Ohio Achieves No. 3 Ranking in Both Overall and Per Capita Economic Development Projects

/EIN News/ -- COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ohio has further cemented its position among the national leaders in economic development, ranking No. 3 nationally for total economic development projects and No. 3 for projects per capita in Site Selection's 2025 Governor's Cup rankings. Ohio remains the only state consistently in the top five over the past seven years.

2024 marked JobsOhio's most prolific year for project completions since the organization was created in 2011, with nearly 600 completed deals, $20 billion in capital investment, and thousands of new jobs committed across the state.

“These exceptional results highlight our sustained excellence and momentum across every corner of the state,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “From our largest cities to our smallest communities, Ohio is demonstrating that our business-friendly approach, strategic investments in infrastructure, and commitment to workforce readiness are creating an environment where companies and people can thrive.” 

Ohio's 2025 Governor's Cup Achievement Highlights:

• NATIONAL LEADERSHIP: No. 3 overall ranking (maintaining position from the previous year) and No. 3 in per-capita rankings (up from No. 5).
• REGIONAL DOMINANCE: No. 2 in both cumulative and per-capita rankings for the East North Central region rankings.
• CONSISTENT EXCELLENCE: Ohio is the only state to rank in the top five nationally for total project completions and per capita deals closed yearly since 2019.
• STATEWIDE IMPACT: Twenty Ohio communities ranked among Site Selection's top 100, with six of the top seven nationally located in Ohio.
• MASSIVE INVESTMENT: $20 billion in new capital investment commitments secured in 2024.

“Success comes when talent, preparation, and execution align,” said Lt. Governor Jim Tressel.  “Ohio has a pipeline for talent and capital that meets businesses where they are and helps get them to where they want to be faster.”

This approach has led to major project wins like Anduril Industries' 4,000-job hyperscale manufacturing campus, Cenovus Energy’s nearly $1.5 billion investment for its new U.S. regional headquarters, and AWS's $10 billion planned data center infrastructure expansion across greater Ohio, creating hundreds of new, well-paying jobs by the end of 2030. The Advanced Air Mobility sector alone is projected to reach $1.9 trillion in global economic impact by 2045, while the semiconductor market is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2030, both industries where Ohio has established strong footholds.

The state's comprehensive success extends across communities of all sizes, with Ohio cities dominating multiple metropolitan categories.

• Cincinnati ranked No. 7 for cumulative projects among Tier 1 metros (126 projects) and improved to No. 5 in per-capita rankings from No. 8 last year.
• Columbus maintained its strong position at No. 8 per capita among major metros.
• In the Tier 2 category (populations between 200,000 and 1 million), Dayton led the nation at No.1 with 44 projects and maintained its No. 4 per-capita ranking, while Toledo tied for No. 9 and secured the No. 9 spot per capita after being unranked last year.
• Among Tier 3 metros, Lima tied for No. 4 nationally with 10 projects and ranked No. 2 per capita, improving from No. 3 in the previous year.

Ohio also tied for third nationally for states with the most top 100 micropolitans (populations between 10,000 and 50,000). These 20 communities secured 135 projects, the highest total among the top 10 states. Most impressively, Ohio dominated the national rankings with six of the top seven positions, led by Findlay's unprecedented 11th consecutive year at No. 1 (24 projects). Greenville, New Philadelphia-Dover, Norwalk, Defiance, Salem and Sidney make up Ohio’s other top 10 micropolitans. Standout 2024 investments in these high-performing communities include MetalX's $253 million facility, creating 180 jobs in Defiance, and Schaeffler's $230 million investment for electric mobility manufacturing in Dover, creating 650 jobs.

“These consistently high rankings are a clear scorecard showing that our intentional, collaborative approach is generating real returns for Ohioans,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. "Vital industries are not just coming to Ohio; they are converging to form powerful economic clusters statewide that are catalyzing emerging super sectors in advanced air mobility, life sciences, semiconductors and microelectronics, artificial intelligence, energy, and critical military and federal missions – all empowered by a premier workforce.”

Site Selection, a leading corporate real estate economic development magazine, has awarded the Governor’s Cup annually since 1988. Rankings measure the number of significant new business development projects across capital investment, jobs created, and new building space. Ohio's exceptional performance in these areas spans communities, micropolitans and cities across the state.

Media Contact
Matt Englehart, JobsOhio Press Secretary
614.300.1152
englehart@jobsohio.com

About JobsOhio
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

Matt Englehart
                    JobsOhio
                    614-300-1150
                    englehart@jobsohio.com