Middletown Site is One of State's First Job Ready Sites

Ohio's Job Ready Site program is aimed at creating and building more development sites that can be readily offered to companies who would like to move to or expand within the state and a new Middletown office development by Al Neyer Inc. is one of the first sites to be certified.

The program was approved by Ohio voters in 2005 and was started with a $2 billion bond issue.

In a press release, Lisa Patt-McDaniel, the director of the Ohio Department of Development said, "The Job Ready Site certification requirements have heightened standards, making Ohio an attractive choice for leading industries to relocate for job expansion and company growth"

Smart Offices at East Point Centre, located in Middletown, was among the 18 sites first selected for a grant about four years ago. The state awarded $2.2 million to what is being marketed as a "technology district" near the Atrium Medical Center.

The area includes a 50,000 square foot office building and it has been awarded a Gold certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. In addition, there is room to build two more buildings of up to 90,000 square feet each. Right now, 114 jobs have been created from the site.

In addition to the Middletown site, another technology site has been built and certified in Clark County. Named the Nextedge Applied Research and Technology Park, the 55,572 square foot building is open for leasing and there is room to build an additional 111,000 square feet.

---

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Ohio Attracts the Most New Businesses

For the fourth year in a row, Ohio beat out every other state in the country in attracting new businesses. This according to Site Selection Magazine, who has awarded the state its annual Governor's Cup Award for "leading the nation in new and expanded facilities in 2009."

The Ohio Business Development Coalition, which is a nonprofit organization that markets the state for capital investment, says the award, "demonstrates that Ohio's purposeful redesign of its business climate is making the state an ideal location for businesses to compete in a 21st century global economy," according to a press release.

The March issue of Site Selection Magazine highlights Ohio's achievements. Not only does it show how the state leads development and expansion in both the micropolitan and metropolitan categories, but it also points out the state's overall achievements in economic investments.

Governor Ted Strickland believes the award can be attributed to a number of efforts made by the state, including lower taxes, less regulations, and more, "One of the reasons I believe in Ohio is that companies know Ohio is a great place to do business. We have reduced taxes and regulations, we have increased the skills and education of our workforce, and we have been recognized once again by setting the pace for the nation in new and expanded capital investments."

The magazine arrived at the ranking by looking at the number of private capital investments for new or expanded facilities. They had to have an investment of at least $1 million, create at least 50 new jobs, or added at least 20,000 square feet of new floor area. Ohio had 381 of these types of projects. Texas came in at a close second with 374 projects, followed by Michigan with 371, and Pennsylvania and Tennessee rounded out the top five with 333 and 234 respectively. Ohio has won the award eight times, in the years 1993, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Ohio Business Development Coalition Executive Director Ed Burghard had this to say about the award, "Winning the 2009 Governor's Cup for the last four years in a row means that, after completing due diligence, CEOs decided Ohio was the ideal location for their business more often than any other state in the country. What's also appealing is the lack of congestion in Ohio allows executives and employees to enjoy professional success without having to sacrifice personal aspirations. Ohio provides people the opportunity for a life in perfect balance."

In addition to winning the award, Ohio had a number of cities that ranked in the top ten metropolitan and micropolitan categories. Cincinatti/Middletown ranked sixth among metropolitan areas with a population over one million. For the second year in a row, Dayton came in second in the mid-sized metropolitan areas with a population between 200,000 and one million category. In the category for micropolitan cities with a population of 10,000 to 50,000, Wooster, Ashtabula and Findlay ranked 2nd, 6th, and 10th respectively.

For more information, visit SiteSelection.com

---

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.