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Columbus, Ohio – Columbus 2020, the economic development organization for the 11-county Columbus Region, has been named a recipient of the 2018 Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development by Site Selection magazine, a national publication geared toward those in the decision-making process for expansions and relocations. Columbus 2020 is one of 15 economic development groups selected for this annual award, out of more than 5,000 economic development organizations nationwide.
The Mac Conway Award winners are determined by an index that examines corporate facility investment projects in U.S. metro areas as tracked by Site Selection’s proprietary Conway Projects Database in 2017. Scores are awarded based on six criteria: total projects, total investment associated with those projects and total jobs associated with those projects; and those same three numbers calculated per capita for the metro area.
“Columbus 2020 is honored to be recognized as a top economic development group alongside incredible industry peers,” said Kenny McDonald, CEO of Columbus 2020. “The Columbus Region’s differentiator is strength of leadership across our 11 counties. We share this honor with the companies, communities and Columbus 2020 investors that are committed to the Columbus Region, and we thank our economic development partners for their tireless work to grow our economy.”
The Mac Conway Awards are named after the founder of Conway and Site Selection magazine, McKinley “Mac” Conway, to recognize the work of outstanding economic development organizations and the important contribution they make to grow their respective local economies.
Ohio had the strongest showing of any U.S. state on the Mac Conway Awards list this year, with three groups from the state receiving recognition. The Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI) Cincinnati and The Regional Growth Partnership (RGP) in Northwest Ohio both received awards alongside Columbus 2020, exemplifying the high caliber of economic development professionals in the Buckeye state.
Columbus 2020 received an Honorable Mention at the Mac Conway Awards in 2017. Earlier this year, the Columbus Region also took the No. 7 spot on Site Selection magazine’s ‘Top 10 Metro Areas’ list, with 99 new and expanded facilities in 2017. The list, which the Columbus Region has made six times in the past six years, looks at new facilities and expansions that involve a capital investment of at least U.S. $1 million, create at least 20 new jobs, or add at least 20,000 square feet of new floor area.
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About Columbus 2020
As the economic development organization for the Columbus Region, Columbus 2020’s mission is to generate opportunity and build capacity for economic growth across 11 Central Ohio counties. In 2010, hundreds of business and community leaders developed the Columbus 2020 Regional Growth Strategy, and the Columbus Region is now experiencing the strongest decade of growth in its history. The Columbus 2020 team conducts business outreach, promotes the Columbus Region to market-leading companies around the world, conducts customized research to better understand the Columbus Region’s competitiveness, and works to leverage public, private and institutional partnerships. Funding is received from more than 300 private organizations, local governments, academic institutions and JobsOhio. Learn more at ColumbusRegion.com.
About Site Selection
Site Selection, published by Conway Inc., is the senior publication in the corporate real estate and economic development fields and is the official publication of the Industrial Asset Management Council. For more information about Site Selection magazine’s annual awards and to see a full list of the 2016 Governor’s Cup honorees, visit SiteSelection.com.
Columbus 2020 Media Contact
Aaron Jones
212-444-7113
aaron.jones@aboutdci.com