Lordstown Motors, Ultium Help Ohio Lead U.S. in New Corporate Projects

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two Trumbull County projects helped Ohio lead the nation in new corporate facility projects per capita in 2020. The honor was announced Monday by Site Selection, a corporate real estate economic development magazine

It is the second year in a row Ohio has earned the top ranking.

The magazine’s annual Governor’s Cup rankings showed that Ohio had 419 projects, down from 448 in 2019. Ohio also ranked No. 2 among the nation for total projects overall, behind Texas, which had 781.

The Trumbull County projects are Ultium Cells and Lordstown Motors Corp.

“Ohio continues to attract new corporate facilities and businesses to invest here,” said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in a statement. “We have a strong business community that will work alongside new companies who are looking to invest and utilize our skilled workforce.”

Site Selection bases its rankings on new business projects with significant impact, including headquarters, manufacturing plants, research and development operations, logistics sites and other criteria.

“We are No. 1 for a reason, and that reason is we strive to have the best business and workforce friendly environment in the Midwest,” Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said. “Even in the midst of a pandemic, businesses knew they could count on Ohio as a great place to invest, now and for the future.”

The Governor’s Cup 2020 rankings also place many of Ohio’s metropolitans and smaller cities and villages at the top of the nation in attracting new businesses and investments. Cincinnati, Cleveland-Elyria and Columbus placed in the top 10 of projects per capita with populations over 1 million.

Toledo tied as No. 1 for total projects among areas with populations between 200,000 and 1 million. Additionally, Dayton-Kettering ranked as No. 5 and Akron tied for No. 10 in the same category.

The state’s smaller markets are also drawing big business opportunities, as Ohio’s micropolitan—defined as one or more adjacent counties that contain an urban core with 10,000 to 50,000 people—earned 25 spots on the Top 100 Micropolitans list. Site Selection named Findlay the No. 1 overall micropolitan for the seventh year in a row, with Tiffin, Fremont and Wooster placing in the Top 10 list of top project-producing micropolitan.

Pennsylvania ranked No. 10 on the list with 123 projects.

Site Selection has awarded the Governor’s Cup annually since 1988, based on new and expanded corporate facilities as tracked by the proprietary Conway Projects Database. Site Selection’s yearly analyses are regarded by corporate real estate analysts as “the industry scoreboard.”

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.