The game-changing opportunities data centers present are not offered to every community. Many requirements, factors and assets are necessary to attract these processing facilities. And these facilities will be built. The question is where will they locate.
For us here in Northwest Ohio, we are one of the chosen locations. We have the golden ticket. We are uniquely positioned to take advantage of these massive investments which provide immediate and long-term benefits. And it’s not just us saying this.
“Northwest Ohio offers a lot of advantages for people looking to locate a data center. Good land, good energy and good people. It’s wide-open farmland to build these big data center campuses. Northwest Ohio is one, if not the top market, we are looking at."
– Will Turner, Managing Director, Upterra
Our attraction to data centers begins with an abundant supply of energy, significantly our pipeline infrastructure to pull natural gas from many parts of the U.S. and Canada.
There’s more than 320 miles of pipeline running through Northwest Ohio
This region also offers an unlimited supply of water for such industrial needs. In addition, we have the necessary flat land, transmission infrastructure and transportation systems to effectively move energy and equipment cost effectively in and out of sites.
Once here, data centers bring significant economic benefits including substantial tax revenue, job creation and infrastructure upgrades. And these benefits far exceed those garnered from traditional economic development projects.
Full-time data center jobs typically pay $85,000 a year. And complete build-out construction of such facilities, which often use 1,000-plus workers, can go beyond 10 years.
Northwest Ohio successfully attracted its first such facility with Meta announcing in 2025 a new $800 million investment to build its newest AI-optimized data center in Middleton Township. For Meta, it was an easy decision.
“I think specifically for this area, we were able to identify a shovel-ready site, great access to infrastructure, the ability to get 100% renewable energy, strong pool of labor to help construct and operate the data center, and amazing partners. The role that everyone played in supporting us and welcoming us to this community - it’s been tremendous and made our decision easy.”
– Brad Davis, Director of Data Center Community and Economic Development, Meta
This next-generation opportunity will spur the evolution of a new growth sector for Northwest Ohio, positioning this region at the forefront of this global technological revolution.