The Regional Growth Partnership recently hosted a delegation of prominent site consultants to promote the Toledo/Northwest Ohio region as a top location for business investment.
Eleven site consultants from across North America made their way to the Toledo region for a three-day event to learn more about the area’s assets. This event, described in the industry as a “FAM (familiarization) Tour,” marked the 10th time the RGP played host to this annual gathering of consultants.
“Site consultants are key targets because they are often engaged by companies looking to expand operations. It is critical that the RGP identify and build relationships with these decision makers.”
– Dean Monske, President and CEO, Regional Growth Partnership
The RGP branded and marketed the event as an opportunity for consultants to gather the critical information they deem important, and have it presented by the people they want to hear from – private sector businesses.
These consultants came to the region from all across the country, representing such cities as Dallas, Phoenix, Kansas City, Chicago and Montreal. During the visit, they heard executives at some of the region’s largest companies explain why they chose to invest and do business in Northwest Ohio. Some of the corporate presentations and tours included: Meta, Cenovus, CSX and Norfolk Southern.
As has become tradition, a special highlight for some of the consultants was a helicopter tour over select Northwest Ohio construction-ready sites and spec buildings.
“The beauty of being up there is you can see the proximity of everything. Energy is the story these days with most of the operations we work with, so being able to see what Meta is doing from up there, and seeing everything tied to that, it was exciting.”
– Tracey Hyatt Bosman, Managing Director, Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Co
Some other significant topics addressed during the event included:
- Northwest Ohio Energy/Power Development Opportunities
- Water Tour of cargo/logistics operations along Maumee River
- Workforce Development
The event ended with some fun and relaxation at the Lake Erie Islands.
“This was a great opportunity for Northwest Ohio to make a strong, face-to-face sales pitch to key decision makers who took the time to visit our backyard. The idea that this region was able to attract some of the top North American site consultants for several days is pretty impressive.”
– Gary Thompson, Executive Vice President, Regional Growth Partnership
Besides the FAM Tour, the RGP employs other strategies in reaching these key consultants, most notably, direct, face-to-face meetings in targeted cities across the country and digital communication educating and promoting the assets and development opportunities in Northwest Ohio.
About the Regional Growth Partnership
The Regional Growth Partnership is the lead economic development organization serving 17 counties in Northwest Ohio. As a private nonprofit development corporation, the RGP is dedicated to fostering regional, national and international business investment opportunities across the region. The RGP serves as Northwest Ohio’s network partner for JobsOhio. Visit www.rgp.org for more information.