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Business

Northwest Ohio is a dynamic business location. Situated within a 10-hour drive of nearly 100 million people, Northwest Ohio is a central location. At the crossroads of transportation — immediate access to air, rail, seaport, and two of the country's most traveled interstates — Northwest Ohio is a gateway to the global marketplace.Toledo serves as the economic hub for Northwest Ohio, an 11-county region of more than 980,000 people. With an economy grounded in manufacturing, wholesale, retail trade, and agriculture, as well as government, education, and healthcare, Toledo offers diverse business and employment opportunities. The region is becoming a world leader with the emergence of solar power technology and manufacturing.

Northwest Ohio is the ideal location for new or expanding business. Access to intermodal transportation, an educated and skilled workforce, attractive financial incentive programs for business, and affordable cost of living make the Toledo region the perfect balance of business opportunities and quality of life.

Distribution

Strategically situated at the crossroads of America, Northwest Ohio is the center of a premier and efficient intermodal transportation network that connects local businesses to world markets. The area is home to a diversified world cargo hub on the Great Lakes/Saint Lawrence Seaway system, a full-service regional airport, two of America’s major highways, and Ohio’s busiest passenger rail terminal.

• Nearly 100 truck lines serve businesses around the country.

• Toledo is the nation’s third-largest rail hub and is within an eight-hour drive of 75 percent of the United States’ population.

• Toledo Express Airport serves as a major airfreight transportation and distribution center, and is home to Schenker/BAX Globall, Inc.

• The seaport at Toledo is one of the largest on the Great Lakes, providing easy access to international shipping routes.

The port of Toledo includes a foreign trade zone to which foreign and domestic merchandise can be brought without the requirement of formal customs entry. The zone is considered outside the customs territory of the United States and offers numerous tax advantages to businesses involved in international shipping.

Financial Institutions

People locating to Northwest Ohio benefit from the competitiveness of the state’s financial institutions and find attractive funding for qualified projects. The majority of banking in the region is handled by over 16 banks and thrift institutions whose parent companies have combined assets of more than $138 billion.

Technology

Technological resources are readily available to companies in Northwest Ohio. Organizations such as the Regional Growth Partnership and institutions such as the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, the University of Findlay, Owens Community College, and the Edison Industrial Systems Center offer a valuable resource base to all types of business and industry.

Resources available include state-of-the-art technical and research facilities with specialized expertise in engineering technology; CAD/CAM; polymer research; plastics recycling; photochemical sciences; biology; pharmacy; and health technology.

These resources provide important competitive advantages to companies that need access to integrated academic and technological programs. They also offer opportunities for joint research projects, testing facilities, database operations, and provide a constant availability of highly skilled and educated technical personnel.

Workforce Employment

While the regional population of Northwest Ohio nears one million, its available labor pool has topped 500,000, with the working-age population predicted to grow at a faster rate than the national average through 2010. Northwest Ohio currently offers a substantial workforce of over 190,000 students who are enrolled in colleges and universities located within an hour of Toledo.

Area employers benefit from a well-trained, productive workforce. Like most Midwestern metropolitan areas, Northwest Ohio is seeing a shift from its traditional manufacturing base to service-oriented industries. Manufacturing, service, and wholesale/retail trade each attract about 25 percent of the labor pool.

Valuable business contacts for additional information on business in Northwest Ohio:

Business Development

Looking to expand or start a business in Northwest Ohio?

Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Development Services 300 Madison Ave., Suite 200 Toledo, OH 43604 419-243-8191 www.toledochamber.com

Regional Growth Partnership
300 Madison Ave., Suite 270 Toledo, OH 43604 419-252-2700 www.rgp.org

Lucas County Improvement Corporation
300 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Suite 200 Toledo, OH 43604 419-213-4510 www.lcicoh.com

City of Toledo Department of Development
One Government Center, Suite 2250 Toledo, OH 43604 www.ci.toledo.oh.us

International Trade

Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority One Maritime Plaza Toledo, OH 43604 419-243-8251 www.toledoportauthority.org

Workforce Development

The Source Northwest Ohio 1301 Monroe St. Toledo, OH 43604 419-213-JOBS (5627) www.thesourcenwo.com

Technology/Manufacturing

During the past 100 years, Northwest Ohio has built an extraordinary reputation as a successful manufacturing giant. Yet in today’s global economy, long-term growth will not come from those traditional manufacturing sectors. Growth areas have been identified in knowledge-based industries that are innovative and will take the region forward. Using some traditional manufacturing principles, but building on the research and technology field, Northwest Ohio is becoming an international leader in solar manufacturing and technology. As more funding is put into research and technology, more opportunities for creating a true, new knowledge-based economy for Northwest Ohio will become reality.

Valuable contacts for additional information on business assistance for technology-based companies:

Launch

Provides comprehensive business assistance services to accelerate tech-based business growth, generate new wealth, and create high-paying jobs.

Rocket Ventures

Seeks business ideas that have the potential to achieve full-scale commercialization, scalable to $30-50 million in six to eight years.

Regional Growth Partnership 300 Madison Ave., Suite 270 Toledo, OH 43604 419-252-2700 www.rgp.org

Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Development Services 300 Madison Ave., Suite 200 Toledo, OH 43604 419-243-8191 www.toledochamber.com