For over 100 years, Akron has been the rubber capital of the world.
Photo: Getty Images

by RON STARNER

A city of 190,000 people located in the Great Lakes region of the Midwest, about 40 miles south of Lake Erie, Akron has long been known as The Rubber Capital of the World.

But it’s a lot more than that. While its legacy as the tire manufacturing capital of the planet is unmatched, this Northeast Ohio city is developing a name for itself in other sectors. Ohio’s fifth largest city is seeing an economic development resurgence thanks to $180 million in private investment going into downtown residential development in recent years.

That’s why Mayor Shammas Malik recently appointed Suzie Graham Moore to serve as the city’s new Director of Economic Development. “Economic Development and Planning will be key to my administration’s goals, and I’m confident in the team we are assembling,” Mayor Malik said. “Both Suzie Graham Moore and Sean Vollman (new Deputy Director of Economic Development) bring experience and creativity to their roles and will work closely to move our economic development efforts forward.”

The primary agency for promoting progress in the city is the Greater Akron Chamber. Which focuses on such field work as business retention, expansion and attraction. The GAC is well known for its business outreach program. In 2023, GAC contacted over 700 local businesses and assisted them with a variety of needs.

The GAC is also actively engaged in an “Akron, USA” mission to promote the growth of global trade and foreign direct investment in the region. Its efforts to date have resulted in more than $500 million in FDI going into the region.

One area in which Akron maintains a position of global leadership is polymer research and development. A world leader for more than a century in this field, Akron today is the center of The Polymer Industry Cluster and has been designated as an official Tech Hub for polymer research by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Key players in this Tech Hub include the College of Engineering and Polymer Science at the University of Akron; Goodyear Tire: Kumho Tire; Bridgestone Americas Inc.; Continental Tire; and many other firms engaged in polymer science.

“We believe a thriving Polymer Industry Cluster will attract more talent to the field, accelerate global R&D achievements, and drive robust economic growth, adding over $2 billion to GRP within a decade,” GAC noted in a release.

Cincinnati

The Queen City Gives Businesses A Royal Welcome

Fountain Square indowntown Cincinnati
Photo courtesy of Ohio Tourism

by RON STARNER

When the Cincinnati Reds players known as The Big Red Machine won back-to-back World Series championships in 1975 and 1976, the media dubbed them the “Royal Reds.”

It was a fitting title for a team representing the Queen City. Founded in 1788 and incorporated in 1819, Cincinnati is home today to a population of 309,452. Over the decades, Cincinnati has forged a reputation for being a leader in consumers product marketing, aviation and aerospace, and logistics and transportation. Born on the Ohio River, Cincinnati has grown up to become a dominant player in insurance, health care, food services and a host of customer-facing sectors.

Whether it’s the barbecue ribs of the Montgomery Inn Boathouse, Graeter’s Ice Cream or Skyline Chili, the distinctive flavors of Cincinnati please the palate of many Ohioans.

Located in Hamilton County, Ohio, on the border of Kentucky and Indiana, Cincinnati has also earned a reputation for playing well with others. The Queen City anchors a tri-state region that has amassed 10 Mac Conway Awards from Site Selection Magazine for its economic development performance. Over that decade, the region has attracted 700 corporate expansion facility projects totaling over $180 billion in investment.

The City of Cincinnati last year pulled in its fair share of that haul. Among the corporate investors to place big bets on the host city of the Reds, Bengals and FC Cincinnati were BASF Corp., King City Gardens, Cincinnati Blue Line Foundation, PROKIDS and Curiosity LLC. Together, these five projects brought it more than $104 million in new investment into the city, along with more than 140 new jobs.

Home to the headquarters of 20-plus billion-dollar companies, Cincinnati goes out of its way to make investing in the city an easy decision. Real estate financial assistance available through City Hall includes Community Reinvestment Area Tax Abatement; Tax Increment Financing; and Real Estate Financing Gap or Property Sale Assistance.

In addition, qualifying employers may seek assistance from the city in the form of Job Creation Tax Credits. The JCTC provides an increase to a company’s yearly profits by reducing their tax obligation to the city. Special programs are also available through the city to help small businesses and to assist any business with zoning or permitting help.

Cincinnati amenities are rising too. The Downtown Main Library is undergoing a $40 million renovation and is slated to reopen on July 12. The facility is one of the largest downtown libraries in the country. At more than 540,000 square feet, the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library served more than 330,000 visitors in 2023.

Soccer enthusiasts, meanwhile, may gravitate toward TQL Stadium, home of FC Cincinnati of Major League Soccer. Sporting the best record of any MLS team in 2023, FCC seems destined to contend for titles for years to come.

Cleveland

Building a Walk-to-Work City

Cyclists in Cleveland ride along part of the 90-mile Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.
Photo by Jason Cohn courtesy of Rails to Trails Conservancy

by ADAM BRUNS

Justin Bibb is a son of southeast Cleveland. He’s also the son of a social worker and a first responder. He won the Cleveland mayoral election in 2021 in part because of the mission of Cleveland Can’t Wait, the nonprofit founded by this former KeyBank VP and startup leader to advance economic opportunity and racial equity.

He’s not waiting around to get things done. “We have made some very strategic investments in public safety to turn the tide on crime,” he said in a recent interview, noting that homicides are down by 30% and police pay is up by 25%. The city has also created its first neighborhood safety endowment fund. “No one is going to come to your city if they can’t feel safe and secure,” he said.

On the economic development front, he said he wants to see Cleveland become “the semiconductor supply chain capital of the state. That’s our strategy.”

The federal investments to reinvigorate and change national industrial policy also mean beefing up the number of shovel-ready sites that are ready to go, he says. Which is why he and his city council colleagues directed $50 million of American Rescue Act monies toward a new Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund, which already has helped close a deal in one of Cleveland’s historically Black neighborhoods. In April, the Fund worked with Cuyahoga County Land Bank to close its acquisition of the Wellman-Seaver Engineering Company plant and adjoining 10 acres and is in the midst of planning salvage and repurposing at the historic site where ore-loading cranes and some of the nation’s pioneering industrial equipment were invented and manufactured at the turn of the 20th century.

Cleveland has about 4,000 to 5,000 acres of vacant, abandoned or underutilized industrial property, redevelopment of which could help create some 25,000 jobs. So far, the Site Readiness Fund has identified 210 acres to turn into market-ready sites. Which explains why Bibb is leading fundraising to add another $50 million to the Fund’s pool. Partners also include JobsOhio, Team NEO, Cuyahoga County, The Cleveland Foundation, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the Fund for Our Economic Future, Ohio Means Jobs and community development corporations across the city.

The program meshes well with Cleveland having been chosen in March by Bloomberg Philanthropies as one of 25 U.S. cities to join Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities, a three-year, $200 million initiative to “leverage historic levels of federal funding to incubate and implement transformative local solutions to build low-carbon, resilient and economically thriving communities” through “transformative solutions in the buildings and transportation sectors.” Bibb says he’s lobbying for more state and federal support for workforce and affordable housing and is working with KeyBank to develop a new housing fund to incentivize developers and close the gap. Meanwhile, an RFQ went out in March for redevelopment proposals for housing as part of the mayor’s Southeast Side Promise initiative.

Bibb says he believes the Site Readiness Fund program will help attract companies to the city’s urban core, as will a $7 billion makeover of Cleveland waterfronts from the banks of the Cuyahoga River to Lake Erie. The “Shore-to-Core-to-Shore” strategy is key to his team’s walk-to-work agenda.

Columbus

A Capital City Primed for More

Columbus Skyline
Photo courtesy of City of Columbus

by RON STARNER

When your city has established itself as the fastest-growing community in the Midwest and 14th largest in America, what do you do for an encore? For jobs mecca Columbus, it means that you work to maintain that competitive edge and push for more, says Mike Stevens, the city’s development director.

We recently caught up with Stevens to learn more about the capital city’s economic development program.

What have been the biggest economic development wins of your administration?

MIKE STEVENS: We are part of a region that has been knocking it out of the park. By working together as a region, we are executing the Innovation District at The Ohio State University. We are investing significant infrastructure dollars there. There will be other commercial uses including housing. It will be a mixed-use innovation district that will complement the work around chip-making and what is being spun out of the various health systems like Amgen. The startup environment here is strong. Other big recent wins include the Scioto Peninsula Development next to the river. Office space and residential space investment are occurring there. It is becoming a work-live-play destination.

What are your top economic development priorities for the next year?

STEVENS: Our No. 1 priority is housing. Our families need a safe place to call home. They need an affordable place to live. Also, advancing the small business entrepreneurial ecosystem in our community. We were designated as a Workforce Hub by the White House. The big issue here is the workforce. The Building Futures Program is designed to expand participation in the skilled trades. Intel is doing a fab in our region and they are doing a lot of construction. We are also working with other stakeholders on the Affordability Housing Trust for Central Ohio. We compete for jobs with any city in the Midwest. Contractors at AWS are working with our local trades to train and place people at their jobsites.

Has the city made any major infrastructure improvements in the last 5 years?

STEVENS: We passed over a billion-dollar capital budget last year. We put money into the Scioto Peninsula. It has expanded. For years, it sat as vacant parking lots. We invested in roads and underground infrastructure. We continue to make a significant investment into infrastructure that serves the Arena District and OSU. We continue to invest in our utility system. We are in the planning process now to build a fourth water plant. We are investing in our transit now too.

What is the biggest challenge facing your city?

STEVENS: Housing. Are we building enough housing at all price points? Are we generating enough new jobs that pay good wages? We also need to maintain our competitive advantage. We have a good workforce. We have good-paying jobs. We must work hard to keep that edge. Where is the American Dream going? We need to continue to invest in the right infrastructure. Columbus competes against Austin, Nashville, Charlotte and the Sunbelt for top jobs. There is a lot of competition from the Sunbelt. Our water supply and infrastructure and talent pool separate us from other communities. We have been able to learn from the impact of growth on Austin. How can we make sure that our housing is keeping up with that? We compete with Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Chicago too.

Dayton

Still Flying High After 120 Years

Dayton skyline
Photo: Getty Images

by RON STARNER

When the Wright brothers of Dayton built and flew the world’s first airplane, they had no idea how their invention would forever shape the future development of their hometown in southwestern Ohio.

More than 120 years after the first airplane took flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the city that produced this world-changing vehicle is still impacting history in the aviation realm. Today, Dayton is home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base – the largest single-site employer in Ohio -- and a plethora of aviation and aerospace companies employing tens of thousands of highly skilled workers.

Joby Aviation became the latest corporate investor to join the neighborhood. With a $500 million capital investment announced in Montgomery County, Joby will employ 2,000 skilled workers at a factory producing up to 500 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft per year. The firm chose a 140-acre tract at Dayton International Airport where it will build up to 2 million square feet of factory space.

Some 114 years after the Wright brothers opened America’s first airplane factory in Dayton, “The Birthplace of Aviation” is still flying high. In addition to Joby, Pratt Industries announced a $32 million investment into a new plant in Dayton last year, while GE Engine Services announced its own $20 million project. Beontag, meanwhile, announced a $60 million facility that creates 200 jobs in RFID technology in Dayton.

A thriving city of 134,404 people, Dayton benefits from its proximity to Cincinnati, Columbus, Indianapolis and the rest of the Midwest. In fact, more than 60% of the country can be reached in a one-day truck drive or less from Dayton.

Other location factors contribute to Dayton’s business appeal. Forbes magazine named Dayton one of the nation’s “Most Affordable Cities” and “Happiest Places to Work.” Forbes did so because Dayton offers affordability, abundant career opportunities and an enviable quality of life. The City of Dayton, for instance, was named one of the first official “Welcoming Cities” in the country.

The median cost of a house in Montgomery County is just $124,000, and the cost of living is more than 10 points below the national average. The Dayton Region STEM School and the Dayton Early College Academy also add to the area’s attractiveness.

These and other attributes have made the Dayton area a hub for transportation, logistics, aerospace and defense, advanced manufacturing, automotive, and agriculture and food processing. Skilled workers are the norm in Dayton too, as the community boasts the fourth-largest concentration of engineers per capita in the country.

Findlay

Harnessing the Findlay Formula

Downtown Findlay, Ohio.
Phot courtesy of VisitFindlay.com

by RON STARNER

A city of 40,000 people on I-75 in northwest Ohio has made a name for itself as a manufacturing mecca in the Midwest. Findlay in Hancock County has bested all micropolitan areas in the U.S. for 10 years running by landing more corporate facility deals than any other small town.

Its success has become so predictable that the town has trademarked “The Findlay Formula.” Wanting to get a better understanding of this secret recipe for economic development achievement, we turned to Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn.

Findlay has a track record of economic development success. Site Selection Magazine has named it the top-performing small town in the nation for 10 straight years. What are the factors behind this?

MAYOR CHRISTINA MURYN: We are a community of problem-solvers. We find a way to say yes. When a business has a problem, we come together to solve it. People know from the start that we are a team. Whether it is the Planning Department or another office, our teamwork gives people confidence that when they come to us, we will get the job done. With Sheetz, the city stepped up with infrastructure. The GVS project is an existing business from Italy that is expanding and making Findlay their North America headquarters. They supply the N95 mask for the national stockpile. We provide a stable environment where people can reinvest. It is not flashy, but we know how to get the job done. 

Findlay and Hancock County have made workforce development a priority for many years. Can you share any best practices?

MURYN: We established a Workforce Coalition and raised the bar. We have our business community leading the conversation about what our city will need in the future. By working with our businesses, that helps us in the long run. We are not only addressing the current needs; we are making sure we have the talent employers will need in the future. 

How does Findlay's location on the I-75 corridor help?

MURYN: I-75 is critical for our community. We have great accessibility for products going to market and components coming in. From a community access standpoint, we have proximity to metro areas that have amenities we do not have. We have access to Detroit, Toledo, Dayton, Columbus and Cleveland. We are a draw because we are so easy to get to. Within 100 miles of Findlay are the airports of Detroit, Toledo, Fort Wayne, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton.

What is your town's best-kept secret?

MURYN: I will give you two options. One is Japan West. It is a fabulous restaurant. The other is the Mazza Museum on the campus of the University of Findlay. It is the world’s largest collection of children’s picture book art. Pop-up artwork books are on display here. It is a cool facility; and it expanded recently to include a STEAM center. It is free and a lot of fun. 

What are some of your community's best quality-of-life attributes?

MURYN: We have a number of beautiful parks along the river, and we have neighborhood pocket parks. We have a beautiful downtown with lots of bars and restaurants and an arcade. Our community is easy to navigate; and we offer safety and accessibility.

Toledo

Building on a Legacy Of Autos and Glass

Visitors to the Toledo Museum of Art.
Courtesy of Tourism Ohio

by RON STARNER

The marketing slogan for the Regional Growth Partnership, based in Toledo in Northwest Ohio, is “Where Talent Drives Your Future.” It’s an appropriate metaphor, given that Toledo sits squarely in the heart of America’s I-75 Automotive Alley.

The fourth largest city in Ohio, Toledo has an estimated 2024 population of 271,700. Only Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati have more people in Ohio.

While Toledo may not be as populous as the Big 3, it more than makes up for its size with its economic development performance. Known as the Glass Capital of the World because it was the historic home of such luminaries as Libbey, Owens, Ford and other notable glass pioneers, Toledo more recently has been branching out into a variety of industries.

Over the past 12 months, Toledo has reaped large capital investments from Mobis North America, New Horizons Baking, the Heavy Beer Co., Greenhouse Development Group and Jam Tire Inc.

Together, these five companies invested over $50 million and created more than 430 new jobs in Toledo. They come from diverse industries – electronics, chemicals and plastics, food and beverage, and machinery, equipment and construction. This diversity of investment mirrors the economic landscape of modern-day Toledo. The city’s key industries today include advanced manufacturing, automotive, energy, food processing, and logistics and distribution.

The Mobis expansion is indicative of the growth taking place in Toledo. A leading Tier 1 auto supplier, Mobis recently announced it will invest $13.8 million to locate a new electric vehicle battery assembly plant in Toledo. “We’ve been manufacturing in Toledo, Ohio, for nearly 20 years, and we are excited to continue to invest in the community with this new battery plant,” said Dong Hee Son, general manager of Mobis. “The state-of-the-art facility will bring 185 good-paying, upskilled jobs to the area and be a driving force in automotive electrification here in the Midwest.”

New Horizons Baking, meanwhile, committed to investing more than $13 million to add 45 jobs at a second muffin line at its plant in Toledo. The firm, based in Norwalk, Ohio, employs more than 550 workers at its four plants in Ohio and Indiana. “We are very excited about the economic growth opportunity of a new production line in our Toledo facility,” said Trina Bediako, CEO of New Horizons Baking. “However, we know that we cannot succeed without a strong and committed workforce. The city of Toledo and its economic development partners have been exceptional in helping us meet that goal.”

The Regional Growth Partnership, based in Toledo, serves as the main economic development organization for Toledo and surrounding Northwest Ohio. A 100% privately funded organization, RGP over the last five years has spearheaded efforts to attract more than $14 billion in capital investment and 22,700 jobs to the 17-county region.