< Previous118 OHIO BUSINESS GROWTH GUIDE based industrial customers an immediate reduction in their Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions footprint when they switch to Ohio-based plastics suppliers.” Other footprints are falling into place to help Ohio set the pace for the clean energy transition and the clean-tech economy that goes with it. In the space of a few months in 2023, the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of seven regional clean hydrogen hubs that will receive $7 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding and Akron’s Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub was selected by the U.S. Economic Development Administration as one of 31 Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs nationwide, with the added bonus of a federal Strategy Development Grant to move the hub forward. ARCH2, led by Columbus-based Battelle and eligible for up to $925 million in U.S. DOE grants, will help accelerate the domestic market for low-cost, clean hydrogen. It is an- ticipated to bring quality job opportunities to workers in coal communities and create more than 21,000 direct jobs — including more than 18,000 in construction and more than 3,000 permanent jobs. The project has wide- ranging support from the administration of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio’s business community, including the Ohio Clean Hydro- gen Hub Alliance (OH2Hub), comprising 200 public and private entities. “Due to our vast natural resources and manufacturing opportunities, Ohio amplifies the impact of ARCH2 as a clean hydrogen hub,” said Ohio Chamber of Commerce CEO Steve Stivers as the coalition prepared its application in late 2022. “As energy technology rapidly evolves, it is crucial for Ohio’s workforce and economic development that our energy infrastructure evolves too,” added Pat Tiberi, president and CEO of the Ohio Business Roundtable. “The ARCH2 hydrogen hub is a perfect example of diversifying our energy portfolio and doing so with clean energy.” The Akron-based Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub aims to magnify the region’s leadership in plastics and polymers while breaking new ground in addressing environmental concerns. “This funding will energize our ability to solve industry-wide challenges and drive innovation in priority areas like sustainability, which is a business imperative for our company and many others,” said Richard J. Kramer, chairman, CEO and president, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Northwest Ohio is Major Hub for Solar MVP In May 2024 it became official: Photovoltaic module manufacturer First Solar became the most valuable solar manufacturer in the world, attaining a market capitalization of more than $21.1 billion to overtake Chinese manufacturers for the first time since 2018. The Arizona-based company is just one part of a solar industry ecosystem on the rise in the state. The Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie said “a record- shattering 32.4 gigawatts of new electric generating capacity” was installed in 2023 by the U.S solar industry, a 51% increase from 2022 and 37% increase from the previous record set in 2021. Triggered by the Inflation Reduction Act among other factors, “total U.S. solar capacity is expected to grow to 673 OHIO vs. CHINA Cost of Production & Transportation Small Products Other $ $ $ OHIO OHIO MaterialsLaborTransportation Large Products ToothbrushDustpanWindow ShutterPlastic Pallet CHINA CHINA CHINA CHINA OHIO OHIO source: Shale Crescent USAOHIO BUSINESS GROWTH GUIDE 119 GW by 2034, enough to power more than 100 million homes,” said the organizations in March. SEIA noted that Ohio was among the top 10 solar states in 2023 for the first time in over a decade, reaching No. 5 in installed solar capacity with 1.3 GW installed during the year, a 1,230% increase. First Solar in 2024 anticipates attaining over 7 GW total capacity in the state, part of the 14 gigawatts of fully vertically integrated U.S. solar manufacturing capacity the company expects to have by 2026. The company is investing up to $370 million in a dedicated R&D innovation center in Perrysburg, which is expected to be completed in 2024 and create 180 new jobs at an average hourly wage of $42.87 per hour. Multiple manufacturing and R&D expansion projects from the company over the past decade have received support from JobsOhio in the form of economic development and workforce training grants. In early 2024, First Solar acquired a 1.2-million-sq.-ft. facility in Troy Township formerly known as Peloton Output Park to repurpose it as a new distribution center serving First Solar’s three-site Ohio manufacturing footprint. “As we prepare to expand our Ohio capacity by almost a gigawatt this year, there’s a need for our logistics and distribution capabilities to scale to match manufacturing growth,” said Mike Koralewski, chief supply chain officer of First Solar. “We intend to use this facility to ensure the efficient and timely shipping of modules to our customers, repurposing it into a dedicated distribution hub for the largest solar manufacturing footprint in the Western Hemisphere … In the long term, the flexible space that the facility affords us could also serve as a light-scale satellite manufacturing location with the potential to support our factories and R&D center in Ohio.” A recently commissioned study found that in 2023, with 2,700 employees (more than 2,200 of them in Ohio) and almost $490 million in direct labor income, every non-construction First Solar job supported six direct, indirect, and induced jobs across the U.S. economy. The company added $2.75 billion in value and $5.32 billion in output to that economy during the year, including direct, indirect and induced effects. With the company expected to directly employ 4,100 people across the country by 2026, it would support an estimated 30,060 direct, indirect and induced jobs. Founded a quarter- century ago in Perrysburg, Ohio, First Solar is now the most valuable solar company in the world and continues to grow its footprint in northwest Ohio. Photo courtesy of First Solar and Business Wire120 OHIO BUSINESS GROWTH GUIDE Revering its heroes, Ohio bolsters a legacy built on national defense. MILITARY & FEDERAL by GARY DAUGHTERS I magine a Hall of Fame whose members would include such spectacular and far-flung luminaries as former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn, President Ulysses S. Grant, the acclaimed actors Clark Gable and Paul Newman, lunar pioneer Neil Armstrong, baseball’s Bob Feller and Woody Hayes, the legendary former head football coach at The Ohio State University. In truth, such a Hall does exist. It’s The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame, and one of its newest members is Vietnam veteran John Looker of Mason. Looker was inducted along with 19 other service members in a ceremony last November. “I was just really surprised to have been selected,” Looker says with Midwest modesty. “I got up there and saw the others and all they had done for veterans and their country, and it was just amazing to be among this group.” Fresh out of high school and assigned to the Army’s First Cavalry, 19-year old Looker spent a thunderous first night in Vietnam after enemy troops, he vividly recalls, hit an ammunition dump at Cam Rahn Bay. He had survived some 200 firefights when, in March of ‘69, Looker’s unit and a companion force — 52 soldiers in all — found themselves surrounded by hundreds of Viet Cong. Eleven Americans died in battle that night, including a soldier named Tom STATE OF SERVICE Veterans Memorial in Gallia County, Ohio Photo courtesy of Ohio Dept. of Veterans ServicesOHIO BUSINESS GROWTH GUIDE 121 who’d taken cover next to Looker in a ravine. Looker himself was one of 38 wounded and nearly bled out from a bullet to his shoulder. “By the time they got me to the field hospital,” he remembers, “they told me I had about 15 minutes to live.” He can talk about it all now, but for too long Looker kept it bottled up inside. Returning home to Ohio, he sank into substance abuse and lost his wife and daughter, with whom he wouldn’t reconcile for another 20 years. It was around that time that Looker summoned the courage to begin to share his story, and he’s been doing so ever since. At age 76 and married to his second wife Cathy for 53 years, Looker still addresses veterans’ groups about PTSD and does counseling one-on-one. “When I got back, you didn’t have the things we have now and the people that understood what you’ve been through,” he says. Among his many associations, Looker has served in leadership positions in the Warren County Suicide Prevention Coalition, the Commanders Action Network for the Disabled Veterans of America and the City of Mason’s Veterans Board of Affairs. He’s led efforts to build and refurbish Mason’s veterans memorials and established its Military Banners Program, through which Mason is graced each May and November with colorful flags to honor its veterans. “John,” his Hall of Fame citation reads, “has dedicated his life to bettering his nation, his community and the lives of his veteran peers. John’s spirit of generosity and commitment is recognized by his local community, but his efforts impact and extend to others far beyond his city.” Leveraging the Legacy As the home of the Wright Brothers, Ohio’s deep roots in aviation represent but one anchor — albeit a weighty one — of the state’s continuing contribution to the national defense. With more than 110,000 military and federal personnel and private sector contractors, Ohio’s military and federal sector has grown to support some 380,500 direct, indirect and induced jobs statewide, according to an exhaustive report commissioned by JobsOhio. The report found that Ohio’s vast array of federal and military installations delivers nearly $40 billion in gross regional product and supports an industrial base that represents a hefty $69 billion in total economic activity, accounting for nearly 6% of the state’s economy. As just the latest and greatest example of how that translates, California’s Joby Aviation cites the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as one of the reasons it chose Dayton as the site of a $477,500 facility to manufacture its all-electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi. The Joby Aviation project will draw upon the Dayton region’s deep bench of aerospace talent to fill a projected 2,000 jobs; more than 30,000 employees work at “Wright-Patt.” “Ohio,” said Joby Aviation founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt, “has a long history in aviation, and we’re proud to bring the next chapter of that story to life in the place where it started.” NASA Glenn’s Unique Capabilities Named for the first American to orbit the Earth, NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland designs, develops and tests technologies connected to air travel and space exploration. One of 10 such NASA research centers, and the only one in the Midwest, NASA Glenn is a vital contributor to the region’s economy. According 122 OHIO BUSINESS GROWTH GUIDE to a study by Cleveland State University, the Center’s impact in Ohio reaches nearly $2 billion annually, including the 9,000 jobs it is estimated to support. More than 3,200 scientists, engineers, technicians and support personnel work within the 307-acre complex, which includes vacuum chambers, wind tunnels, drop towers and a cavernous hangar. The Neil Armstrong Test Facility, a subset of NASA Glenn with capabilities unique to the space program, sprawls across 6,400 acres in Sandusky, about 50 miles west of Cleveland. At Armstrong’s Plum Brook Station, which can simulate the space environment, NASA is testing the Orion spacecraft, part of the space agency’s Artemis mission to return Americans to the moon and beyond. Orion has undergone five tests at Armstong in temperatures as low as -300 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it can withstand the harsh realities outside the bonds of Earth. John Looker was inducted in November into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. Photo courtesy of Ohio Dept. of Veterans ServicesOHIO BUSINESS GROWTH GUIDE 123 by ALEXIS ELMORE QUALITY OF LIFE O hio is on the rise, both in terms of population and quality of life off erings. According to Site Selection’s 2023 Governor’s Cup Rankings, 16 Ohio cities scored a spot in the Top 100 Micropolitan areas. Of those, 10 micros fall within the Top 20 based on securing 115 new or expansion project investments. A majority of these investments are a result of businesses deciding to expand in these small towns, taking advantage of the best these regions have to off er employees and their families. “It’s not just about fi nding the perfect site for your business,” JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef says of the rankings. “It’s about discovering a place, a community and a lifestyle that feels like coming home in every possible way.” Over the past decade, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the state has drawn in over 223,000 residents. The results of these movements have spurred growth in many of the state’s leading micropolitan areas like Findlay (No. 1), Sidney (T4), Greensville (T7), Defi ance (T10) and Wooster (T10). This small-town rise can be attributed not only to the availability and feasibility of housing but also to the quality of life these areas aff ord to people of all ages. A 2024 Housing Aff ordability study conducted by consumer fi nancial services Bankrate shows that Americans now looking to purchase a median- priced home ($400,000 and up) in the U.S. must make at least $110,000 per year. That’s about a 50% increase in less than four years. As most states like California, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Illinois face continuous increases to that average, Ohio is one state where your dollar can stretch further. The report details that to aff ord a typical home in Ohio, one needs to make an annual income of $64,000. With room to breathe, residents fi nd Ohio’s quality of life refl ects a one- stop-shop for everyday entertainment. The arrival of each season brings a hearty mix of outdoor activities without the fear of OHIO’S SMALL COMMUNITY REFRESH Ottawa’s DuMont site once served as a hotel in the 1900s and was the fi rst in the county to have indoor plumbing. Rendering courtesy of Technicon Design Group124 OHIO BUSINESS GROWTH GUIDE natural disasters, regardless of where your Ohio roots are planted. The same locations in which one can ski or try their luck at ice fishing offer the luxury of hiking and swimming just months later. Beyond the natural draw ofOhio’sgreat outdoors, state and local leadership have plans in place to enrich the offerings of its communities and showcase exactly why Ohio is the ideal location to work, live and play. New Era Many parts of the state are undergoing revitalization projects that aim to bring new life to aging infrastructure within various downtown districts. The Vibrant Communities Program, available through JobsOhio, offers resources to thestate’ssmall and medium-sized communities to make life before, during or after a workday a fulfilling one. Strategic investments focus on redevelopment within communities around the state, affording a new purpose to vacant spaces and a refreshing for residents to enjoy home. After a year of construction and a $1.1 million investment, the city of Zanesville has opened doors to the highly anticipated Downtown Exchange. Located 52 miles east of Columbus, Ohio, thecity’s24,600 residents are seeing their downtown in an exciting new light. The new mixed-use marketplace development is housed in the former Black- Elliot Block commercial building, built in 1876 by local businessmen Henry Elliot and Peter Black. The revitalization of the 20,000-sq.-ft. building located in the heart of downtown is set to draw the community together unlike ever before, made possible by community members and local partnerships. Itdoesn’tmatter what day of the week it is; this space serves as a gathering point to accomplish anyindividual’sneeds. Hungry? The first floor of The Downtown Exchange has been transformed into a food hall fit for 10-12 vendors, currently offering everything from coffee and desserts to hibachi and burgers. Business to tend to? The second and third level of the building have transformed into coworking space, private offices and conference rooms. “The Downtown Exchange is a perfect example of a transformational Vibrant Communities project,”said Ohio Southeast Economic Development Vice President Katy Farber.“It blends thecommunity’sredevelopment plan with local investment to bring much-needed services and capacity to the downtown. The JobsOhio support filled the gap to make this project become a reality. We anticipate more private investment in Zanesville and look forward to the dynamic change that will reenergize the downtown.” Two hours northwest of Zanesville in PutnamCounty’svillage of Ottawa, the Main Street Corridor Project is set to begin Plans for North Main Street and Twain Avenue in Urbana, Ohio, include new commercial development and a focus on walkability. Illustration courtesy of Burton Planning ServicesOHIO BUSINESS GROWTH GUIDE 125 operations in summer of 2024. Supported by the Vibrant Communities program, a $4 million investment from DuMont Revitalization, LLC, The DeFord, LLC, JobsOhio, Putnam County Community Improvement Corporation, Regional Growth Partnership, Port Authority of Northwestern Ohio and Toledo Port Authority tackles the redevelopment of several historical buildings. The West Main Street DuMont building and three buildings that make up the East Main Street DeFord block are thetargets of the project. The 135-year-old DeFord building, now owned by Ohio native Megan Seitz-Clinton, will soon feature seven loft- style rentals, entertainment space, retail and dining offerings, and co-working offices. In total, more than 30,000 sq. ft. of renovations are nearing completion. “For all the years I was away, I wished for a short-term stay, somewhere local where my family could stay when we were home visiting,”said Seitz-Clinton.“I’mincredibly excited that my business partners and I are helping fill a void that has existed for decades in the community and grateful for the team of professionals who have helped us get here.” Meanwhile, the three-story DuMont building will introduce a modern office concept on the second and third floors with room to accommodate hospitality, dining and events space on the first level. Ohio-based Technicon Design Group owns the DuMont site and will be one of the first tenants in the new building and will be joined by local startup Ottawa Brewing Company. The goal for the company is to house growing businesses in the region and reenergize thevillage’sdowntown business district. About 45 miles northwest of Columbus this same movement is taking place in the Urbana micropolitan area. A $800,000 grant from the Vibrant Communities program supported local developer JamonSellman’s$2.9 million investment to transform nearly 27,000 sq. ft.ofa former downtown furniture store. The refreshed space is now known as the Willman Lofts and WillWork Co- Workspace.The upper levels of the building created nine loft residential units, while the first level will offer coworking space, as well asstartup and small business support services through WillWork. “The City of Urbana has taken the right steps to prepare for future growth through prior community planning efforts that identified the need to develop new housing market opportunities and to explore and support policies that repurpose, redevelop and reoccupy existing development,”said City of Urbana Mayor Bill Bean.“This investment by Sellman Enterprises, LLC and JobsOhio will helpUrbana’sdowntown become a destination for young professionals and families to live and grow in.” Initiatives like these push forward as city officials look to the community for feedback on projects like the proposed North Main Street Corridor Plan. A development plan released in April 2024 details howthe corridor canbe usedtosupport residential, commercial, institutionalandindustrial needs.The vision supports redevelopment that brings a connected and vibrant feelto the area.Before any work takes place this year, the city isin the process ofreceiving feedback from residents, local businessesandstakeholders on plans for future land use, zoning changesandinfrastructure improvements. The Ohioknown byresidents and businesses todaymaynotlookthe samein years to come.Butthe plansin placefor cities around the state support the growth and connectivity that will enrich acommunity’squality of life for generations to come. “ The Downtown Exchange (Zanesville, Ohio) is a perfect example of a transformational Vibrant Communities project. ” — Katy Farber, Ohio Southeast Economic Development Vice President126 OHIO BUSINESS GROWTH GUIDE TOURISM & LIFESTYLE W hat do two hall of fame expansions have to do with a major theme parks merger? A lot if you’re following Ohio tourism closely. In a state that annually welcomes 233 million visitors and $53 billion in tourist spending, the groundwork is being laid to feed even bigger appetites for wanderlust. In Canton, the historic birthplace of professional football, an $80 million expansion project is underway to ensure that even more visitors set foot each year in the iconic Pro Football Hall of Fame. Known as the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum Modernization Project, this 3-to-5- year plan is the biggest expansion project in the 61-year history of the hall. The technology-driven overhaul includes a complete renovation and modernization of the existing 120,000-sq.-ft. Hall of Fame and Museum, a new 8,000-sq.-ft. Grand Lobby featuring high-tech interactive exhibits, additional office and storage space, and an 18,500-sq.-ft. Event Center Complex. As part of the project, the Black College Football Hall of Fame will make its permanent home within the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum. “The Pro Football Hall of Fame has been working for almost two years on a modernization plan,” says Jim Porter, president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “It will represent the most significant investment in the Hall’s history and its biggest makeover since opening in 1963. We believe this project will position the Hall to be the leader in economic development for the area that was envisioned when it opened 61 years ago.” Each July, the Hall of Fame enshrines new inductees into its hallowed halls. Today, 371 bronze busts pay tribute to these gridiron legends. Economists estimate that the annual Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in July generates more than $42 million in economic DECK THESE HALLS Tourism surges as Ohio expands iconic Halls of Fame. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo courtesy of Ohio, The Heart of it All by RON STARNEROHIO BUSINESS GROWTH GUIDE 127 impact throughout the Akron-Canton area of Northeast Ohio. More than 10 million people have visited the Hall of Fame since its inception. About 208,000 people paid a visit in 2023. The Hall expects that total to double in three years once the expansion takes place. Honoring the GOATs of Rock Drive 60 miles north of Canton up Interstate 77, and you’ll arrive at another significant tourist destination in the Buckeye State: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. This shrine pays homage to the world’s greatest legends of pop and rock music, and it is receiving a makeover of its own. The signature glass pyramid on Cleveland’s North Coast Harbor will undergo a $135 million facelift that will add 50,000 sq.-ft. to its 155,000-sq.-ft. space and include a 788-sq.-ft. stage platform and 1,831-sq.-ft. mezzanine. Designed by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), the expansion will integrate the original design of I.M. Pei with the urban Cleveland lakefront. Groundbreaking for the project was held in October 2023. The Birthplace of Football Beckons Fans of All Sports Pro football was invented in Canton, Ohio, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for sports of every variety in the Buckeye State. In fact, one glance at the history books shows you that, when it comes to sports, nobody does it better than Ohioans. Oscar Robertson turned Cincinnati into a basketball town. Jack Nicklaus turned Ohioans into golf fans; and the greatest athlete of all time changed the course of history. That would be Jesse Owens, of course. The one-time Ohio State University track and field star performed at the highest level on the grandest stage, the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, where he outran and outjumped the best athletes that Adolf Hitler threw at him. In so doing, Owens didn’t just break the color barrier; he broke the fighting spirit of the Third Reich and helped the Allies win World War II. The list of legendary Ohio athletes goes on and on, from LeBron James and Shirley Fry of Akron to Pete Rose and Barry Larkin of Cincinnati, but what really sets Ohio apart is the way its sports teams identify with the people of their community. You can’t separate the Dawg Pound from the Cleveland Browns. You can’t stop Cincinnati Bengals fans from chanting “Who Dey.” And you can’t stop Columbus Crew supporters from wearing hard hats as they celebrate another Major League Soccer championship. From FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Cleveland Guardians and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Ohio offers championship- caliber sports teams for fans of every stripe and jersey. On the collegiate level, no one cheers harder than Buckeye fans at The Horseshoe, Bearcat hoops fans at the University of Cincinnati, or diehard soccer fans at the University of Akron. And if you happen to be in Dayton on a weeknight in mid-March, check out the action at the NCAA First Four on the home court of the Dayton Flyers. As hoops fans everywhere will tell you, there’s no atmosphere like it anywhere in sports. Visitors take in the Black College Football Hall of Fame at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Photo courtesy of Ohio, The Heart of it AllNext >