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.
