YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Ohio completed 377 projects and attracted capital investment totaling $19.3 billion in 2024, JobsOhio reported.
The state’s private economic development corporation, created in 2011, released its 2024 annual report and strategic plan Monday afternoon.
“Last year was marked by significant milestones and breakthrough achievements. Even with announced deals across the U.S. down 35%, Ohio ranked No. 3 among all states in announced projects, No. 5 for new jobs and No. 3 for new capital investment, and is the only state to achieve top-five rankings for both total projects and per capita projects since 2013,” J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio’s president and CEO, said in an email accompanying the report.
The completed projects generated 19,338 new jobs and $1.61 billion in new payroll, while retaining 54,962 Ohio jobs and $4.69 billion in payroll, he continued.
The report included the January 2025 announcement that defense manufacturer Anduril Industries would build a 5-million-square-foot advanced manufacturing facility on 500 acres in Pickaway County. The project, expected to create 4,008 jobs over 10 years, would be the largest single job-creation project in Ohio’s history.
Among the key events highlighted in the report was the creation of JobsOhio’s seventh and final network region, Lake to River Economic Development. In April 2024, Gov. Mike DeWine announced the creation of the new region, which consists of Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
“The region, anchored by Youngstown, was the only major-metro media market in the state without its own JobsOhio region,” according to the report.
Lake to River projects announced during 2024 included Ursa Major’s $14.5 million capital investment in a new research-and-development center in Boardman and TTM Technologies’ $4.96 million capital expenditure to expand in North Jackson.
The report also outlined strategic initiatives focused on sites, talent, small-business growth, community support and innovation.
“Looking ahead, JobsOhio has evaluated our strategic plan and identified new opportunities that will inform the next five-year plan, ‘JobsOhio 2030, Let’s Grow, Together,’” Nauseef said. “This plan will capitalize on the diversity of Ohio’s economy and how our strengths across industries converge to create a business climate where the world’s best companies only get better.”
In 2025, the Ohio Site Inventory Program aims to complete 17 projects, authenticate three additional SiteOhio properties and complete seven proactive SiteOhio site visits. In 2024, the program completed 19 projects and 55 proactive site visits.
Last year, JobsOhio’s Vibrant Communities Program completed nine project grants, and the Pre-Project Planning Program completed 17 project grants. In 2025, the goal is to complete 10 Vibrant Communities project grants and 10 pre-project planning grants.