Northwest Ohio made a dramatic statement with its showing in the annual Site Selection Governor’s Cup awards. Seven communities within the 17-county Northwest Ohio footprint were ranked among the best nationally based on number of business development projects.
Lima ranked No. 3 nationally for metros with populations less than 200,000. And six “Micropolitans” in Northwest Ohio, those communities with populations between 10,000-50,000, finished in the top 40 among the nation’s 551 micro areas. Findlay ranked No. 1 in the country among micropolitans.
Regional Growth Partnership President and CEO Dean Monske spoke to the credibility of the awards by touting Site Selection magazine as “The Bible” in the economic development world. He added that site consultants, businesses and corporate real estate professionals recognize the significance of these rankings coming from a highly respected publication.
“This recognition for Northwest Ohio is a testament to the strength of our regional assets and the outstanding collaboration among economic development partners to ensure the continued growth of our region. We compliment all of the communities in our 17-county region for their business-first approach when speaking to companies about expansion or new investment projects.”
– Dean Monske, Regional Growth Partnership President and CEO
The 70-year-old Atlanta-based Site Selection magazine has awarded the Governor’s Cup annually since 1988, based on new and expanded corporate facilities as tracked by the proprietary Conway Projects Database.
In addition, the state of Ohio secured the #3 spot for overall projects and the #5 position for per capita investments in its 2023 rankings. Over the last six years, Ohio is the only state that has consistently achieved top-5 rankings in both categories.
“Ohio is witnessing a surge in investment and economic expansion, with the state's overall project count reaching remarkable heights. Ohio is truly the heart of it all, as evidenced by this new era of strategic investments, fresh opportunities, and increased employment opportunities for Ohioans."
– Mike DeWine, Ohio Governor
For Findlay, this marks the 10th consecutive year as the No. 1 Micropolitan. Other regional “micros” to make the list included Defiance (#10), Tiffin (#13), Bucyrus/Galion and Fremont (Tied #16), and Van Wert (#40).
“It’s not just about finding the perfect site for your business; it’s about discovering a place, a community and a lifestyle that feels like coming home in every possible way. We align our proactive programs, grants and services with companies' high expectations. In fact, we encourage them to think bigger, faster and clearer because we are, too.”
– J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio President and CEO
The Regional Growth Partnership is a private nonprofit development corporation dedicated to fostering regional, national and international business investment opportunities in Northwest Ohio. The RGP serves as Northwest Ohio’s network partner for JobsOhio. Visit www.rgp.org for more information..Visit www.rgp.org for more information.
JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio through Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.