Some of the best advice I ever received about economic development is that the stage can always be made bigger and the podium can always be made wider. Economic development requires incredible teamwork and credit should be given to the people and organizations that work hard to land the deals that drive economic growth. Last week One Columbus had the honor of being a part of an announcement that will positively impact the Columbus Region for years to come. MSC Industrial announced that they chose the State of Ohio, Franklin County, the City of Columbus – the Columbus Region – to build a 400,000 sq. ft. logistics center.
Local workers will be employed to build and operate the facility. $55 million will be invested in Columbus to build the building and to install the equipment and systems necessary to make it productive. Millions more will be spent as a by-product of the economic activity. Employees will be hired, provided with health care benefits, and trained to work in a field that is important to our region and elsewhere.
Governor Kasich and Mayor Coleman each spoke privately to the company, thanked them and vowed to assist them going forward. Franklin County, Columbia Gas, and Columbus Regional Airport Authority all contributed greatly to the project, and the Columbus Chamber and the Columbus Region Logistics Council look forward to serving the company as an existing employer that will add greatly to our long list of advanced logistics operators. The company spoke of its growth strategy, its commitment to its employees and the fact that they are aggressively moving ahead. I say – congratulations to all.
One Columbus Update
Deb Scherer and Matt McCollister returned from China last week and immediately returned to work. Did I mention that we have incredible, dedicated people working for our regional growth? One Columbus’s advance mission to China was successful in setting the strategy and narrowing the focus of our September mission. Our team learned a lot, came back more inspired than ever about the opportunities for foreign direct investment from China to the U.S., and is set to begin working on their next mission.
We had a great week last week finalizing projects like MSC Industrial (above) Sarnova and Autotool. Thank you to Patty Huddle and Chris Strayer for assisting these companies and to JobsOhio and the communities for their diligent support.
Our team is off to Toronto this week as well as a major logistics forum in Utah. Let’s keep moving ahead, building big stages, and widening the podium!