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In partnership with
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COULD WE REALLY HAVE BEEN NAMED
BEST SUBURB TO DO BUSINESS? (YEP, 10 YEARS IN A ROW.)
EVERY THING GROWS HERE.
Named “Best Suburb to do Business” for 10 consecutive years by Columbus CEO
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moving forward with optimism
Columbus Site Manager
Alan Miller
Marion
Publisher/General Manager
Ray Paprocki
Morrow Logan
EDI TO RIAL
Knox Union
Editor
Katy Smith Contributors
Evan Weese and Laura Newpoff
Delaware
DES IG N & PR ODUC TI ON
Licking
Production/Design Director
Craig Rusnak Art Director (Columbus CEO)
Franklin
Yogesh Chaudhary DIGI TAL Digital Editor
Madison
Fairfield
Julanne Hohbach Assistant Digital Editor
Brittany Moseley
Pickaway
PH OTO GRAPHY Photo Editor
Tim Johnson Associate Photo Editor
Rob Hardin
Contents 04 One Columbus Board and Team 06 The compelling case for optimism A note from One Columbus chairman Pablo Vegas
The Bright Spots 08 Investment shows continued confidence in Columbus Region.
12 Economic Engines Key industries have emerged to take the Columbus Region into the future.
16 The Right Stuff Why site selectors and economic development experts are bullish on the Columbus Region: A talented workforce, major educational institutions and a growing population.
24 Communities of Innovation When the economy was revived in May, the Columbus Region came back strong: People helping other people, smart ideas for supporting businesses and a communal desire to get things back on track for the good of all.
Cover IMAGES:
Clockwise from top, Columbus Downtown Development Corp., Transportation Research Center, Tim Johnson, Kyle Robertson
Advertising Vice President of Sales
Chris Pettograsso Sales Director
Holly Beardsley Senior Multimedia Sales Executive
Holly Gallucci Multimedia Sales Executives
Tia Hardman, Jackie Thiam Classified Sales
Amy Vidrick MARK ET I N G Marketing Manager
Lauren Reinhard Subscriptions/Customer service
Toll Free: 877-688-8009 Editorial/Advertising offices
62 E. Broad St. P.O. Box 1289 Columbus, OH 43216 614-888-4567 One Columbus, a supplement to Columbus CEO, is published annually by Gannett. All contents of this magazine are copyrighted Š 2020, 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. l
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board of Directors
One Columbus
Pablo A. Vegas, Chairman
office of the ceo
EVP and COO, NiSource Inc., and President, NiSource Utilities
Sue Zazon, Secretary President and Executive Vice President, Central Ohio Region, The Huntington National Bank
Gregory R. Overmyer, Treasurer Chief Executive Officer Overmyer Hall Associates
President and Chief Economic Officer
Jackie Pervan Executive Assistant to the CEO
Sean Grant Chief Administrative Officer
Jennifer Randall
Kevin Boyce
Senior Staff Accountant
County Commissioner Franklin County Board of Commissioners
Tara Griffin
Corrine Burger
Haley Young
President and Chief Executive Officer The Columbus Partnership
Administrative Specialist
Business Development and Project Management Matt McCollister Senior Vice President, Economic Development
Director of Economic Development City of Dublin
Matt McQuade
Andrew J. Ginther, Mayor, City of Columbus
Deborah Scherer
Aaron Pitts, Senior Managing Director of Healthcare
Managing Director, Global Trade and Investment
JobsOhio
Justin Bickle
Robert H. Schottenstein Chief Executive Officer and President, M/I Homes
Managing Director, Client Services and Project Management
Tom Shoupe
Logan Dawson, Project Manager
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Honda of America Mfg., Inc.
Tom Stipkovich, Project Manager
Mark Smolik
Director, Workforce and Talent Solutions
Raja Sundararajan President and Chief Operating Officer AEP Ohio
David Williams, Ph.D., Sc.D., Executive Dean, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University
A
Staff Accountant
Colleen Gilger
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer, DHL Supply Chain
O
finance and administration
Nationwide Property & Casualty
Alex R. Fischer
O
Kenny McDonald, CEcD
Mark Berven, President and Chief Operating Officer
Chief Control Officer, Consumer and Community Banking JPMorgan Chase & Co.
O
Managing Director, Business Development
David White Jay Knox Research Manager
Shelly Ma Economic Development Data Analyst
Investor Relations Chip Holcombe Managing Director, Investor Relations
EX-OFFICIO Matthew Bailey, Partner Squire Patton Boggs
Kenny McDonald, CEcD President and Chief Economic Officer One Columbus
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Marketing and Communications Amy Harman Director, Marketing and Communications
Research Jung Kim
Sean Grant, Chief Administrative Officer
Managing Director, Research and Business Intelligence
One Columbus
Juliet Hall, Research Analyst
P
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ONE FOR OPPORTUNITY.
ONE FOR ALL OF US.
Partners for Regional Growth & Prosperity
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Working together to create a more prosperous future has never been more important. See what we’re doing at columbusregion.com/onecolumbus
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moving forward with optimism
Compelling case for optimism The Columbus Region has claimed an outsized share of bright spots in the midst of a challenging time. Companies are expanding, development projects are breaking ground, and people throughout Central Ohio are continuing to innovate. Our region is resilient and growing for many reasons. We have a location that provides unmatched market access, a talented population, and a diverse set of industries. And we have One
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Columbus, our regional economic development partner, recently named one of the best in the country. During the last decade, these advantages propelled the Columbus Region’s rise to prominence as a leading U.S. metro for population, wage and job growth. Now, we face historic challenges that must be addressed. As we work to build economic growth and opportunity for everyone in our region, I have no doubt that the Columbus Region will emerge stronger than ever before.
Pablo Vegas EVP/Chief Operating Officer, NiSource and President, NiSource Utilities; Chairman, One Columbus Board of Directors
Courtesy Nick Adams
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Facebook, Google and other leading tech companies all saw the same thing in New Albany. The future. They saw a business park with a clear vision of tomorrow. They saw the strength of our technological infrastructure. They saw one of the nation’s most robust and affordable fiber optic networks, triple electric feeds and the power of tremendous bandwidth.
They saw what every company wants when looking for a new home. A place that delivers the resources they need to grow. To thrive. And look ahead with confidence. The New Albany International Business Park. Where will your business be tomorrow?
The New Albany International Business Park and its Information and Technology Cluster are home to a growing list of leading mission critical facilities. We invite you to join them.
newalbanycompany.com | newalbanybusiness.org
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The Bright Spots Investment activity shows confidence in the Columbus Region By Evan Weese Even a historically challenging year isn’t softening confidence in the Columbus Region. Despite the sudden recession brought on by Covid-19, major investments are taking place, from new biosciences laboratories to millions of square feet of speculative warehouse developments around Rickenbacker International Airport and the creation of an entirely new neighborhood on the edge of downtown Columbus. Not all metropolitan areas are as fortunate. The remarkable level of activity is happening in part thanks to longstanding advantages: a diverse economy, the presence of stable institutions like the state government and Ohio State University, an educated talent pool, affordability and the Columbus Way of getting things done.
entire neighborhoods. Most notably, the Scioto Peninsula project expands downtown Columbus west of the river and creates a dense mini-downtown on 26 undeveloped acres. The Columbus Downtown Development Corp. and a group of private partners broke ground on the project in September, with the first phase to be developed over the next 10 to 15 years and include up
to 1,800 residential units, 2 million square feet of office space and 400 hotel rooms. Despite the uncertainties surrounding long-term remote work, the project includes a sizable investment in speculative office space. Daimler Group, developing the office portion, believes there is no replacement for the culture that comes with collaborating with team members in person.
Investing and growing The 11-county Columbus Region is expected to grow from about 2.2 million residents to 3 million by 2050, according to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. Of those moving to the region, 42 percent are college graduates, meaning educated young people are coming from around the world to enjoy the high quality of life, a key factor in leading Columbus to be named a top-five city for new college grads. To ensure the region is prepared to accommodate the influx, real estate developers are working full steam ahead on new housing developments, apartment complexes, office buildings and
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Proposed Rockbridge hotel on the Scioto Peninsula
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Robert White Jr., Daimler’s president, credits the collaboration between the public and private sectors, as well as the city’s tax abatements, for laying the groundwork. “We also still believe strongly in the Columbus Region,” White says. “What the city and CDDC have invested in the area—these unbelievable urban outdoor environments, the upgrading of the river, the investment in Vets Memorial, the investment in COSI, the proximity to the downtown core and the ease of access to come and go all make us really bullish on the site itself.” The CDDC has been eyeing the project for more than a decade, believing the peninsula is a premier development site. It’s no time to slow down, CEO Guy Worley says. “We want to recruit new employers, not only from within our city, but we think this site is going to be
very competitive from a national perspective as well,” he says. Not all U.S. metros are moving forward with such ambitious projects. “Many projects were put on pause as soon as the pandemic started—I think that’s what differentiates us moving forward,” Worley says. “I think our city is well positioned because of the talent, the diversity of our businesses. I think Columbus will weather the storm much better.” Elsewhere, the region’s growth prospects are driving investment at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, with the development of a new hotel, rental car facility and the utilities required for a new terminal to be built in the coming decades. The Columbus Regional Airport Authority is looking beyond the short-term drop in passenger traffic brought on by the pandemic, leaning on support from partners in the region including elected officials, One Columbus and the Columbus Partnership. “This is one community working together to make this place better— it’s amazing,” says Joseph Nardone, CEO of the CRAA. “Everybody is in growth mode in Columbus, so that creates a backdrop of success.”
Adapting and responding
Rendering courtesy Johnson Nathan Strohe
Through a period of tumult and uncertainty, the Columbus Region is relying on the investments already made while leaning into new opportunities in developing industries. The regional growth strategy laid out by One Columbus involves developing and attracting the world’s most competitive companies, growing a highly adaptive workforce, preparing communities for the future and inspiring innovation from corporate, academic and public sectors. The biomedical industry is proving to be one of those bright spots of innovation. Spinoffs from health care systems and larger companies are leading medical breakthroughs and cutting-edge technology. The Abigail Wexner Research Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, a global leader in gene
therapy, is prompting an outgrowth of related investment. Sarepta Therapeutics, a leader in precision genetic medicine for rare diseases, will expand its Gene Therapy Center of Excellence by investing $30 million to open a new facility and create over 100 new jobs. Sarepta plans to open its new center in an 85,000-square-foot facility near Easton Town Center. Dr. Louise Rodino-Klapac, senior vice president of gene therapy for Sarepta, says the new center will underscore the region’s status as a leader in gene therapy, building on the advances of its long-standing partner, Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “It was clear that the talent pool, not only in my lab, but in the broader Columbus Region was high, and it really made sense to stay here in Columbus to make sure that we could achieve our goals,” says Dr. Rodino-Klapac, who led the Laboratory for Gene Therapy Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital before joining Sarepta. “There’s a collection of strong academic institutions... So you have a rich talent pool from those regions to draw from as well.” Also this year, the children’s hospital announced the creation of Andelyn Biosciences, an affiliate company that will manufacture gene therapy products for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. When it begins operating in 2023, the $200 million, 140,000-squarefoot building will be central Ohio’s first commercial-scale Good Manufacturing Practices clinical manufacturing facility devoted to gene therapies. “Andelyn Biosciences is another powerful example of the ways Nationwide Children’s Hospital is advancing health care and innovation in the Columbus Region,” says One Columbus CEO Kenny McDonald. “The impact they have had, and will continue to have, has proved invaluable to our economy, communities and residents.” The investments come more than 20 years after Nationwide Children’s Hospital made a commitment to developing new gene therapies, proving the value of laying l
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“It was clear that the talent pool, not only in my lab, but in the broader Columbus Region was high, and it really made sense to stay here in Columbus to make sure that we could achieve our goals.” Dr. Louise Rodino-Klapac, senior vice president of gene therapy, Sarepta Therapeutics
Columbus Region 15-county projected population growth for 2018-2050
the groundwork for emerging industries. Dr. Dennis Durbin, chief scientific officer of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at NCH, believes the Columbus Region is becoming a hub for gene therapy similar to the way that Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Research Triangle in Raleigh, North Carolina, have positioned themselves. “Having all of that co-located together is really advantageous,” Durbin says. In another major investment, Singapore-based Nodis said it is moving its executive team to the region with the goal of transforming the emerging “smart glass” industry. The company has developed what it says is a less expensive way to produce glass that can be tinted by the user. It plans to open a factory in the Columbus Region to manufacture its key “nano particle” component, in part because of the proximity to much of the U.S.—46 percent of the country’s population is reachable within a one-day drive from Columbus.
That geographic positioning also makes the region an ideal location for distribution and fulfillment operations. Rickenbacker International Airport, one of the only cargodedicated airports in the world, is now taking eight weekly arrivals of clothing, auto, and electronics deliveries via Korean Air Cargo. Columbus is an emerging cargo base for American retail distribution and logistics companies. Additionally, a cold pharmaceutical storage facility is being constructed at Rickenbacker International Airport. For something the agency has been working on for years, the facility’s timing during the coronavirus pandemic is “impeccable,” Nardone says. He and his team are being aggressive to secure business, flexing with the market to make sure they meet the needs of customers. There is also millions of square feet of speculative warehouse development occurring near Rickenbacker. The airport broke records
i n v e s t m e n t s
a c r
2018 population
2,373,300 2050 projected population
3,007,300 2018 jobs
1,196,303 2050 projected jobs
1,490,303 42%
Share of people moving to the region who are college educated
Source: Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
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Scioto Peninsula
Transportation Research Center
Location: West State and Belle
Location: 10820 State Route 347,
streets, Columbus, Ohio 43215
East Liberty, Ohio 43319
Specifics: Initial plans include up to 1,800 residential units, up to 2 million square feet of new office space and 400 hotel rooms. The first phase broke ground in September and the project, which represents the creation of a new Downtown neighborhood, will be developed over 10 to 15 years.
Specifics: Largest independent vehicle test facility and proving grounds in the U.S. Includes 4,500 acres of road courses, wooded trails, a 7.5-mile high-speed oval test track, 50-acre vehicle dynamics area, or “black lake,” and a mix of smart mobility testing areas and facilities.
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for international cargo in June, reflecting its ability to shift gears in response to pandemic needs. During this time of extreme supply chain disruption, Rickenbacker has proven to be an indispensable asset for the region, Nardone says. “Rickenbacker is an unbelievable story,” he says. “Our people have scrambled to continue developing business. They leave no stone unturned.” With multiple smart mobility assets and testing grounds, the Columbus Region provides the most comprehensive mobility ecosystem in the U.S and one of the most cost-effective markets for testing, development and physical operations. In 2016, Columbus won the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge, which led to the creation of Smart Columbus and several mobility initiatives, including efforts around electric car adoption. In Union County, the Transportation Research Center is the largest independent vehicle-testing and
a c r o s s
proving grounds in the U.S. TRC has about 400 employees, from automotive technicians to world-recognized PhD research scientists, benefitting from the network of collective assets that ranges from government to academic and the private sector and includes the U.S. 33 Smart Mobility Corridor, the OSU Center for Automotive Research, Connected Marysville and DriveOhio. CEO Brett Roubinek expects the company could double revenue from $40 million to $80 million in about five years. “We have strong players in all of those segments and, in the central Ohio way, we work together and that is helping to drive the growth,” Roubinek says. “The pieces are absolutely all there, and it’s a matter of continuing to refine alignment to better answer the ongoing development needs. The technology is developing so quickly, the collaboration is pivotal to being able to bring the assets in alignment and create the opportunities to draw the companies in.”
d i v e r s e
All these futuristic jobs will demand a whole new set of skills. That’s why JPMorgan Chase and others are preparing hundreds of thousands of people for the workforce of the future. Columbus is one of 10 global cities to receive career readiness philanthropic investments as part of the bank’s $75 million global initiative. In the Columbus Region, a $7 million investment builds on this work and brings together partners including Columbus City Schools and the Ohio Department of Education to institute career pathways in every high school that align to postsecondary education opportunities. “It’s really important that we continue to invest in skills that we need as a firm, and our community needs, to continue to have great employment here in Columbus,” says Corrine Burger, managing director and Columbus location leader for JPMorgan Chase, the region’s largest private employer. Evan Weese is a freelance writer.
s e c t o r s
Rickenbacker International Airport
Andelyn Biosciences
Sarepta Therapeutics
Location: 7250 Star Check Drive,
Location: Lane Avenue and
Location: 3435 Stelzer Road,
Columbus 43217
Carmack Road, Columbus 43221
Columbus, Ohio 43219
Specifics: Cargo airport that supports the world’s largest aircraft. Rickenbacker offers a geographic advantage for shippers and distributors, quickly and reliably moving goods through North America. Millions of square feet of speculative warehouse development is taking place around the airport.
Specifics: An affiliate company of Nationwide Children’s Hospital that will manufacture gene therapy products for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry scheduled to begin operations in 2023. Plans call for building an approximately $200 million, 140,000-square-foot facility.
Specifics: Expanding Sarepta’s Gene Therapy Center of Excellence by investing $30 million to open a new facility and create over 100 new jobs at an 85,000-squarefoot facility. Project builds on the advances of Sarepta’s longstanding partner, Nationwide Children’s Hospital. l
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Economic Engines Several key industries are taking the Columbus Region into the future. By Evan Weese Through economic expansions and recessions, alike, six industries have proven to be key growth drivers for the Columbus Region. Several have maintained the status for decades, while others are newer to the list. All six, though, are evolving with new players, major investments and changing technology. There’s finance and insurance, a stalwart since Bank One (now JPMorgan Chase), Huntington and Nationwide first called the city home decades ago. Among the industry’s newcomers, however, is the newly public insurtech company Root, which is leveraging the industry’s deep local talent pool as it digitizes insurance. It is difficult to mention Root without noting the presence of Drive Capital, the Columbus-based venture capital firm that first funded it and which has bolstered the region’s startup ecosystem since its founding in 2013. And there’s the biomedical industry, a more recent addition to the list of six. The Columbus Region is becoming a hub of gene therapy activity, a process more than 20 years in the making with investments made by Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The automotive and mobility industry has been a big slice of the region’s economy since Honda set up shop in 1982, and has taken on a new sort of national-testinggrounds role with the presence of the Transportation Research Center and the Smart Columbus program. The industries adapted during
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the Covid-19 pandemic and even benefited from the shift to digital operations. Together, they will be key to powering growth for years to come.
E-commerce
90,000 Columbus Region transportation and logistics workers
fulfillment operations, providing unparalleled market access to U.S. consumers. More than 150 million people—46 percent of the country’s population—are reachable in a one-day drive, more than any other large metropolitan area. In addition to being home to major hubs for FedEx, UPS and DHL, Amazon and other ecommerce retailers set up distribution and fulfillment operations in the Columbus Region.
(Source: One Columbus)
270 million Square feet of logistical and industrial space in the Columbus Region, making it the 11th-largest distribution location in the U.S. (Source: Cushman & Wakefield)
It was a historic year for the development of new warehouse space in the Columbus Region, driven in part by a surge of ecommerce. The region is ideally located for distribution and Amazon’s facility in Etna
File/Columbus Dispatch/DORAL CHENOWETH III
Facebook data center in New Albany File/Columbus Dispatch/DORAL CHENOWETH III
Advanced computing
50 Data centers in the Columbus Region (Source: One Columbus)
The Columbus Region has the infrastructure needed for data center development—long-haul fiber, robust and reliable electric service, water and land—and it’s paying off. The region is home to more than 50 data centers, including large campus locations for Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud and Facebook, along with many corporate-owned facilities. Key assets include the Ohio Supercomputer Center, which provides supercomputing, cyber
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Facebook data center in New Albany File/Columbus Dispatch/JOSHUA BICKEL
infrastructure, research and educational resources. With no tangible personal property tax in Ohio, qualifying data centers can receive an exemption on sales and use tax for data center equipment and construction materials.
Auto and mobility
$2.7 billion Regional economic output for the automotive industry
Transportation Research Center is the largest independent vehicle testing and proving grounds in the U.S. Additional assets in the Columbus Region include the U.S. 33 Smart Mobility Corridor, the OSU Center for Automotive Research, Connected Marysville and DriveOhio. “The pieces are absolutely all there, and it’s a matter of continuing to refine alignment to better answer the ongoing development needs,” says Brett Roubinek, CEO of the Transportation Research Center.
Retail
No. 4 Region’s ranking among large U.S. metro areas for concentration of retail headquarters (Source: One Columbus)
The Columbus Region is home to some of the world’s most recognizable retail and apparel brands. The concentration of
(Source: One Columbus)
650,000 Cars produced annually in Columbus Region (Source: One Columbus)
With smart mobility assets and testing grounds, the Columbus Region provides the ideal environment for companies to innovate for auto and mobility. In 2016, Columbus won the U.S. DOT Smart City Challenge which has led to the creation of Smart Columbus and several local mobility initiatives. In Union County, the
Bath & Body Works tim johnson l
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Abercrombie & Fitch, Express and other retail headquarters has turned the region into the nation’s renowned test market for retail and a hub for market research, analytics, design, technology and omni-channel efficiencies. Due in part to the disruption caused by Covid-19, however, the future is unwritten. “This is going to define a generation of retail,” says Kenny McDonald, president and chief economic officer of One Columbus. “For a town as invested in retail and retail technologies and leadership as we are, that’s going to be really important. Are we going to lead through that?”
Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
O O
Biomedical
8,700 Degrees granted locally in biology, biomedical science, chemistry, and pharmacy over the past five years (Source: One Columbus)
From medical breakthroughs to cutting-edge technology, the Columbus Region is home to one of the most dynamic life science industries in the country. The Abigail Wexner Research Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is a global leader in gene therapy. Innovation coming out of the organization has led to investments by Sarepta Therapeutics and Andelyn Biosciences, which are investing millions for cutting-edge facilities in the region. “Having all of that co-located together is really advantageous,” says Dr. Dennis Durbin, chief scientific officer of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute.
Finance and Insurance
Sarepta Therapeutics
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Courtesy sarepta
40 Estimated number of academic and vocational institutions in the Columbus Region with business, finance and communication programs
institutions and national insurance providers to upstart technology companies, finance and insurance accounts for the greatest economic output in the Columbus Region. Columbus is home to JPMorgan Chase’s second largest employment market in the world with over 20,000 employees, including the company’s largest global technology center. High-growth companies like Root Insurance, Upstart, Beam Dental, Bold Penguin and Homeside Financial have positioned the Columbus Region as a fintech and insurtech hub. One key development is the growth in venture capital, as Columbus is now home to the nation’s largest noncoastal VC fund in Drive Capital.
(Source: One Columbus)
Ranging from global banking
Evan Weese is a freelance writer.
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Our home is Ohio. Our reason is water.
Advanced Drainage Systems designs, manufactures and delivers water management solutions for companies and communities. As an industry leader in sustainable business practices, we’re proud to be the second largest plastic recycling company in North America. Learn more about how we’re protecting water, a precious natural resource, at sustainability.ads-pipe.com. Š 2020 Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. 10/20
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The Right Stuff Why site selectors and economic development experts are bullish on the Columbus Region. By Laura Newpoff The Columbus Region is poised to emerge from the recession in a position of strength. Available land, low cost of living, a deep talent pool and a central location are all boxes site selectors check when they help companies make location decisions— and Ohio’s capital city has them all. Columbus CEO magazine recently talked with some of the country’s most prominent site selectors and economic development strategists to gauge their feelings about the region’s future. They’re unanimous the Columbus Region will be able to aggressively compete for expansion and relocation projects as the country works to recover
from the economic turmoil related to Covid-19.
Robert Hess vice chairman of Newmark’s Global Corporate Services practice in Chicago Hess is a longtime site selector, having conducted more than 275 assignments on a global basis. While Columbus is considered a “tier three” metropolitan area, its prospects for the future are promising, he says. He cited the Site Selectors Guild, which this fall ranked Columbus No. 1 in a tie with Phoenix as the “biggest winners as candidates for new or expansion projects in the next year,” he says. In addition to the talent pipeline
coming out of the region’s colleges and universities, the area is wellpositioned to lure future projects because of the sites it has available, whether at the New Albany International Business Park, near Rickenbacker International Airport or in the northwest corridor that leads to the Honda manufacturing base in Marysville and the Transportation Research Center, a one-of-a-kind facility where the smart mobility technology of the future is being built. That the region demonstrates the confidence to continue developing new sites in the urban core, like the Scioto Peninsula project in the heart of Downtown Columbus that will add 2 million square feet of office space to the market over the next decade, will be attractive to site selectors.
Scioto Peninsula looking east
“Columbus has all the elements to attract bigger projects. The next step is to get bold and loud.” Robert Hess, vice chairman of Newmark’s Global Corporate Services practice in Chicago
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“Columbus has all the elements to attract bigger projects,� Hess says. “The next step is to get bold and loud� about everything the region has to offer.� The Columbus Region is well positioned in today’s most active sectors such as life sciences, industrial, e-commerce and food processing, and could be an attractive landing spot for businesses looking to move away from high-cost centers, such as single-occupancy tech, Hess says. It’s also an attractive spot for companies nearshoring and reshoring amid the fallout of Covid-19. A savvy digital strategy will be key to attracting those businesses. “Digital and the skills to support workplace innovation is going to be a big part of every community’s future,� he says.
We’ll let you in on a little secret...
YOU ARE READY. Â
Darin Buelow principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP’s Chicago office
| upperarlingtonoh.gov | 614-583-5046
Courtesy infinite impact
In more than 20 years, Buelow has guided hundreds of major corporations in the deployment of talent, facilities and equipment around the world. Columbus, he says, is perceived favorably by site selectors. He considers One Columbus among the top 5 percent of economic development groups in the country,
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well-stocked with “sophisticated, thoughtful industry leaders.” The Columbus Region’s diverse set of employers and large base of talent coming out of area universities have it poised to emerge from the recession in a strong position
“Digital and the skills to support workplace innovation is going to be a big part of every community’s future.” Darin Buelow, principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP’s Chicago office
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for corporate growth. “Columbus is a contender,” Buelow says. “The region is still an unknown quantity to some, but it’s an up-and-coming talent market.” Buelow likens the region to a “giant vacuum cleaner that’s sucking up talent,” a reference to Columbus being one of the fastest-growing big cities in the country. Other positives include its central location, lower-cost resources compared to larger cities, its diverse employer base and its strength in manufacturing, transportation and logistics. Being home to Ohio State University is a plus, too. “Being a big college town helps the economy enormously,” Buelow says. “When you talk about the flow of talent, Columbus enjoys a big advantage. Capital cities with big colleges are vibrant, youthful locations that are constantly importing talent, and that’s what big companies are looking for.” Covid-19 has several implications for economic development groups going forward. Many companies may reconsider their physical
footprint, and some will shift the assets they maintain from high-cost centers to lower-cost ones. Jobsbased tax credits could also impact how corporate site selectors pick locations in the future. Criteria for counting at-home workers given the likelihood that many of them will continue to operate remotely could be the difference between winning and losing a project. Economic development groups will need to understand the specific language contained in their incentive programs around qualified jobs, and perhaps modify it to attract more projects, he says.
Amy Holloway Ernst & Young’s U.S. economic development advisory services national director, Austin Holloway is a national economic development strategist who has served more than 200 communities since 1995, including benchmarking that allows them to see how they stack up against other regions.
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The best thing we can do is to always do what’s best. —Bruce K. Thorn, CEO Our customers have always known they can depend on us to help them live as big as they can and save lots on everything they need to create a home full of comfort, pride, and happiness. That trust is even more important to us now, amidst the pandemic. To help meet the needs of this new reality, we’ve invested heavily into our omni-channel capabilities, reinvented our promotional strategy, and broadened our product assortment. We also increased our loyalty benefits, introduced dedicated discounts to our frontline heroes, and expanded many services that offer more ways to shop, buy, and benefit. Curbside pickup. Same-day delivery. 2-day ship-from-store that leverages our retail locations as distribution centers—it all gives our customers the flexibility they need to get the products they want. But none of these advancements would be possible if our hometown wasn’t behind us along the way. And for that, we are eternally grateful. Thanks lots, Columbus!
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National site selectors and economic development strategists are unanimous the Columbus Region will be able to aggressively compete for expansion and relocation projects as the country works to recover from the economic turmoil related to Covid-19. Here are some of the region’s strong suits. Smart: Top 10 U.S. metro in millennial concentration, ages 25-34
She’s worked with One Columbus on two economic development strategies when she was with a different consulting firm that has since joined Ernst & Young LLC to lead its national economic development practice. Most recently, she and her team assisted One Columbus with its new 10-year strategy. Holloway says the region has three characteristics that make it particularly strong in moments of crisis—corporate leadership, experienced resilience and its value proposition. Corporate leadership—The region
(U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2018.)
42% of people moving here are college graduates (U.S. Census Bureau)
Growing: No. 1 for population, job and GDP growth in the Midwest (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates, 2010-2019; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010-2019 annual averages, not seasonally adjusted; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real GDP, 2010-2018.)
+1 million projected population growth by 2050 (MORPC Insight 2050 report)
Business Oriented: Reach 46% of U.S. population in a one-day drive (ESRI Business Analyst, 2019, based on 10-hour drive time)
No corporate income tax and no personal property tax (Department of Taxation)
Global: 302 foreign establishments with over 60,000 employees (Columbus Council on World Affairs)
80+ languages spoken (Columbus Council on World Affairs)
Connected: FTZ #138 is one of the 10 most active in the U.S. (Columbus Regional Airport Authority)
One of the world’s only cargo-dedicated airports (Columbus Regional Airport Authority)
Open: No. 1 opportunity city by Forbes
Headquarters here have perfect scores on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index (Human Rights Campaign)
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“We work with organizations like One Columbus across the country. When I’m asked to give an example of a community with strong corporate leadership guiding economic development, the Columbus Region is the example that I most often cite.” Amy Holloway Ernst & Young’s U.S. economic development advisory services national director, Austin
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Top Mid-Size Cities for New Projects Boise, ID Colorado Springs, CO Columbia, SC
Columbus, OH Greenville, SC Huntsville, AL Indianapolis, IN Kansas City, MO Raleigh-Durham, NC Reno, NV Tucson, AZ Source: Site Selectors Guild (listed in alphabetical order)
is one of the best in the nation at having a strong group of private sector leaders who are driving economic development. CEOs from across the region, especially through the involvement of the Columbus Partnership, are willing to be engaged, collaborate and take on tough challenges with others. “We work with organizations like One Columbus across the country. When I’m asked to give an example of a community with strong corporate leadership guiding economic development, the Columbus Region is the example that I most often cite,” Holloway says. “The collaboration between the Columbus Partnership and One Columbus in the prioritization of economic development is fairly unique nationally.” That’s important because when companies are scouting for a new location, they will consider whether the community is unified in its vision and goals for the future. Experienced resilience—The Columbus Region was hard hit during the Great Recession and leveraged
that moment to unify its approach to economic development and “go bold,” Holloway says. “They exceeded all of their (jobs and population growth) goals over the last decade. I anticipate that muscle memory will help them rebound from this.” A more recent example of the community’s resilience was the effort to keep the Columbus Crew professional soccer team in town. Under the leadership of Alex Fischer at the Columbus Partnership, the community “stepped up and took bold action. Not every community has a leadership body that can quickly unify and accomplish something like that,” she says. Value proposition—The Columbus Region has a rare combination of a large pool of skilled talent, quality of life and relative affordability of housing and goods and services. That should allow it to recover from the recession by competing nationally for projects, she says, including with peer cities in Austin, Seattle, Minneapolis and Nashville. Laura Newpoff is a freelance writer.
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moving forward with optimism
Communities of innovation When the economy was revived in May, the Columbus Region came back strong: People helping other people, smart ideas for supporting businesses and a communal desire to get things back on track for the good of all. By Laura Newpoff
Delaware County Not just a pandemic, but a major flood brings community together Olivina Taproom sits in the heart of downtown Delaware, just a stone’s throw from the historic Ohio Wesleyan University to its south. Immediately to its north is the Delaware Run, a 6-mile tributary that empties into the Olentangy River to the east and is known for its chronic problems with flooding. Chris Schobert opened the store in 2016 to sell high-end extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars and host cooking classes for the community. Like other retailers, the business was hit hard by a drop in sales because of Covid-19, but optimism about the future came
on May 19 when Gov. Mike DeWine lifted Ohio’s “Safe At Home” order. In a cruel twist of fate, that was the same day record torrential rains caused the tributary to flood wildly. Schobert’s store would not be spared. The following day he called off from his full-time job at a local credit union so he could survey the damage. Schobert describes what he saw as “just a disaster.” Mud— and it was thick—was everywhere. The flow of water through the store had been so violent that it shook the building, causing ceiling tiles to fall from a storage
room in the back and be swept all the way to the front of the store. Garbage cans were toppled. Debris was everywhere. Inventory was destroyed. The walls were ruined. The floors, which Schobert had just had refurbished for thousands of dollars, were trashed. “It was heartbreaking and devastating,” Schobert says. “I put my life savings into trying to build up that store. You can only take so much as a business owner. You question, ‘Is this a sign from God that maybe I should just shut it down? Let’s just not do this anymore.’ ”
“The speed of survival— the city recognized the need [to help]. This was getting the job done on our own.” lee yoakum, Delaware community affairs director
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Olivina Taproom Executive Chef Michael Turner and owner Chris Schobert
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As he was cleaning up the muck, in another twist of fate, a group of people who had heard about the flooding felt compelled to stop by and asked what they could do to help. Wave after wave of other good Samaritans would join them over the next week to help Schobert clean up the mess. Others would drop off pizzas, supplies and personal protective equipment to keep everyone safe. Another person donated a dehumidifier. The gestures were so uplifting that Schobert decided to press forward with Olivina. Just to the north of Schobert’s store sits Delaware City Hall. Officials there had a front-row view of the aftermath of the flood. To get help out quickly, the city created a “COVID-19 & Spring Flood Small Business Recovery Grant Program.” Local businesses like Schobert’s were urged to apply. Just three weeks after the program was approved by City Council, the first check went out—to Olivina
Taproom. Schobert, in fact, got the $2,529 just 10 days after he signed his application. “It was an amazing moment,” he says. “You never think a government can move that quickly. It was exactly what we needed at the time we needed it.” The money was used to pay expenses to get the store up and running again. Schobert also has obtained two liquor licenses and has opened a café at the store to help boost revenue that’s down 32 percent year over year.
‘The speed of survival’ Delaware Community Affairs Director Lee Yoakum says larger businesses were able to handle the initial shock of the pandemic, but smaller businesses needed help. So Delaware created the grant program by tapping into money it had in a development reserve fund set up by City Council several years ago to support economic development. “The speed of survival—the city
recognized the need,” he says. “This was getting the job done on our own. Like a Marshall Plan on a local scale.” The program awarded about $84,000 to 33 businesses to help them cover expenses related to the pandemic and flooding. In August, the city approved a $300,000 loan fund to bolster the city’s small businesses, which is administered by the Economic and Community Development Institute. In October, a second round of recovery grants totaling $300,000 was approved for the fall that allows small businesses to apply for up to $10,000 to pay for eligible costs like mortgage payments that were missed, PPE, equipment to extend the outdoor dining season and materials and equipment to allow for safe social distancing. Olivina, in fact, will receive money from this second round to pay bills and to stock up its inventory for the holidays. “More than once we used the l
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analogy of our small business sector being in a kind of intensive care and whatever we could do to nurse them along, we tried to do,” Yoakum says. Sean Hughes, the city’s economic development director, said that even though Delaware has been growing rapidly over the years the city still has a small community vibe where leaders take the time to get to know business owners. “What hurts them ultimately hurts us and hurts us personally not just economically,” he says. “What it came down to was not seeing yourself as two separate entities, but rather seeing each other as partners. That’s how you have success in a community.”
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Franklin County Historic partnership springs up to support Black-owned businesses The Black community has been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic from a health care
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“We want this new alliance to be accessible and trusted by those who have been historically marginalized.” Keena smith, chief economic equity and inclusion officer for Franklin County
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standpoint and from a financial one. Considering how under-banked Black-owned businesses are, it wasn’t shocking that less than 2 percent of them nationally received loans from the federal Paycheck Protection Program and more than half weren’t expected to survive because of the economic fallout of the pandemic. Those statistics helped lead to the creation of a historic partnership among Franklin County, economic development group One Columbus and social justice and racial equity advocate Columbus Urban League. Announced in August, the Franklin County Business Growth and Equity Alliance was formed to establish the Franklin County Community Equity Fund. That lays the foundation for a Community Development Financing Institution that will provide grants to small, Black-owned businesses. In October, the Equity Alliance announced that it had awarded grants totaling $1.62 million to 65 local small businesses, nearly twothirds of which did not receive PPP loans. Most of the funding will be dedicated to payroll, helping to retain or create 250 jobs. Keena Smith, chief economic equity and inclusion officer for Franklin County, says improving access to capital is the No. 1 goal of the alliance. That will include building a big table where community leaders, entrepreneurs and lending institutions come together to figure out “this wicked problem of lack of access.” The new Equity Alliance is a milestone on a trail the county has been paving for several years and builds upon its “Innovating New Pathways to More Equitable Prosperity” initiative that is working to make the community “vibrant, sustainable and livable for all.” “There’s an intentionality about this that wasn’t there previously,” Smith says. “We want this new alliance to be accessible and trusted by those who have been historically marginalized.” Stephanie Hightower, president and CEO of the Columbus Urban League, says the pandemic, plus the social unrest tied to the murders of unarmed Black men, have created
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new platforms to talk about racial injustice and to increase awareness in the community that Black businesses don’t operate on a level playing field when it comes to access to capital. In addition to its role in the new Equity Alliance, the organization’s Minority Small Business Resiliency Initiative has helped more than 1,800 of its clients access more than $6.5 million in grants and loans since April to save at least 1,000 jobs. “This is a great opportunity to really have crucial conversations in a productive way so that people don’t continue to look at the Urban League and the work we do as a
reminder of the stain of slavery,” Hightower says. “We want people to look at us as that economic engine that has the ability to help level the playing field for many people who haven’t had that opportunity for over 100 years in this country. We are leaning into this.”
Logan County New funding for distressed communities boosts manufacturers For the past two years, The Ohio Wire Harness LLC has been manufacturing a line of cable assemblies and wire harnesses at l
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its 10-person shop in Bellefontaine. Because cash flow is tight, buying new equipment to increase production or expand its product line isn’t something that happens frequently, says Ben Vollrath, president of the Logan County Chamber of Commerce. As the pandemic persisted over the summer, a sense of uneasiness hovered over the city’s base of small manufacturers. Vollrath realized several of them would qualify for the new JobsOhio Inclusion Grant program that aims to boost businesses in distressed communities. So, on a hot August morning, he and 15 area manufacturers got on a phone call with One Columbus to talk about it. The businesses were excited about what they heard and many of them decided to apply. Once they did, the economic development group served as the conduit to get the applications over to the state. As of late October, seven businesses had been awarded grants of $225,000, and several more plan to apply. Ohio Wire
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Logan County Chamber President Ben Vollrath with Linda Botkin and Kim Weber, mother and daughter co-owners of Ohio Wire Harness
Harness got $50,000, which it will use to buy five new pieces of machinery. Vollrath says the business has been operating on outdated, used equipment and didn’t have the funds to upgrade. The new machinery is more flexible and efficient, which will allow Ohio Wire Harness to expand its product
offerings and better serve its customers. “This money is a big deal to businesses that want to take the next step but haven’t been able to do so, even before the pandemic,” Vollrath says. “Getting the money to be able to purchase a piece of equipment and perhaps even be
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The Central Ohio business community has responded to the challenges of 2020 with resiliency and hope: supporting one another, creating new ways to work together and committing to difficult conversations about race and social equity. We’re committed to making the Columbus of tomorrow an even better place to live, work and play.
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able to pay to train a person to run that equipment makes a huge difference for a business and has a lasting impact.�
Licking County
On the field. In the locker room. On the recruiting trail. Featuring...
Just east of Columbus, a thriving business park boasts a specialty in cleanroom space The Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority operates the Central Ohio Aerospace & Technology Center, an industrial park that traces its roots to the Kaiser Aluminum Co.’s operations there in the 1940s. While the business still has a presence there today, the park has diversified over the years and now is home to a host of industries—Boeing Co., Samuel Packaging Systems and Homestead Beer Co. are some of its tenants. Key to the 350-acre park’s success has been speculative building—10 facilities have gone up over the past 10 years. That means when a business decides to call Central Ohio home, the
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“The park has really become a home to critical industries that had to stay open during the pandemic.� Rick platt, CEO, Heath-NewarkLicking County Port Authority
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park is a logical place to ramp up operations quickly. Because of its experience working with Boeing, the port authority has developed a niche building clean room space that’s suitable for microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, food processing and life sciences. That allowed it to stay active during the pandemic and welcome in two new tenants. Neurxstem, a predictive and precision genomic brain medicine company, inked a three-year lease in August. The company plans to focus on Covid-19-related research in its 1,000-square-foot lab. Organic infant nutrition company Nature’s One opened a $32 million, 92,000-square-foot manufacturing plant at the campus in the second quarter. It joins three other plant-based food processing businesses at the park that occupy 200,000 square feet in four buildings. The port authority also opened two speculative industrial buildings during the pandemic, says Rick Platt, president and CEO of the port authority. “The park has really become a home to critical industries that had to stay open during the pandemic and they successfully did,” says Platt, who referenced the defense, energy, metals, life sciences and food production sectors as essential industries. “Because of the coronavirus pandemic, more manufacturing work is going to come back to the U.S. through reshoring. Going forward, having the kind of buildings those manufacturers need ready to go has Central Ohio positioned for success.” Laura Newpoff is a freelance writer.
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