JobsOhio Reports $1.2B in New Payroll, 2020 Plan

COLUMBUS, Ohio — JobsOhio had its second-best year for new payroll commitments and its third-best year for capital investment, the organization reported. 

JobsOhio, a private nonprofit economic development corporation the state formed in 2011, released its 2019 Annual Report and Strategic Plan 2020 Friday. According to a news release, the organization assisted in the creation of 22,770 new jobs were created in 2019 adding up to $1.2 billion in new jobs payroll, $7 billion in capital investment and 306 total projects.

“During a year of transition, the JobsOhio team and our partners remained focused on the mission and did an exceptional job and produced outstanding results in 2019,” said JobsOhio president and chief investment officer J.P. Nauseef. “Building upon that strong foundation, we are executing an enhanced strategy for the 2020s.”

Among the successes JobsOhio saw in 2019 was online commerce giant Amazon’s announcement that it would open two additional fulfillment centers in Ohio, creating 2,500 jobs. The two 700,000-square foot centers would represent a combined $300 million capital investment, brining the company’s total Ohio investment to $5 billion.   

Within JobsOhio’s targeted industries, logistics and distribution had the greatest job-creation numbers in 2019, with 5,145 jobs created. The shale energy and petrochemicals sector had the most capital investment, with nearly $3 billion invested. 

Projects in the JobsOhio pipeline as of Dec. 31, if realized, would result in 88,054 new and retained jobs and $2.4. billion in new capital investment, according to the report. 

Last fall, JobsOhio and the London Stock Exchange Group announced that Cleveland would serve as the headquarters for the LSEG’s Elite program, which provides structured, counseling and support to companies from top business and investment experts.

This year, JobsOhio – in partnership with the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and the Stark County Minority Business association – is funding the participation of a new group of business leaders in the program. 

In 2020, JobsOhio said it will see the initial results of its Go Forward Strategy, which includes:

• Adding up to 6,000 new jobs in distressed communities across the state over five years;
• Adding up to 10,000 federal and military jobs, two international and three domestic passenger flight routes in five years and supporting Ohio’s digital infrastructure;
• Increasing in-demand degrees by up to 50% and completing up to 60 Talent Acquisition Services Program projects per year;
• Adding up to 20-35 new construction ready sites that will bring up to 10-20 significant new projects to Ohio over five years;
• Tripling the amount of annual computer science degrees and increasing by 20% the level of federal funded research.

“The level of success we achieved in 2019 is why our economic development model is the envy of other states around the nation,” Bob Smith, chairman of JobsOhio’s board of directors, said. “We are led by a team of industry experts that creates a competitive advantage for Ohio.”

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.