THE FUTURE ECONOMY IS HERE
2024 August Dublin Ohio
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As Strategic Systems recently celebrated our 20th Anniversary, a major milestone in our company’s history, I am honored and humbled to be now leading our company through a complete digital transformation. Our founder and CEO, Sankar Mangapuram, started our company in 2004 with a vision of being one of the best and award-winning staffing companies in the area. Mission accomplished! And now, as we round out 2024 we are evolving behind the scenes in a big way. Exciting change is coming. We have evolved into a new type of organization providing value far beyond staffing. We are changing organically and through acquisition, and by attracting top talent from top to bottom. With the same passion and customer-centric focus that made strategic a top staffing firm, we are now officially a digital solutions company; one that focuses on Snowflake solutions, digital learning, Government solutions and technology services to name a few. This, along with our scale, we are uniquely positioned to disrupt several markets.
At its core, digital transformation is about more than just technology; it’s about a cultural shift within an organization. Companies must foster a mindset that embraces change, innovation, and agility. This cultural shift is essential because technology alone cannot drive transformation. Employees at all levels must be engaged and empowered to adapt to new tools and processes. No journey this complex is possible without strong leadership. Kaushal Vadada, our Chief Operations Officer has been a key leader for years here at Strategic, and his experience and leadership is instrumental in this transformation. In short, here at Strategic we are poised and ready, and big changes are on the horizon!
One of the most significant drivers of digital transformation is the rapid advancement of technology. The rise of Snowflake technologies includes cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) has opened up new possibilities for our customers. For instance, our Snowflake offering allows organizations to scale their operations quickly and efficiently, reducing the need for extensive on-premises infrastructure. AI and machine learning enable businesses to analyze vast amounts of data, uncovering insights that can inform decision-making and enhance customer experiences.
Our customer’s expectations have also evolved dramatically in the digital age. To meet these ever-changing expectations, businesses must leverage digital tools to enhance customer engagement. This will involve implementing customer relationship management (CRM) systems that provide a 360-degree view of customer interactions, new sales cycles or utilizing chatbots and AI-driven support systems to offer real-time assistance.
In conclusion, Strategic System’s transformation from a successful, well branded staffing company to a full digital solutions company is a holistic approach; one that encompasses technology, culture, and processes. By embracing change and leveraging digital tools, our business will enhance operations, meet evolving customer expectations, and position ourselves for long-term growth and success. As we move further into the digital age, those who prioritize transformation will be better equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Embracing this journey is not just an option; it’s a necessity for survival and growth in an increasingly competitive world. In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses must embrace this transformation to remain competitive and relevant; and here comes Strategic!
About: Jeff is currently the CIO & Managing Partner at Strategic Systems. A trusted advisor, Jeff was hired in 2024 to lead the transformation change of Strategic Systems. He has deep technical prowess in all areas of technology including IT, Dev, Data Center Ops, Cloud Computing, and Artificial Intelligence. He is the recipient of Computer World Magazine’s Top 100 Leaders award and has publications in CIO Magazine, Computer World, Columbus Business First and is currently authoring a book on Leadership. Jeff resides in Dublin Ohio where he enjoys spending most of his time with family and coaching travel baseball.
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Empowering American Cities: Local Economic Intelligence, Trusted Advice
By Gerald Cohen, Chief Economist, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and Jeff Korzenik, Chief Economist, Fifth
Third Commercial Bank.
Trying to interpret economic trends and dynamics can leave business owners, employers and others feeling like they’re translating a mystifying language. Empowering American Cities with Fifth Third Bank and UNC Kenan Institute offers a fresh approach to economic research tailored for local economies so leaders can position themselves for optimal growth and performance across America.
The U.S. economy is composed of microeconomies from across the country, from large and midsize cities to small towns and rural areas, each with its own advantages and exposure to national trends. Understanding that investors, public officials and entrepreneurs are seeking local insights to fully comprehend economic health, Empowering American Cities uncovers the data and provides indicators revealing why some cities thrive while others fall behind. These economic insights empower leaders to put data at the center of their decision-making, driving investment in their companies, their hometowns and across the country. Empowering American Cities pairs the proprietary statistical techniques and capabilities of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, and Fifth Third Bank’s 165-year heritage as a trusted regional bank.
THE PROGRAM
The Kenan Institute created Extended Metropolitan Areas (EMAs) as a designation for U.S. urban areas connected in economically meaningful ways and chose to study the 150 most populous EMAs, which account for nearly 90% of the U.S. economy. These range from New York City, with 24 million people and $2.5 trillion in economic output, to Wilmington, North Carolina, with a population of less than 300,000. Fifth Third Bank’s community-based banking teams work collaboratively with the Kenan Institute’s researchers to uncover specialized local factors for 30 selected EMAs. Together, they
analyze precise drivers of growth and are developing indicators for labor supply, consumer demand and embedded growth characteristics in these areas.
These indicators will reveal the size of an area’s growth engine based on its distinct industry-level productivity, workforce skill level and demographics. The project’s quantitative and qualitative descriptions are discussed within the context of an area’s economic traits, which are usually the result of long-term investments in education and infrastructure.
HOW IT’S DIFFERENT
When we hear that the U.S. economy is growing, what does that mean for an individual business owner deciding on a factory expansion? What do the economics of those headlines mean for a city council planning legislative changes?
The nation experiences economic trends differently, not only across states and regions but also from industry to industry. U.S. microeconomies are economic engines and laboratories with varying approaches to planning and policy. By examining these economic units, we can determine indicators that are meaningful to various stakeholders. For example:
• Our economic modeling shows that cities like Austin and Seattle with strong technology and information sectors have bui lt-in advantages that promote growth in an increasingly technology-driven macroeconomy.
• Areas that invest in infrastructure to train, attract and retain high-skilled workers, such as Nashville, are building productive and resilient local economies, reflected in recent exceptional growth. On the other hand, EMAs that are over reliant on a single sector are particularly exposed to fluctuations and disruptions in global markets and prone to boom-bust cycles.
• Neighboring cities can exhibit big differences in economic traits and outcomes. In the 10 years ending in
2023, the U.S. economy grew at a 2.3% annual rate. In North Carolina, Raleigh and Durham expanded 3.6% and Charlotte increased 3.2%, while Greensboro edged up just 0.6%. One reason lies in productivity: Both Raleigh and Durham and Charlotte have meaningfully higher shares of employment in the highly productive sectors of Information (3% and 2%, respectively) and Professional Scientific and Technical Services (11.6% and 6.7%) than Greensboro does (0.9% and 4%).
TRUSTED ADVICE
Because our data more closely mirrors what’s happening in local economies across the country, we can effectively identify trends that shape business decisions to drive sustainable future growth. Fifth Third’s local experts, deeply embedded in the communities they serve, can translate these trends into meaningful opportunities. The Empowering American Cities website at EmpoweringAmericanCities.com allows users to compare their city’s economic characteristics, drivers of growth and other economic health indicators to 149 other metropolitan areas.
Users can leverage the data to support revenue forecasts, hiring and investment decisions, training programs, site planning and other key processes. There’s no need to look for a translator. Instead, clearly articulate a successful future with Empowering American Cities.
Explore research for the Columbus area and compare the data to other metropolitan areas by visiting EmpoweringAmericanCities.com.
The Empowering American Cities website allows users to compare Columbus’ economic characteristics, drivers of growth and other economic health indicators to 149 other metropolitan areas.
Some of the world’s most innovative companies all saw the same thing in New Albany. The future.
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96% of the Class of 2023 were either employed, in graduate school, serving in the military or volunteer service within six months after graduation.
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There are many reasons why our residents and businesses love calling Gahanna “home.” Come and grow with us. For information on opportunities in Gahanna, contact us at Gahanna.gov.
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 2.3 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 columbusregion.com to learn more about the team working together to move the Region forward.
COLUMBUS REGION VISION
To be the most prosperous region in the United States.
The process of building prosperity requires sustained focus on the social and economic advancement 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.
Results-driven: Since 2010, the One Columbus team has helped more than 750 domestic and international companies achieve their growth goals by locating in the Columbus Region, resulting in over $45 billion worth of capital investment and more than 73,000 new jobs created.
THE FUTURE ECONOMY IS HERE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Marc D. Reitter, Secretary
President and Chief Operating Officer, AEP Ohio and American Electric Power
Mark Berven, Treasurer
President and Chief Operating Officer, Nationwide Property & Casualty
Melody Birmingham
Executive Vice President and Group President of Utilities, NiSource
Kevin Boyce
County Commissioner, Franklin County Board of Commissioners
Lawrence Geise
Executive Vice President, Honda Development and Manufacturing of America
Lori Gillett
CEO, CK Construction Group
Andrew J. Ginther
Mayor, City of Columbus
Phil Greenberg
Chief of Staff, JobsOhio
Becky Griffin
Head of Servicing and Support Operations for Home Lending, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Jessica L. Mayer
Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, Cardinal Health
John McWhorter
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, OhioHealth
Peter Mohler
Vice President for Research and Chief Scientific Officer, The Ohio State University
Gregory R. Overmyer
CEO, Overmyer Hall Associates
Brant Standridge
Senior Executive VP and President, Consumer and Regional Banking, Huntington National Bank
Rick Szabrak
Director of Economic and Workforce Development, Fairfield County
Matt Vaughan
President, Applied Science & Technology, Battelle
EX-OFFICIO
Sean Grant
Chief Financial Officer, The Columbus Partnership
Kenny McDonald
President and CEO, One Columbus
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THE FUTURE ECONOMY IS HERE
Modeling Collaborative Growth
★Over the next quarter century, the Columbus Region is facing a period of incredible growth. We’re expected to reach a population of 3.15 million by 2050—a 50 percent increase, and a full million more than we have today.
With that growth brings the potential for unprecedented prosperity, improved equity, and stronger cultural vitality. Right now, Central Ohio governments, businesses, community organizations, and educational institutions are already planning and preparing.
In a textbook example of the Columbus Way, they’re collaborating to create solutions to the challenges of growth.
The projected population growth is no coincidence—it’s the result of the Columbus Region positioning itself as the home of the future economy, with industries like semiconductors, electric vehicles, and biotechnology being developed right here. With historic investments by companies like Intel, Honda, Amgen, and many, many more. They aren’t just creating jobs—they are creating career paths and op-
Mac Conway Award Winner
One Columbus named a top 20 economic development organization in the nation for the 7th consecutive year –Site Selection Magazine
#3 metro area based on an analysis of job creation, capital expenditures, and strategic infrastructure development –2024 Global Groundwork Index
#7 metro area based on new and expanded facilities –Site Selection Magazine
portunities that will strengthen our community for generations to come.
This convergence of industries, innovation, and investment positions the Columbus Region as a leader in the emerging sectors that will define the 21st-century economy. Our preparation and careful planning have made us a model for how cities can drive economic development while fostering collaboration, inclusivity, and sustainable growth. It’s all happening right here in our own backyard.
And the world is noticing…
#1 in the nation for homebuyers looking for “good value and growth potential” –Realtor.com
#4 metro area for young professionals –Forbes
#4 best city for college grads –Zumper
#4 fastest-growing tech hub –Dice
Photo courtesy Randall L. Schieber
THE FUTURE ECONOMY IS HERE
The Future of the Columbus Region: Leading a Transforming Economy
Business and government leaders emphasize diversification and adaptation as keys to long-term success.
By Tim Feran
★Looking at the Columbus Region today, it’s almost unfathomable to imagine how the 14th largest city in the U.S. evolved from a small farming village called Franklinton along the banks of the Scioto River. Some credit, of course, goes to Columbus’ designation as the state capital and the formation of the Ohio State University as a land grant institution.
Those developments in turn attracted other businesses and organizations—insurance, banking, research, health care, fashion, retail, logistics and more—leading to a successful local economy the Region and its residents can enjoy.
With all of the Columbus Region’s advantages and its remarkable sustained ability to attract and launch new businesses, it would have been easy to remain content with the status quo.
But one person’s status quo is another person’s stagnation. Kenny McDonald, president and CEO of One Columbus, the economic development organization for the 11-county Region, knows all too well that continued diversification is vital not only to maintaining a vital economy, but also to fostering a healthy community. “There are a couple foundational ideas that we follow,” he says. “First, our best days are ahead of us. We’re setting long-term,
Photo courtesy Randall L. Schieber
The Arena District in Downtown Columbus during the annual Jazz & Rib Fest
big goals—and they’re both economic development goals as well as community goals—to become better and better, not just bigger and bigger.
“The second idea is, we have to be relentless about the pursuit of those goals and about diversification.”
More than ever, McDonald says, “We live in a very fast-paced, competitive world, which changes at every level. What could be counted on today maybe can’t be counted on tomorrow.
“That keeps us looking forward. We appreciate, we respect our history, but we are completely future focused. What people see when they get here, they see that focus—orange barrels, new companies, other companies coming here—we’re an example of transformation that has to occur to keep up.”
The importance of economic diversification isn’t just about the bottom line, he emphasizes. It’s about the kinds of jobs that keep the American dream alive, by allowing underrepresented groups to participate in the workforce. “It’s extraordinarily important that we continue to be persistent about generating these opportunities for the people who live here, and more pointedly, for the people who are not always at the table.
“It’s harder and harder to achieve the traditional American dream, but it’s still an aspiration, and we want to be an area where that absolutely stands true; that with a good career path, you can live a healthy and successful life, reach your potential as an individual and a family.
“But it will take a lot of hard work to maintain that.”
That’s because the industries currently in the Columbus Region are all evolving, McDonald says. “The jobs today [in those industries] may not be the same tomorrow.”
Honda is a great example, he says. The company came to Central Ohio more than 40 years ago to manufacture motorcycles and automobiles. Then in 2022, Honda announced a $4.4 billion joint venture with LG Energy Solution to produce lithium-ion batteries for its electric vehicles built in North America.
The companies plan to hire 2,200 workers at the new plant—a project that would have been almost inconceivable when Honda first set down local roots.
Biotechnology Boost
While McDonald and the region’s business, political and educational leaders are keeping their eye on current employers, they also are racing to attract new and emerging industries. “We are constantly using data and research to know where opportunities are. There’s a science to it,” McDonald says. “A lot of people have to do that work all the time, keeping that hand up, getting that opportunity to bring a business here.”
It wasn’t too difficult to lure medical research and drug development company Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. to the Region, thanks to the personal experience of Louise Rodino-Klapac, head of R&D and chief scientific officer at Sarepta, which is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Photo courtesy One Columbus
Photo courtesy One Columbus
Amazon has multiple fulfillment and data centers in the Columbus Region.
Nationwide Arena
“I came to Columbus about 25 years ago for graduate school at OSU,” she says. “I wanted to stay in Columbus, so I went to Nationwide Children’s Hospital and met Dr. Jerry Mendell,” a pioneer in gene therapy for neuromuscular diseases.
Over the next 15 years, RodinoKlapac collaborated with Mendell to invent a gene therapy treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
“Having developed those technologies, we really needed to partner with a biotech company,” she says. “We decided to partner with Sarepta.”
Rodino-Klapac already had a team of scientists in Ohio, “and I didn’t want to move to Boston. They very graciously let us stay in Columbus.”
With a good talent pool, institutions that could produce new talent for the company and the huge potential of gene therapies in health care, Sarepta launched a new facility.
“We built a huge, 85,000-squarefoot lab, the Genetic Therapies Center of Excellence,” Rodino-Klapac
“We are constantly using data and research to know where opportunities are. There’s a science to it.”
KENNY MCDONALD president and CEO, One Columbus
says. “We have over 200 employees at the Easton area facility now.”
The center is now “the heart of
Sarepta’s R&D department—its biggest site,” she says. “Our site is at the forefront of science. The work in Columbus is not secondary, but cutting edge. We’re giving recent graduates an opportunity to do research that impacts the lives of thousands of people around the world.”
Previously, she says, “There was a lot of hesitation from biotechs to come to the area, but I feel like many others have joined us.”
Sarepta aims to partner with local industries to create jobs. “We would anticipate continued growth as far our research center here,” RodinoKlapac says.
“Collaborations are really key for our success,” she says. “We’ve long been collaborating with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, but beyond that, we’re well connected with other biotechs in the region. I went to Forge Biologics and talked to the women’s leadership team there … and we’re actively engaged with One Columbus and JobsOhio Life Sciences.”
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Photo courtesy One Columbus
A Prepared Workforce
The Columbus Region has been successful in attracting industries of the future: semiconductors, electric vehicles and life sciences, with such companies as Intel, Honda, Amazon Web Services and, of course, Sarepta.
But traditional sectors—including finance, manufacturing and health care—also are adapting and growing with the help of partners, especially educational institutions like Columbus State Community College, which is deeply invested in workforce training. “Columbus is a place where you can do big things with partners,” Columbus State President David Harrison says.
“Partnerships have always been important in every role I’ve been in,” he says. “I came in with that mindset. The college was in great shape when I got here in 2010, so from that standpoint there was an immediate alignment of values.”
Harrison says college officials meet monthly with chief talent officers from numerous Central Ohio companies to keep a pulse on workforce needs. He’s particularly enthusiastic about the potential of three of the biggest recent economic developments: Intel, Amgen and the Honda-LG partnership. “For those three things to happen at the same time was huge,” he says. “For us, even more importantly, those jobs are our jobs. In each of those cases, the employers are really leaning in with us, designing pathways” for their workforces.
“The skill sets are very common. There are some unique skills that each company requires, but the baseline competencies required from employees are the same. I say that they’re all going to hire from each other.”
To answer the need for workers in automotive technology, Columbus State is embarking on a $15.6 million project to expand and modernize the auto-technology education center on its Downtown campus.
Columbus State also is working hard to address the shortage of health care workers. In 2023, the
college announced a $120 million joint venture with OhioHealth that will double the number of professionals trained in five health care fields: nursing, surgical technology, medical imaging, respiratory therapy and sterile processing. “OhioHealth is an incredible partner, but we also supply workers to Ohio State, Nationwide Children’s Hospital—and every single one is growing. In fact, their growth is limited by their workforce—and those are jobs that are in those neighbor-
hoods,” Harrison says.
In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded Columbus State a $5.7 million grant to support more than 800 advanced engineering technician students at the college, along with grant partners Marion Technical College and Central Ohio Technical College. The grant will help double the number of women enrolled in related programs, with an emphasis on engaging underserved populations. “With unprecedented
growth in the semiconductor, bioscience and clean energy industries, expanding Ohio’s engineering technology workforce will be the determining factor in sustained economic prosperity for students and families throughout the state,” Harrison says.
A $7.5 million federal grant announced in fall 2023 will enable the college to launch the National Information Technology Innovation Center, which will focus on meeting demand for IT training through credentialed technician programs.
Columbus State is the lead institution in the five-school partnership.
Columbus State also plans to create a specialized, 37-acre Career Development Center in Southeast Columbus focused on the construction trades and first responders.
“The gap that we’re really trying to work on is helping people understand these are opportunities for them—this isn’t something for somebody else,” Harrison says.
“Whether it’s young people or adults in transition, these are opportunities to change the trajectory of their lives. I don’t think there’s a limit to what we’re capable of, if we do it in a really inclusive way and do it together.”
Midwest Express Inc. in East Liberty
Photo courtesy One Columbus
The Ohio Statehouse
Photo courtesy One Columbus
Bus rapid transit corridors, such as the one in this rendering looking down Broad Street toward Downtown Columbus, are part of COTA’s LinkUS initiative.
Transportation for the Future
Despite ongoing economic development successes, one big piece remains to be put in place for the Columbus Region to continue to prosper: transportation.
That was very obvious to Monica Téllez-Fowler when she arrived in Columbus in 2023 to work as chief operating officer of the Central Ohio Transit Authority. “When I came here, I don’t know that I was expecting to
find such a large metropolis,” says Téllez-Fowler, who was promoted to president and CEO of COTA in May 2024. “I don’t know [that] I expected to find an entertainment district, a technology district, the finance district—all the different sectors that make up a large, diverse city.
“But I was driving around and seeing a lot of surface parking lots, just empty spaces, and I was wondering, ‘Why?’ Why not more housing, why
not more filling in those spaces? And as I looked at the riding system, I realized why it’s inconvenient to use.
“Yes, the system was still getting back after the pandemic, and I realized some of the service wasn’t what it had been. But even so, looking at the city, and its transportation system, they don’t match. There’s a huge gap.”
LinkUS—a transportation plan created by the city of Columbus, the
Franklin County Board of Commissioners, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and The Columbus Partnership—aims to address that gap. The plan would expand COTA service, add bus rapid transit routes and also improve sidewalks, bike paths and trails. Funding would come from a half-percent sales tax increase that is part of a larger COTA issue on the November ballot in Franklin and parts of four other counties.
LinkUS was the reason TéllezFowler agreed to come to Central Ohio. Prior to joining COTA, she held transit leadership roles in Vancouver, Washington, and Fort Worth, Texas, so she knows having political, civic and business groups on board is “imperative to do a successful build-out.”
“I’ve really enjoyed meeting the key stakeholders and seeing how invested, how committed they were,”
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Rendering courtesy LinkUS
A rendering of a security checkpoint exit at the new
she says. “We are kind of behind in that infrastructure piece, but even so, it takes a courageous leader to say, ‘Now is the time.’
“Everything here is all centered on cars. So all of a sudden you’ve limited what jobs I can have if I don’t have a car. And there’s limitations in general: health care, educational opportunities and plain old having a social life. So making it a really more built-out city is important. It really allows that connection.”
A key aspect of the LinkUS plan is
frequent connections to John Glenn Columbus International Airport via rapid transit. The airport itself is flying toward a massive upgrade: Early in 2024, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority approved plans to build a new $2 billion terminal, to be funded through a combination of passenger user fees, parking and other airline and tenant revenue, as well as federal grants and airport revenue bonds.
Having rapid transit service to the new terminal would be a tremen-
dous improvement, Téllez-Fowler says. “My favorite thing when I’m traveling is finding rapid transit to wherever you’re going,” she says. “It makes it super simple. That’s something we have to have.”
“Keep Looking Over the Horizon”
All of these developments only happen with cooperation, which locally is well-known as “the Columbus Way.” This Regionwide spirit of cooperation among public and
John Glenn Columbus International Airport terminal
private sector leaders has become the envy of many metropolitan areas outside of Ohio, McDonald says. “It’s great to have great CEO leadership, competent government leadership, a lot of extremely talented partners,” he says.
“Central Ohio has become a bit of role model,” says Steve Steinour, chairman, president and CEO of Huntington Bancshares Inc. and cochair of The Columbus Partnership. “We were nowhere in site selection, and we’ve gone on to now be one
HOW B1G WILL THIS SEASON WIND UP BEING?
Rendering courtesy Columbus Regional Airport Authority
of the best. You have to credit Les Wexner and the late John Wolfe with a lot of that, certainly in the early years of The Columbus Partnership.”
As Columbus grows, “we have an opportunity to grow with the rising tide,” Steinour says. “Huntington has been here almost 160 years. We believe corporate responsibility is not only good for the community, but fundamentally good business.
“So we’re involved in low-income housing—we make a lot of mortgages—and lots of small business loans. We have lots of local partners. As the hometown bank, we feel an obligation to do a lot for the community.
“And even better days are ahead,” Steinour says. “There may be periods where it feels like it is slowing a bit, but I’m very optimistic.”
McDonald agrees. “Ribbon-cuttings are awesome, but the most fulfilling part is going through a plant and seeing people at work because of dozens of organizations that worked together to make it happen,” he says. “We want to make it easy to start, to scale, even to build a supply chain— all right here. Whether it’s home grown, or coming to Ohio to serve part of North America. Our goal is to get a little more than our fair share.”
The key is continued aggressive pursuit of new opportunities for growth. “Like everything in life, the more you prepare, the harder you work, the more likely you’ll succeed,” McDonald says. “But you have to have your head up, keep looking over the horizon.”
“As the overall economy slows a bit, it’s even more important for The Columbus Partnership and One Columbus to be very dynamic,” Stei-
nour says. “As companies in other regions tighten up, I believe this is a ‘go’ moment, to go against the tide. I think it will pay dividends for years and years to come, by playing offense as opposed to defense.”
“The things we’re doing currently, they don’t guarantee our future,” McDonald says. “But they really do provide the opportunity to compete with anyone in the world.”
Tim Feran is a freelance writer.
Photo courtesy One Columbus
Columbus Arts Festival
Photo courtesy One Columbus
Worthington Steel Inc. is one among a number of publicly traded companies in the Columbus Region.
Photography: Mackenzie Smith Photo
THE FUTURE ECONOMY IS HERE
The Broader Benefits of Economic Development
New businesses generate jobs and tax revenue for their own communities, but the positive impacts often extend beyond city limits.
By Laura Newpoff
★Economic development is often cause for celebration, with ribbon-cuttings, media coverage and new jobs for local communities. But its worth extends well beyond the walls of a specific project.
Such development has a broad set of benefits that create opportunities for people and communities, says
Kenny McDonald, president and CEO of One Columbus. It allows people to find high-paying jobs and build wealth and financial stability. It allows communities to have the funding they need to build roads, bridges, sewers, high-speed broadband, trails and parks. It reduces unemployment and poverty levels and helps money flow into small businesses when employees spend money.
McDonald has been the region’s
top economic development official since 2010, when The Columbus Partnership’s Alex Fischer recruited him to run One Columbus, then called Columbus 2020. Greater Columbus has experienced sharp growth since then, adding more than 199,332 jobs, $45 billion in capital investment and a 58 percent increase in per capita income, according to One Columbus.
McDonald says now is the most
Photo courtesy Robb McCormick Photography
Dublin’s Bridge Park mixed-use development
The Short North Arts District in Columbus
fascinating time to be in economic development in generations. Intel’s historic $28 billion chip factory investment in Licking County, Amgen’s $365 million manufacturing facility in New Albany and Amazon’s $7.8 billion master plan to build data centers are just some of the projects that have earned the Region a new nickname: the Silicon Heartland. Undergirding this activity is federal legislation—the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Infla-
tion Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act; the rebuilding of global supply chains following the COVID-19 pandemic; and economic vibrancy among the automotive, food, semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries.
“We’ve been directly part of that because of our manufacturing prowess in addition to our [central] geographic location,” McDonald says. “There’s a flood of foreign investment coming in because they
see the U.S. economy as a safe place to invest. [The activity] has been nonstop since right after the pandemic.”
As this local prosperity continues, regional leaders are focused on equitable growth and using the tax revenue these projects bring to their communities to improve the quality of life for residents.
Here’s a look at how several cities and organizations are working to ensure today’s development efforts
reap rewards that continue well into the future.
Infrastructure Improvement
As more companies decide to call Central Ohio home and the population continues to grow, it’s important that economic development leads to better infrastructure. This includes learning from past mistakes, such as when minority neighborhoods became isolated from other communities when the nation’s highways
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Photo courtesy One Columbus
were built in the 1950s. “That had the unintended consequence of destroying neighborhoods, and we can do things differently now,” McDonald says. “We have the data and insights available to us to be intentional about this kind of growth so the next generation of our economy can be inclusive and benefit more people.”
William Murdock, executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, says as the region grows bigger, it should grow better—and infrastructure is a big part of that. Several projects are underway to improve and expand roads and add transit options so more people can more easily get to jobs as they are created, he says. This includes widening state Route 161 from Interstate 270 to U.S. Route 62 to accommodate Intel-related job growth.
There’s also the Central Ohio Transit Authority’s LinkUS initiative in collaboration with the city of Columbus, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, MORPC and the Partnership. The effort aims to modernize and expand the bus system, add bus rapid transit and invest in sidewalks, bikeways and trails throughout the region to connect communities and increase oppor-
“A region that’s vibrant is one that gives folks access to housing, jobs and amenities, and building out infrastructure gives people options.”
WILLIAM MURDOCK executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
tunity for residents. A November 2024 ballot issue in part asks voters in Franklin and parts of four other counties to increase the current local sales tax devoted to COTA from a half-percent to 1 percent.
Meanwhile, there’s still hope that passenger rail will become a reality in Central Ohio. The Federal Railroad Administration has approved two applications for the Region to be part of the Corridor Identification and Development Program. Each application will provide $500,000 that will be used to develop a comprehensive plan to expand passenger rail service, which includes a
Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati-Dayton corridor and a Chicago-Fort Wayne-Columbus-Pittsburgh route.
“A region that’s vibrant is one that gives folks access to housing, jobs and amenities, and building out infrastructure gives people options,” Murdock says. “If you have real transit, you’re giving people the option to get around, and passenger rail opens up a new opportunity. Not just for people who don’t want to drive, but for people who can’t or those who can’t afford it. This will improve residents’ quality of life and be an asset to our workforce, which directly benefits the business community. The regions we’re already competing with for workforce and talent already have these options. We need to add them so we can better compete.”
Revenue Growth and Financial Stability
Economic development increases tax revenue. When a company hires employees, they pay income tax to the municipality where they work. Cities use this money to fund infrastructure improvements, public health and public safety. Businesses also pay property taxes, which in Ohio is
Rendering courtesy LinkUS
A rendering of a bus rapid transit corridor proposed in COTA’s LinkUS initiative
BOLD
You've always known Westerville as a community that successfully pursues
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“Economic development is about creating jobs, but it’s also about building communities.”
CHRIS AMOROSE GROOMES mayor of Dublin
the primary funding mechanism for schools. In cases where a company receives a property tax abatement as an incentive, often it will make a “payment in lieu of taxes” contribution to the local school district.
The importance of a growing income tax base can’t be overstated because these tax dollars are cities’ and villages’ primary source of revenue, says Matt McCollister, executive vice president of One Columbus. Workers also generate sales tax revenue when they spend money at lunch, shop at a local store or fill up their gas tank to get home from work. “So, while they are not paying a percent of their income tax to the county, there is a percent of the dollars they spend in the community that goes back to the county so it can fund the sheriff’s department and many other support services,” he says. “It’s more of an indirect impact, but it’s significant.”
The impact of these large corporate projects is ongoing, he says. While the initial impact may be limited to the construction workers who build the facilities, those facilities eventually will be occupied by workers who will generate income and sales tax revenue for years to come. “It has a cumulative effect,” McCollister says. “The projects keep presenting funding opportunities for cities, counties and villages on an ongoing basis.”
Enhanced Public Services
The revenue generated from economic development allows cities to offer residents and businesses vital services, including street maintenance, snow removal and public safety. This has a long-term impact on residents’ quality of life.
Unrivaled Financial Resilience
“By attracting diverse businesses that have a growth mindset, we create a dependable and sustainable funding source so we can provide high-quality municipal services and execute on capital improvement projects,” says Dublin Mayor Chris Amorose Groomes.
NEWSLETTER
This includes dozens of projects each year that enhance the entire region, such as the Dublin Link pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Scioto River, a growing parks and multiuse path system, and transportation improvements like a new I-270 overpass that aims to reduce Sawmill Road traffic volume.
Dublin also has partnered with altafiber to build a next-generation, high-speed fiber network that will
extend into every city residence. The “Fiber to Every Home Project” is underway and will be constructed in phases over the next three years.
“Our goal is to be the most connected, resilient and sustainable community, and economic development is a big piece of that. We want to participate on a global scale,” Groomes says. “Economic development is about creating jobs, but it’s also about building communities. A city is a calculation of square miles and your population—and your network of interconnected people. Business thrives, people thrive, and economic development thrives when that’s the outcome: a group of interconnected people.”
Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, designed by Upper Arlington native Jack Nicklaus, hosts the annual Memorial Tournament.
Photo courtesy One Columbus
Gahanna’s Creekside development
Enhanced Community Well-Being
Gahanna Mayor Laurie Jadwin believes an important factor in attracting economic development is to offer a strong quality of life for people who want to live, work and play in the community. That includes ensuring safety for residents, businesses and visitors; maintaining safe and efficient roadways; providing accessible parks and engaging recreation programs and events; and offering affordable and diverse housing options.
Like many other communities in the Columbus Region, Gahanna has had to tackle those challenges while utilizing limited revenue effectively and efficiently to deliver maximum impact for residents.
For more than four decades, Gahanna operated with a 1.5 percent income tax rate, which eventually hampered the city’s ability to maintain critical infrastructure and invest in amenities. In May 2019, following a resident-led initiative, Gahanna voters overwhelmingly approved raising the income tax to 2.5 percent; 75 percent of the new revenue is expressly dedicated to fund capital improvement projects and equipment. That increase, combined with the city’s significant economic growth over the past three years, is enabling Gahanna to begin addressing a backlog of projects, such as rebuilding roads and sidewalks, replacing four playgrounds, adding
Photo courtesy the Memorial Tournament
BLUE JACKETS SEASON NEVER ENDS
Researchers at Ohio State University’s Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute
a new splash pad to the community pool and investing in critical equipment for police officers.
Another notable project is the expansion of the city’s trail system, which includes completion of the final section of the Big Walnut Trail that will connect Gahanna to Columbus and Whitehall, and a new “Link to Literacy” trail that will provide a safe path for pedestrians from North Hamilton Road near the new Gahanna Lincoln High School to the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s new Gahanna branch and the Creekside District.
Additionally, the city aims to enhance livability by phasing out aging facilities that hinder its ability Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew won its third MLS Cup in 2023.
Photo courtesy One Columbus
to efficiently serve residents. “During the last three years, we began to work on identifying a long-term plan for addressing long-deferred facility challenges that included a deteriorating police headquarters, a City Hall that no longer met operational needs and a community demand for more indoor recreational programming space,” Jadwin says. “We were able to purchase an existing facility, 825 Tech Center Drive, and are now in the process of repurposing that building to be the future home of the Gahanna Division of Police, Gahanna Senior Center and Gahanna City Hall. Not only are we addressing three facility needs in one through a sustainable, cost-effective approach that saves millions of dollars, but we also will have a building that will position us to deliver high-quality, modern-day services to our citizens for generations to come.”
Housing Prosperity for All
As the Region continues to grow, it’s important that it grows responsibly, and this includes aligning efforts with the Columbus Housing Strategy, says Mike Stevens, the city’s development department director. Central Ohio’s housing supply isn’t keeping up with population growth, and if current building patterns
Photo courtesy One Columbus
upperarlingtonoh.gov
THE OHIO REST COLLECTIVE
continue, demand will eclipse supply by 2030.
The strategy encourages constructing more housing of all kinds—market-rate, workforce and affordable; investing in additional affordable housing; preserving existing affordability and protecting residents from evictions and displacement; and including low-income residents and people of color by cultivating economically diverse neighborhoods. “We need to take a regional approach to the crisis,” Stevens says. “There’s a strategy in place to invest in more housing and encourage more housing gets built, with a focus on making sure it is [as] inclusive as possible. When you look at economic development success, we need to look at housing as
The Ohio State University Marching Band
The Condominiums at North Bank Park
Photo courtesy Nationwide Realty Investors
infrastructure, just like we do with roads and sewers.”
One step toward that goal occurred in July 2024, when Columbus City Council voted to overhaul the zoning code to allow higher-density development in some parts of the city—a move that is expected to improve access to affordable housing for residents.
“The growing pains we’re experiencing aren’t unique to Columbus, but how we respond can be,” Stevens says. “We talk with other communities that are experiencing growth, and what we hear is how surprised they are at the different things we’re doing: the zoning code update, LinkUS, investments in infrastructure, and putting the tools in place to encourage more investment in housing and offset increases in costs. Columbus and the Region are leading on these efforts. Our approach is going to set us apart and make us successful as we continue to offer economic opportunity to our residents.”
Laura Newpoff is a freelance writer.
Photo courtesy Corey Klein
Photo courtesy One Columbus
THE FUTURE ECONOMY IS HERE
Development Drivers
Chris Schastok of CBRE discusses why the Columbus Region stands out from other markets and how One Columbus and its partners are working to keep the momentum going.
By Andrew King
★In large, competitive metro areas like the Columbus Region, development doesn’t happen by accident. It requires careful planning, proactive research and analysis, and a coordinated effort to attract major industry players.
As One Columbus works to attract companies to the Region or assists existing organizations with
a relocation or expansion, one of the services in its portfolio is site selection assistance. One Columbus staff members can work with commercial real estate experts to provide research, analysis and site tours to find a suitable home for a new project.
Chris Schastok is executive vice president in the Advisory & Transaction Services practice at CBRE, a commercial real estate services and investment firm. Schastok works as
a site selection consultant and advises companies that are considering locations in the Columbus Region.
As Schastok has worked with One Columbus, he’s seen the Region expand and evolve to attract new industries and corporate partners. Here, he discusses the ever-changing business landscape, what separates the Columbus Region from other growing cities and what the future holds.
Photo courtesy aerialagents.com
An aerial photo taken in the area of Post and Eiterman roads in Dublin
What makes site selection such an integral part of the development process?
It’s really not site selection, it’s site elimination. It’s going through the due diligence to de-risk what, in some cases, can be very large capital and corporate investment decisions that have great ramifications on a business’s operations. Taking the time to synthesize and understand all of the information before you so that a strategic decision can be made is critically important and, frankly, why the industry exists. What we do is about adding and creating value for our client.
What distinguishes One Columbus from other economic development organizations you have worked with?
It’s the leadership team and the legacy knowledge within the organization. While the team at One Columbus has shifted and changed, the entire organization has had a pretty awesome foundation of industry
professionals and a lot of legacy expertise around the field of economic development.
Economic development and site selection are a niche industry. You don’t go to school for this. There’s no degree given in economic development or site selection. It’s a learned industry and a learned business. What I think is remarkable about One Columbus—and one of the reasons it’s very often viewed as one of the preeminent economic development agencies in the entire country—is the leadership team that’s there, and the empowerment given to the team to do the work. When you put that all together, it truly presents one Columbus, in the sense that everyone seems to be marching in the same direction. Helping companies big and small grow is a shared mission, and one that they’ve been incredibly successful with.
How does the Columbus Region’s infrastructure support the needs of businesses
in emerging industries such as semiconductors, electric vehicles and life sciences?
I think that question warrants a slight look back in time.
In the last five years, the Columbus Region has secured over 25,000 net new jobs and around $35 billion in total capital. In the 11-county Region, there’s been almost $500 million in infrastructure investments made in addition to the capital investment associated with the project announcements. That foresight is what helps the legacy industry and evolving industries such as semiconductors, EV and life sciences continue to look at the Region. There have been investments in utility infrastructure, fiber and roads across the entire Region, not just in the hot, growing areas, that have paved the way for continued growth. And then you have the airport improvements and connectivity, which has the potential to really elevate Central Ohio.
The reality is that most regions in the U.S. are currently grappling
An Acura NSX assembly line
Photo courtesy Honda
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with how to tackle extreme growth, especially as it relates to power generation; however, this Region, as a whole, in the last five years has taken great strides to provide an environment to support future projects.
What advantages does the Columbus Region offer in terms of workforce availability and talent attraction?
You have the Ohio State University sitting in Columbus with 60,000-plus students, and it is such a magnet for attracting talent. And it’s not just undergrad, but also the related Ph.D. programs, with emphasis on R&D, and the future of technology.
There are also other schools like Franklin University, Denison University, Wittenberg and smaller schools, coupled with a diverse industry set in Columbus with the existing automotive, finance and retail giants with significant operations. It’s a fertile breeding ground for attracting the next generation of diverse talent.
In your experience, how does the collaboration between One Columbus and local government entities benefit potential investors and businesses?
When you have an organization like
One Columbus that is so respected and has such great buy-in at the corporate and community level, that’s your recipe for success. Regionalism in economic development continues to be a great model.
There are a lot of areas around the country that would look at Columbus with great envy given the cohesive unit that the Region seems to be.
What feedback have you received from clients or businesses that have relocated to or expanded in the Columbus Region?
They’re really impressed and energized by the support that One Columbus and also JobsOhio have provided around solving workforce-related matters. But the big piece is also connectivity.
A lot of companies—especially newcomers to the market—have really, really benefited from One Columbus being able to help them integrate, get established and connected with the right business leaders in order to link in with the community where they operate. Within this 11-county Region, there are a lot of city organizations and county government, but it feels like you have one team for the Region, regardless of what their business card says.
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Photo courtesy One Columbus
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.
“There’s no degree given in economic development or site selection. It’s a learned industry and a learned business.”
CHRIS SCHASTOK CBRE executive
vice president
What has helped contribute to the influx of tech development on the east side of Central Ohio? Does there seem to be a concerted effort to attract that type of development? I think the goal was to create an ecosystem. How do you create the ecosystem? You’ve got to set the table. How do you set the table? Infrastructure; sites; having the prepared labor force; partnering with Ohio State; partnering with Columbus State Community College; helping to create pathways for student populations as early as K-12 and starting to look at advanced manufacturing as a career.
That requires a lot of investment and focus on infrastructure. So I think, in the world in which we live in 2024, projects that are technology-related and chip-related, these are industries of the day and the future. We can all collectively agree, this was not the conversation we were having 25 years ago. I think Columbus, as well as other regions in the country, are now seeing the fruit that is being born from decisions that were made many years prior.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Andrew King is a freelance writer.
THE FUTURE ECONOMY IS HERE
The Columbus Region at a Glance
Get to know the area’s 11 counties, each of which offers a variety of assets and amenities.
★With a population of 2.3 million people and growing, the Columbus Region is a vibrant metropolitan area whose business community is experiencing significant change and growth. The 11-county Region boasts a diverse array of industries, including biotechnology, automotive, financial services, insurance, logistics, retail, restaurants and many more. The area is home to numerous colleges and universities that serve all types of learners,
from small liberal arts schools and community colleges to the R1 research power of the Ohio State University. From family-owned shops to Fortune 100 corporations, all types of enterprise thrive here. Innovation and a communitywide spirit of cooperation set the Columbus Region apart, creating and nurturing an environment where businesses and residents can prosper.
Data sources: population from 2023 Census estimates; age, households and income from Esri 2024
Downtown Columbus skyline
Courtesy One Columbus
Downtown Delaware is home to numerous businesses.
Population
231,636
Median age 40.2
Percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher 60.6%
Projected population growth 2021-2050 80.17%
County Seat City of Delaware
Notable Employer
DHL Supply Chain North America
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Photos courtesy One Columbus
Village Green Park in Powell
DELAWARE COUNTY offers thriving residential and business communities and puts a high priority on education. Well over half of the county’s residents have a bachelor’s degree, and it is home to three institutions of higher education: Columbus State Community College (Delaware Campus), Methodist Theological School in Ohio and Ohio Wesleyan University. 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.
SHOVEL READY.
Powell City Hall
Photo courtesy One Columbus
Percentage
County Seat City of Lancaster
Notable Employer
Magna
Photo courtesy Bryan M. Everitt
View from Mount Pleasant in Lancaster
AS THE FOURTHfastest-growing county in Ohio over the past decade, Fairfield County offers a variety of amenities for both businesses and residents. More than 3,000 companies are located amid a wide range of surroundings, both metropolitan and rural. There are more than 5,000 acres of parkland and preserves, as well as a portion of the scenic Hocking Hills region. The county has a rich history in farming, as well as manufacturing.
Downtown Lancaster
Photos courtesy Bryan M. Everitt
Population
1,326,063
Median age 34.9
Percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher 45.0%
Projected population growth 2021-2050 26.07%
County Seat City of Columbus
Notable Employer Nationwide
The Creekside development in Gahanna
Photo courtesy Rockbridge
Photo courtesy One Columbus
The Junto
FRANKLIN COUNTY is at the epicenter of the state. Ohio’s capital city, Columbus, is located in Franklin County, creating a robust economic environment and a strong political center. The county boasts many thriving businesses, outstanding educational institutions and strong public-private sector alliances. Capitalizing on its reputation as a tech hub, Franklin County attracts emerging industries, renowned researchers, entrepreneurs, millennial talent and forward-thinking leaders.
Building Businesses.
Lives.
The Bridge Park development in Dublin
Photo courtesy Robb McCormick Photography
Percentage
Notable Employer Kokosing
South Main Plaza in Mount Vernon
Photo courtesy One Columbus
KNOX COUNTY offers a rural lifestyle and some of the most beautiful landscape views in Ohio, while being deeply connected to the Columbus metropolitan area. The county seat, Mount Vernon, is the largest city and is surrounded by developmentminded communities. Knox County values education, with highly ranked schools and higher education institutions, including Kenyon College in Gambier and Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
A scenic waterway in Knox County
Photo courtesy One Columbus
Population 183,201
Median age 40.8
Median household income $80,071
Percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher 32.2%
County Seat City of
Notable Employer
Photo courtesy city of Newark
Photo courtesy One Columbus
Ohio One campus
Corning
Pickerington Methodist Hospital
Diley Ridge Medical Center
Fairfield Medical Center
Rendering courtesy Intel
LICKING COUNTY offers a high quality of life and low cost of living. For many, it’s an ideal mix of small-town charm and big-city benefits. The strong infrastructure, available land and incentives for new and growing businesses encourage economic growth. Three universities (including the private, liberal-arts-focused Denison University), two technical schools and more than 20 public and private schools help to create a diverse and talented workforce. Intel is investing more than $28 billion to build two new semiconductor factories here in the New Albany International Business Park.
Denison University
Photo courtesy Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority
Photo by Doral Chenoweth III/The Columbus Dispatch
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Population 46,057
Median age 43.1
Median household income
$70,350
Percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher 20.0%
County Seat City of Bellefontaine
Notable Employer Midwest Express Inc. FIND
Various businesses call Downtown Bellefontaine home.
Photo courtesy One Columbus
South Main Street in Bellefontaine
HOME TO THRIVING communities such as Indian Lake, West Liberty and Bellefontaine, Logan County is 60 minutes from Downtown Columbus. Industry is expanding and continues to invest in the local economy; nearly 10,000 people commute to work here daily. The county is home to Campbell Hill, the highest point in Ohio, as well as Transportation Research Center Inc., which is the largest independent vehicle test facility and proving ground in the country.
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MADISON
Population 44,602
Median age 41.4
Percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher 22.6%
Projected population growth 2021-2050 30.86%
County Seat City of London
Notable Employer Mahle
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• Transportation and development strategy
• Engineering
Mandy’s clients and colleagues will tell you, “We couldn’t have delivered this project without Mandy,” and “She was the driver behind our success.” Mandy and Forward Momentum can make your vision a reality too. With 25+ years of experience in public and private sector leadership roles, Mandy gets it done.
Contact Mandy K. Bishop, P.E. mbishop@forward-momentum.com www. forward-momentum.com
Photo courtesy One Columbus
MADISON COUNTY OFFERS A rich combination of agricultural heritage, a growing business 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.
Downtown London
Photos courtesy One Columbus
Population 64,851
Median age 41.6
Median household income
$56,660
Percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher 15.0%
County Seat City of Marion
Notable Employer Yachiyo
Building businesses, one space at a time.
Building businesses, one space at a time.
With years of experience, we create functional and inspiring commercial spaces. Let us handle the construction so you can focus on growth.
With years of experience, we create functional and inspiring commercial spaces. Let us handle the construction so you can focus on growth.
cs-gc.com
cs-gc.com
The Harding Memorial honors President Warren G. Harding and his wife, Florence.
Photo courtesy One Columbus
MARION COUNTY is an innovative, evolving community that prides itself on workforce development. With a collaborative business environment and numerous educational offerings, including RAMTEC Ohio, an industry leader in robotics and advanced manufacturing certifications, the county has proven itself to be a place where both companies and families can thrive.
Yachiyo
Marion Industrial Center
Photos courtesy One Columbus
Photo courtesy One Columbus
in Mount Gilead
MORROW COUNTY continues to strengthen its employment and economic base with both local companies and nationally known businesses. 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 Inc.
OHIO’S BEST DESIGN BUILDER
Dublin Building Systems has self-performing crews ready to work for you. Let DBS ease you through the process.
Providing Design-Build construction services for:
Cardington Yutaka Technologies Inc.
File photo by Tim Johnson
Groovy Plants Ranch in Marengo
Photo courtesy One Columbus
Sofidel opened its Circleville plant in 2018.
Median age 40.6
Percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher 21.7%
Projected population growth 2021-2050 34.62%
4 Youth Empowerment
30,000 children served last year through YMCA Youth Development programs, such as Early Learning, Before & After School-Age Child Care, Teen Leaders, Camp, Swim Lessons, Youth Sports and more 4 Whole Person Health
106,000 individuals and families served at YMCA Community Centers, including 50,000 seniors 4 Sparking Social Change
1,200+ households assisted through housing stability and 5,900 individuals experiencing homelessness assisted with emergency shelter services
County Seat City of Circleville
Notable Employer
Sofidel
Photos courtesy One Columbus
WITH A POPULATION of more than 61,000 people, Pickaway County is projected to grow by more than 16,000 residents by the year 2030. The area has rural charm but also boasts the comforts that come from being part of the Columbus metropolitan area. Pickaway County has well-developed transportation and utility infrastructure systems that can accommodate most industrial and business needs.
Photo courtesy One Columbus
Farmland in Pickaway County
UNION
Population 69,637
Median age 38.5
Median household income $102,950
Projected population growth 2021-2050 48.84%
County Seat City of Marysville
Notable Employer Nestlé
Marysville
Photo courtesy One Columbus
UNION COUNTY IS THE second-fastest-growing county in Ohio, and its officials place a strong emphasis on economic diversification and vitality. The county offers many business advantages, including a diverse and highly skilled workforce, a growing population, and low costs of living and doing business. Workers and residents also enjoy direct access to surrounding metro areas.
go.osu.edu/carmenton
Carmenton
INTERESTED IN LOCATING AT
Email carmenton@osu.edu
The 33 Innovation Park in Marysville
Photo courtesy One Columbus
INDIANAPOLIS MINNEAPOLIS COLUMBUS
Partnering to build a vibrant, safe and clean community
Nationwide® recognizes the work of the Columbus Partnership and its continuing efforts to make a lasting impact on central Ohio. We’re proud to be part of such a collaborative community, and we’ll be here to provide continued support for years to come.