As president and CEO of JobsOhio, J.P. Nauseef leads an organization that oversees and advances economic development statewide.

Project wins for JobsOhio recently have shattered both state and national records. While Intel’s $20 billion commitment to building out the world’s most advanced semiconductor manufacturing complex in New Albany in Licking County is the landmark win that grabs all the headlines, other impactful corporate facility investment deals are happening with regularity all across the Buckeye State.

From Xenia to Zanesville and from Chillicothe to Sandusky, companies are making decisions to establish new plants and expand existing ones in every corner of Ohio. Here is how it all happens, in the words of JobsOhio’s leader.

How does the JobsOhio model help foster and advance economic development statewide?

NAUSEEF: JobsOhio is an economic development corporation that exists to help companies and their people thrive right here in the Heart of America. We are private, which means less red tape. We help companies avoid game-changing surprises with a proven process that protects their confidential information. We’re nonprofit, which means companies and their people come first. We’re absolutely obsessed with their bottom line and see their success as our own — building ROI for Ohio. We’re independent, which means less drama. We advocate for companies alongside local and state government and help them avoid pitfalls. We’re flexible, which means we customize our work to the company’s needs now and in the future. We move at their pace — with their vision in mind — at the speed of trust.

How is JobsOhio organized statewide?

NAUSEEF: We work through seven regional partners who represent a diverse mix of large and medium cities and wide-open rural areas and work with companies to provide a soft, local touch. We focus on 10 industrial traded sectors to protect and grow high-wage jobs.

We have four strategic initiatives that create a better growth environment.

• Our talent initiative helps companies solve their toughest talent challenges.
• Our innovation initiative helps leverage Ohio’s strengths in academia, research, and the private sector to advance discovery and commercialization.
• Our sites initiative identifies and readies development sites, infrastructure, and buildings so companies can move quickly and confidently when ready to grow.
• Our community development initiative provides catalytic investments in Ohio’s smaller towns that have exceptional quality of life to attract outside investment, jobs, and energy, and our small business programs offer support, coaching, advice, and funding for small businesses, which are job growth engines in Ohio. We don’t just see company growth as a metric — we want Ohio to be their competitive advantage. And we’re willing to work as hard as it takes to make it happen.

 

“We are private, which means less red tape. We help companies avoid game-changing surprises with a proven process that protects their confidential information.”
— J.P. Nauseef, President and CEO, JobsOhio

 

Your organization has a unique funding model. Can you describe how it works?

NAUSEEF: JobsOhio is a private nonprofit corporation wholly funded by an independent private source — the profits from the JobsOhio Beverage System (JOBS), which owns Ohio’s spirituous liquor enterprise and manages it in partnership with the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Liquor. On February 1, 2013, JOBS purchased an exclusive 25-year franchise from the state of Ohio for the sale of spirituous liquor for $1.4 billion, plus future supplemental payments from the enterprise’s profits. The authority for the sale of the liquor enterprise to JobsOhio was authorized by an act of legislation (ORC 4313). No public funds were used to purchase the franchise. JOBS liquor profits provide a stable funding source. Private and stable funding gives JobsOhio the flexibility to make long-term commitments and invest in projects that will have a positive impact, promising long-term, in-state growth and good-paying jobs for all Ohioans. At the end of the fiscal year 2024, JobsOhio has paid $594 million in supplemental payments to the state and continues to pay down the $1.4 billion in bonds used to purchase the enterprise. As a result of running the enterprise as a business, JOBS has doubled its revenue growth since 2013. It now provides JobsOhio with around $300 million per year to fund economic development.

JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef announces Joby Aviation’s investment in Dayton from the front lawn of Orville Wright’s home.
Photo courtesy of JobsOhio

The Intel project win is considered a game-changer for Ohio. Can you discuss its impact and what this means for the future of Ohio?

NAUSEEF: There have been three significant impacts. First, the news that Intel had chosen Ohio for its first greenfield manufacturing facility in 40 years in the United States reached more than 6 billion people worldwide, putting Ohio on the map and in the consideration set for other semiconductor manufacturers as well as their supply chain partners. Second, this is the first major semiconductor manufacturer in Ohio, and it will lead to the addition of a whole new industry sector as those supply chain partners come alongside Intel in Ohio. Third, as part of the deal, Intel is catalyzing new workforce development pipelines to connect residents with good-paying jobs in the semiconductor industry by supporting various education initiatives. They include K-12 science, technology, education, arts, and math (STEAM) programs, collaborative research projects, and semiconductor-specific curricula for associate and undergraduate degree programs.

Further, Intel has committed to invest $50 million over the next decade in partnership with Ohio universities, community colleges, and other higher education institutions. Ohio institutions will also be eligible for an additional $100 million in nationwide funding from a partnership between Intel and the U.S. National Science Foundation. For instance, the Intel Semiconductor Education and Research Program for Ohio (SERP) is funding over 60 post-secondary education institutions across the state, including community colleges and historically Black colleges and universities, to build a pipeline of manufacturing technicians. These talented individuals will benefit every manufacturer in the state. There are many more programs, and you can learn about them here: https://download.intel.com/newsroom/2023/corporate/OH-Workforce-fact-sheet.pdf. These programs alone mean that Ohio’s future workforce will be even better at building the things the world needs.

In addition to the points above, Intel will add 3,000 direct jobs, support tens of thousands of supplier and support jobs, and has already increased their capital investment statement from $20 billion in 2022 when they announced to $28 billion as of 2024. Infrastructure investments are happening to support Intel and the resulting supply chain. Those investments go beyond just the manufacturing site. For instance, Intel, working with the Ohio Department of Transportation, spent 18 months identifying a new site and route to get massive manufacturing equipment from the Ohio River in Manchester, Ohio, to Central Ohio. These “super-loads” can be 900,000 pounds, 19 feet wide, 24 feet high, and 270 feet long, and it takes 8-15 days to travel approximately 140 miles from the dock in Adams County to the site in Licking County. The infrastructure improvements and route planning are already benefiting other manufacturers in the area as they are also utilizing these improvements for their shipments.

How is the transition to electric vehicles changing Ohio’s automotive manufacturing sector and workforce?

NAUSEEF: Ohio is focused on innovation and solving the problems that industry has before it in each of the sectors where we participate. Undoubtedly, the automotive industry has deep connections to Ohio, where the first gas engine and electric starter were invented. That same spirit is more alive today than ever before, and it’s on top of the third-largest automotive manufacturing workforce in the U.S.  

Ohio’s long history of expertise in propulsion technology in automobiles is the bedrock for us to continue to be at the forefront of that innovation. That’s why Ultium set up its first battery plant in Lordstown. Honda established its battery technology research center at Ohio State less than a year after it announced its 2030 vision of electrification, which started with a partnership with LG Energy Solution to build a massive battery factory in Jeffersonville, Ohio, and employ 2,200 Ohioans there. Additionally, Honda is retooling its operations in the state to prepare them for building EVs. All told, Honda and LG Energy are investing $4.2 billion in Ohio, the largest global company investment in Ohio history.

Honda is far from alone; GM invested $760 million at its Toledo propulsion manufacturing plant to produce electric drive units and onshore their production to the U.S. for the first time.

Ford is creating 2,000 new jobs at their Avon Lake Assembly Plant and investing $1.5 billion to expand production capabilities for a new commercial electric vehicle. This vehicle is being built alongside their existing commercial combustion vehicles. Those vehicles aren’t going away any time soon; that’s why Ford is still building their medium and super-duty pickups at Avon Lake as they double down on the location for EVs.

Ohio is the center of the auto ecosystem — central to supplying parts to original equipment manufacturers — which helps producers shorten delivery and hold times. Similarly, suppliers for EVs are located in close proximity to the electric vehicle supply chain.

 

“We don’t just see company growth as a metric — we want Ohio to be their competitive advantage. And we’re willing to work as hard as it takes to make it happen.”
— J.P. Nauseef, President and CEO, JobsOhio

 

However, Ohio has a bigger vision of moving people and products. As a state, our imagination goes beyond cars and trucks on roadways and includes advanced mobility. We are being purposeful about readying the state for the next generation of mobility, which we believe will be connected vehicle systems like the US 33 Smart Corridor and flying cars. Ohio is home to the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence, where companies from around the world are accelerating research and development. That’s one reason Ohio landed Joby Aviation in Dayton to build its scaled manufacturing facility capable of producing up to 500 air taxis per year and employing 2,000 Ohioans. Ohio’s focus on innovation in this space makes it the only state in the U.S. with an intentional statewide strategy to support the research and development, manufacturing, and commercial use of Advanced Air Mobility.

What role do colleges and universities play in economic development in Ohio?

NAUSEEF: More than 200 colleges and universities in Ohio play a critical role in economic development by creating a robust pipeline of skilled talent for JobsOhio’s 10 focus sectors. In 2022, 157 Ohio colleges and universities offered programs related to JobsOhio priority occupations. Many of these occupations include STEM-related careers, which are highly sought-after positions by some of Ohio’s most successful employers. Some notable highlights of how colleges and universities are increasing the talent pipeline include:

 

“More than 200 colleges and universities in Ohio play a critical role in economic development by creating a robust pipeline of skilled talent for JobsOhio’s 10 focus sectors.”
— J.P. Nauseef, President and CEO, JobsOhio

 

1. Ohio is No. 5 in the nation in chemical engineering bachelor’s degree graduates in 2022.
2. An 18% increase in annual degrees granted for Supply Chain Management (2010-2022).
3. A total of 1,311 Transportation and Materials Moving completions annually (2022), a 49% increase since 2010.
4. A 16% increase in annual graduates in Math and Statistics (2017-2022).
5. There was a 17% growth in the annual number of computer engineering degree graduates in Ohio from 2017 to 2022.
6. Ohio schools granted 23% more annual degrees for chemistry, petroleum engineering, chemical engineering, and similar programs from 2012-2022, the highest among regional competitors.
7. From 2017-2022, Ohio grew 57% in completions of Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services education programs.
8. With 13 institutions at either an R1 (5 institutions) or R2 (8 institutions) Carnegie Status, Ohio ranks fourth in the number of institutions with these statuses. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is the nation’s leading framework for categorizing diverse U.S. higher education institutions.
9. Ohio saw 183,021 higher education program completions in 2022 in programs ranging from agriculture to engineering.
10. In 2022, Ohio had more than 3,500 associate’s degree completions, more than 18,000 bachelor’s degree completions, and more than 5,500 master’s and doctoral/professional degree completions in programs related to JobsOhio priority occupations.

That pendulum swings the other way, too. Ohio is currently a net importer of college students. The economic development projects won by JobsOhio and its partners — including Intel, Honda/LG Energy Solution, and others — create opportunities and incentives for students to grow their careers and establish their lives in Ohio.

How does Ohio support innovation and entrepreneurship?

NAUSEEF: Part of JobsOhio’s five-year strategic plan was to invest in innovation. JobsOhio built out three primary programs to build a flywheel of innovation and support efforts from the state to invest in discovery.

First, JobsOhio invested $300 million in Innovation Districts in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus, which has catalyzed $3 billion in commitments from anchor tenants and the State of Ohio. These Innovation Districts are where people, ideas and the future grow together. World-class medical and research facilities, leading academic institutions and private companies anchor the Innovation Districts and gain a competitive advantage through collaboration and physical environments. Over 10 years, Ohio’s Innovation Districts are expected to inspire 47,000 new STEM graduates and fuel an estimated 60,000 new jobs. This was built to help you scale translational research, leading to faster discovery, the commercialization of ideas, and dynamic growth. In 2023, Ohio’s research universities secured a record $1 billion in National Institutes of Health funding.

Second, JobsOhio’s strategy funds private company research and development center investments. These R&D Centers will support developing and commercializing emerging technologies and products that align with one or more of JobsOhio’s targeted industries. For example, Honda recently announced a new battery cell research and development center at The Ohio State University. Slated to open in April 2025, the lab will accelerate the domestic development of battery cell materials and manufacturing technologies while providing an experiential learning setting for workforce development. It will also create a hub for academic and industry connections across engineering, chemical and physical sciences, business, and policy. Once completed, the project will create a strong pipeline of industry talent while also attracting electric vehicle battery manufacturing and supply chain businesses to help support the evolving vision for the industry.

Third, JobsOhio’s Growth Capital Fund is a co-investment fund that invests in early-stage companies that are Ohio-based or planning to locate a significant presence in Ohio. These companies are hand-picked for the groundbreaking nature of their business offering and are nationally recognized for the advancements they are making in their industries. The strong caliber of funds that are investing alongside JobsOhio is a signal to companies that building their presence in Ohio can be a strategy for solid investment and swift momentum.

Finally, the State of Ohio has committed $125 million to fund Innovation Hubs. The program will capitalize on communities’ existing industry and research strengths to build sustainable talent pipelines and commercialize new products and technologies. Like Innovation Districts, Innovation Hubs are industry-focused ecosystems of researchers, entrepreneurs, and public and private partners working together to create and develop innovative solutions and products. Innovation Hubs are aimed at small and medium-sized Ohio cities, and the hubs will create jobs, increase STEM talent and attract research funding and outside capital investment.

People are well aware of the Big Three C’s — Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus — but what about the rest of Ohio? How strong and competitive are Ohio’s second- and third-tier cities and small towns?

NAUSEEF: Ohio is unique in that we have so many options for living. You mentioned the 3 C’s, but then there are multiple medium-sized cities like Dayton, Toledo, Youngstown, Akron and Canton. The truly unique part of Ohio is that we mix all of that with dozens of storybook towns with populations that have less than 50,000 people, some of the lowest cost of living in the country, but all of the amenities of larger cities and usually a very short drive to these larger cities. These smaller towns support small and large businesses alike due to focused investment in infrastructure and rehabilitation of buildings through programs like the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit and the JobsOhio Vibrant Communities Grant that attracts $7 of private investment to rebuild downtowns for every $1 of JobsOhio funding. Site Selection Magazine ranks these under 50,000 in populations, called micropolitans, on the number of economic development projects that are completed each year, and Ohio’s towns have an outsized advantage, placing five of the top 10 micropolitans in 2023, including Findlay as the No. 1 micropolitan for the last 10 years. They are competitive and consistently produce a competitive advantage for the companies who decide to locate there.

One of the reasons they do so well is our Team Ohio approach, led by the DeWine and Husted administration; and Team Ohio brings public and private economic developers, elected officials and regional, county, and local partners together to create a vision of growth with an aim to have each partner building together toward the same goal.