A Great Year for Partnerships

As the year comes to a close, we all have an opportunity to reflect on Ohio’s success as well as focus on our mutual strategy of creating jobs and opportunity in 2020.

After joining JobsOhio in March of 2019, my first priority was to meet with you, our partners, across Ohio to listen and understand your experiences with the organization, where we’ve excelled and where we can improve our partnership.

This included input from business leaders in your communities, local officials and hundreds of others throughout the state who play an important role in how we create jobs and boost Ohio’s economy. Your honest insight and feedback have played an invaluable role in shaping how our new JobsOhio strategy will evolve and how we work together.

2019 had many standout moments:

• Ohio’s business development mission to Japan included a large delegation consisting of Gov. Mike DeWine, legislators, local and regional economic development partners, and JobsOhio and other leaders.
• Ohio met with more than 70 companies there, attending the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association Conference where many announced their plans to invest and Ohio had the largest attendance of any state.
• Gov. Jon Husted, JobsOhio, regional and local partners traveled to London for the graduation of the inaugural ELITE cohort of companies from southeast Ohio, and opened the London Stock Exchange.
• ELITE announced Ohio as the home of its Americas headquarters.
• We also saw the success of the first Air Force Pitch Days in Dayton.
• Ohio’s stock in business continued its rise, where Ohio broke the Top 10 in many of the rankings for the first time.

We look forward to an exciting year in 2020 as we begin a new chapter together. Economic development is successful when we collaborate, form strong partnerships and look out for one another – it’s the Ohio way. We will continue to thrive and be successful because we choose to work together.

Ohio’s differentiator is its people, and we at JobsOhio are honored to work alongside exceptional individuals every day who exemplify why that’s true. Economic development can be a thankless endeavor at times, but we recognize and appreciate everything you do for your communities. It matters and you are making a difference.

On behalf of the JobsOhio team, thank you for your partnership. We look forward to working with each of you as all of us continue to make Ohio the best place to live, work, play, invest and live your American dream!

Happy Holidays!

J.P.