clear plan for use of the funds and wouldn’t be subject to any public oversight. We will continue to work with Partnership members and companies to advocate against its passage.
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AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN AND FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES The Partnership is also a strong advocate of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which would invest tens of millions of dollars into repairing roads and bridges across Ohio, as well as funds to increase access to broadband services.
ELECTED OFFICIAL CONNECTIVITY Continued engagement with our Governor, members of Congress, leaders in the Ohio Legislature and local officials are crucial to progressing our Region’s competitiveness agenda. Q4 will bring important opportunities for members to engage with these political leaders as we discuss prosperity and postpandemic priorities.
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DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION The Partnership, in pursuit of the shared vision to make Columbus the most prosperous region in the U.S., is developing a new plan to address its role in realizing this community-wide aspiration. The Partnership’s DEI Steering Committee has been engaged in the development of a strategy that is focused on building equitable outcomes necessary to achieve this vision. The work is being guided by Ryan Donahue, principal of RM Donahue Consulting and fellow at the Brookings Institution. In July and September, the three DEI workgroups convened with Ryan Donahue to discuss next steps. The discussion centered on how to approach the aspiration to make Columbus the most inclusive of its peer regions and a model for how the private sector can lead in the creation of a more equitable economy. To do this, Columbus must work to close racial disparities in education, incomes and wealth. Work is ongoing to develop a portfolio of goals and related actions for the Partnership. This topic will also be addressed with members during virtual strategy sessions in October.
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WORKGROUP UPDATES INDIVIDUAL AWARENESS AND EDUCATION The Individual Awareness and Education workgroup, focused on furthering our understanding of the impacts of racism on society and here in Columbus, will explore plans for the Partnership’s educational opportunities in 2022. Though the September conversation about race rooted in the work of Aminah Robinson was canceled due the surge in COVID-19 cases, the commitment to education remains.
ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT The Organizational Commitment workgroup, focused on what we must do within our own organizations to drive change, is in the process of understanding where Partnership organizations sit today on the broad spectrum of DEI-focused activity. Partnership members were asked to complete a survey, which will allow the Organizational Commitment workgroup to understand the baseline of DEI-focused activity that exists within the membership. Survey results along with information collected during one-on-one qualitative interviews will be used to build a framework of recommendations to enact or change within Partnership organizations.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS The Community Partnerships workgroup, focused on identifying where the Partnership should align with existing efforts in Columbus, has been meeting with equity-focused organizations. One outcome of such meetings is that the Columbus Partnership has formalized a partnership with the African American Leadership Academy (AALA) with an investment of $150,000 to support a second cohort of the AALA Signature Program for the upcoming class to begin in January. In addition, Partnership members and staff assisted with the recruitment, interview and onboarding process for the Rise Together Innovation Center chief executive officer, Danielle Sydnor, who started the position in September. The center’s office is co-located at the Smart Columbus Experience Center. Workgroup members continue to meet monthly with Rise Together Innovation Center leadership to ensure ongoing connectivity and to identify future areas of potential support and partnership.
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COLUMBUS BRAND One Columbus has partnered with Experience Columbus to relaunch the visibility of the Columbus brand at John Glenn International Airport. AEP, Battelle, Big Lots, Bold Penguin, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Nationwide, NetJets, Rockbridge, The Ohio State University, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The James Cancer Hospital Solove Research Institute, Vertiv, and Worthington Industries have banded together to pool funds and resources to dominate advertising space in the airport with the Live Forward Columbus campaign. Massive static displays and digital animations featuring the campaign are present on every airport level and concourse, telling a cohesive story about the Columbus Region’s “Live Forward” spirit as a region that’s progressive, full of opportunity, and that helps people and companies reach their full potential. “Live Forward” is about establishing not only which organizations make Columbus an ideal place to be for living and working, but what those organizations live for -- their core values and mission.
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OUR TEAM COLUMBUS PARTNERSHIP Irene Alvarez Vice President, Engagement, Marketing and Communications ia@columbuspartnership.com Robbie Banks Program Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion rb@columbuspartnership.com Gerard Basalla Associate Director, Public Policy gb@columbuspartnership.com Alex Fischer President and CEO arf@columbuspartnership.com Sean Grant Chief Administrative Officer sg@columbuspartnership.com Tara Griffin Staff Accountant tg@columbusregion.com Megan Hurley Director, Engagement and Programming mh@columbuspartnership.com Zach McGuire Director, Clean Energy Partners zm@columbuspartnership.com Gideon Okonrende Loaned Executive, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion go@columbuspartnership.com Mark Patton Vice President, New Business Ventures mp@columbuspartnership.com Jeff Polesovsky Vice President, Public Policy jp@columbuspartnership.com
Savannah Ranz Engagement Coordinator sbr@columbuspartnership.com
Jay Knox Research Manager jkk@columbusregion.com
Susan Rutherford Director, Benefits and Administration slr@columbuspartnership.com
Matt McCollister Senior Vice President, Economic Development mm@columbusregion.com
Terry Trissell Executive Assistant to the President and CEO tt@columbuspartnership.com
ONE COLUMBUS Justin Bickle Managing Director, Client Services and Project Management jb@columbusregion.com Stephen Cone Economic Development Coordinator sc@columbusregion.com Logan Dawson Project Manager ld@columbusregion.com Juliet Hall Research Analyst jh@columbusregion.com Amy Harman Director, Marketing and Communications ah@columbusregion.com Chip Holcombe Managing Director, Investor Relations ch@columbusregion.com Jung Kim Managing Director, Research and Business Intelligence jk@columbusregion.com
SMART COLUMBUS Jordan Davis Executive Director jld@smartcolumbus.com David Ingmire Director of Operations di@smartcolumbus.com
Kenny McDonald President & Chief Economic Officer km@columbusregion.com
Mackenzie King Director, Innovation Initiatives mk@smartcolumbus.com
Matt McQuade Managing Director, Business Development mmq@columbusregion.com
Alex Slaymaker Head of Programs for Sustainability Initiatives as@smartcolumbus.com
Tammy Palasique Workforce Development Specialist tp@columbusregion.com
Savannah Sockwell Digital Inclusion Coordinator ss@smartcolumbus.com
Jackie Pervan Executive Assistant to the President and CEO jp@columbusregion.com Jennifer Randall Senior Staff Accountant jr@columbusregion.com Deborah Scherer Managing Director, Global Trade and Investment ds@columbusregion.com Tom Stipkovich Project Manager ts@columbusregion.com David White Director, Workforce and Talent Solutions dw@columbusregion.com Haley Young Administrative Specialist hy@columbusregion.com
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MEMBER ROSTER Jane Grote Abell CPO & Executive Chairwoman of the Board Donatos Pizzeria, LLC
David A. Ciesinski Chairman & CEO Lancaster Colony Corporation
James Hagedorn Chairman & CEO The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co.
Kristina M. Johnson. Ph.D. President The Ohio State University
Nicholas K. Akins** Chairman, President & CEO American Electric Power
Melanie E. Corn, Ed.D. President Columbus College of Art & Design
Joseph G. Hamrock, Jr. President & CEO NiSource, Inc.
Mark S. Johnson Managing Partner Deloitte LLP
John Ammendola President & CEO Grange Insurance
Tanny Crane President & CEO Crane Group Co.
David T. Harrison, Ph.D. President Columbus State Community College
Brett L. Kaufman CEO Kaufman Development
Ralph J. Andretta President & CEO Alliance Data
Brent D. Crawford Principal Crawford Hoying
Dee B. Haslam Owner-Operator Columbus Crew
Chad M. Delligatti CEO InnoSource
Frances B. Henry Regional President Fifth Third Bank - Central Ohio
Sandra C. Doyle-Ahern, MEn President EMH&T
David B. Holladay President CoverMyMeds
John W. Kessler** Co-Founder & Chairman The New Albany Company
Jeffrey W. Edwards President, CEO & Chairman Installed Building Products and Edwards Companies
Fran Horowitz CEO Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
Nancy J. Kramer** Chief Evangelist IBM iX
Thomas M. Feeney President & CEO Safelite® Group
Mark S. Howard Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer Nationwide
Douglas F. Kridler President & CEO The Columbus Foundation
John B. Gerlach, Jr. Executive Chairman Lancaster Colony Corp.
Lisa K. Ingram President & CEO White Castle System, Inc.
Mark D. Kvamme** Co-Founder & Partner Drive Capital
Manuel Guzman President CAS
Adam M. Johnson Chairman & CEO NetJets®
Richard S. Langdale Managing Partner NCT Ventures
Mary E. Auch Regional President PNC Bank, Columbus D. Scott Barbour President & CEO Advanced Drainage Systems Heather E. Brilliant President & CEO Diamond Hill Capital Management, Inc. Corrine M. Burger Managing Director JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Christopher J. Calamari Senior Vice President, U.S. Nutrition Abbott Nutrition Bradley L. Campbell Chairman, President & CEO The Dispatch Printing Co.
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Michael C. Kaufmann** CEO Cardinal Health, Inc. Elizabeth P. Kessler, Esq. Partner-in-Charge Jones Day
As of October 2021 **Asterisks indicate Governing Board members
Michael E. LaRocco President & CEO State Auto Insurance Cos. Lorraine L. Lutton President & CEO Mount Carmel Health System Stephen E. Markovich, M.D. President & CEO OhioHealth Traci L. Martinez, Esq. Office Managing Partner Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP Michael D. Martz, Esq. Managing Partner Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP Thomas B. McLean (Brad) President AT&T Ohio
Joseph R. Nardone President & CEO Columbus Regional Airport Authority Robert D. Nelson Executive Vice President Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, LLC Jack W. Nicklaus Founder and Co-Chair Nicklaus Companies, LLC Jack W. Nicklaus II Vice Chairman Nicklaus Companies, LLC Thomas J. Obrokta, Jr. President & CEO Encova Insurance Joel S. Pizzuti President The Pizzuti Companies
James T. Merkel Founder & CEO Rockbridge Holdings
Jonathan H. Price CEO CBC Companies
David R. Meuse Senior Advisor Stonehenge Partners, Inc.
Roger L. Rawlins CEO Designer Brands Inc.
M. Cameron Mitchell Founder & CEO Cameron Mitchell Restaurants
Timothy C. Robinson CEO Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Curtis J. Moody Chairman of the Board MOODY•NOLAN
Craig A. Rogerson Chairman, President & CEO Hexion Inc.
Matthew A. Scantland Founder & Principal TwoFold Ventures
Douglas E. Ulman President & CEO Pelotonia
Arthur W. Scherbel Managing Partner PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Daniel M. Valerio Office Managing Partner Ernst & Young LLP
Jay L. Schottenstein Chairman & CEO Scottenstein Stores Corp.
Lewis F. Von Thaer** President & CEO Battelle
Robert H. Schottenstein Chairman & CEO M/I Homes, Inc. Alex Shumate, Esq.** Senior Partner - Ohio Strategic Relationship Partner Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP Lewis Smoot, Jr. Chairman, President & CEO The Smoot Construction Co. and The Smoot Corp. Stephen D. Steinour** Chairman, President & CEO Huntington Bancshares Inc. Andrew M. Thomas, M.D. Interim Co-Leader and Chief Clinical Officer; Senior Associate VIce President of Health Sciences The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Bruce K. Thorn President & CEO Big Lots, Inc. Alex E. Timm Co-Founder & CEO Root Insurance Company
Kirt A. Walker** CEO Nationwide Peter G. Watson President & CEO Greif, Inc. Adam S. Weinberg, Ph.D. President Denison University Abigail S. Wexner CEO Whitebarn Associates Leslie H. Wexner** Chairman Emeritus L Brands, Inc. Scott L. White President & CEO IGS Energy Kimberly K. Zavislak Office Managing Partner KPMG LLP
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