TOLEDO, Ohio — Ohio is now ranked the fifth-best state in the country when it comes to states doing business.
A top-five spot in Area Development Magazine is worn as a badge of pride, Dean Monske, president and CEO of the Regional Growth Partnership, a northwest Ohio-based economic development agency, said.
"It says to the rest of the county, and quite honestly the rest of the globe, that we know what company's needs are that are looking to expand and that we are leveraging our assets to address those needs," Monske said.
The proof is in companies like Facebook, Amazon and Intel making investments in the Buckeye state.
Monske says the ranking is well-deserved and northwest Ohio plays a role in the recognition, closing on more than 100 projects each year.
"Those 115 projects represent $3.2 billion in capital investment in northwest Ohio and 4,200 new direct jobs each and every year, on average, over the last 10 years," he said.
That includes projects like a multi-million dollar data center in Middleton Township that's expected to open in 2030.
But, none of this happens without collaboration.
Monske says the RGP works with the Ohio governor's office, other state organizations and local partners. That work has led to opportunities to show what our region has to offer.
"The bread and butter for northwest Ohio for a very long time is manufacturing," he said. "But there's as much technology on manufacturing floors today as anywhere. But we are seeing a change in skills set needs from the workforce that's certainly going toward those technologically advanced jobs."
There has also been a shift to more innovation and technology-centered jobs.
Monske said Ohio's steady rise in the rankings proves the state and region are already on track.
"Over the last decade, we've gone through the lower quartile up to the top 10 or top five in almost every one of them," he said. "There has definitely been a progression over the last decade with that."
He believes this ranking puts the state in a better position to attract more major companies.
Area Development Magazine also ranked Ohio in the top 10 for workforce training programs and the top three for business incentive programs.