Site selectors get tour of local megasite

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert – and more particularly, the Jobs Ready Site on the north side of the city – received some attention, albeit brief, from a group of site selectors from several major U.S. cities on Thursday.

The Regional Growth Partnership, the northwest Ohio network partner to JobsOhio, the statewide economic development agency, arranged a three-day event for site selectors and consultants for a “live branding” of the northwest Ohio area.

Nine site selectors from major U.S. cities, such as Chicago, New York City, Dallas and Atlanta, were expected to take part in the event.

“Ohio is trying to do things differently in an effort to attract new business to the state, and this is an example of selling the assets of a community, and the business culture to prove Ohio is the best place to do business,” said Van Wert Economic Director Cindy Leis.

The first day of the economic development event was spent visiting with the CEOs of Fortune 100 and 500 companies, such as Owens-Illinois, Dana Corporation and Marathon, in an effort to understand why large corporations continue to invest in Ohio.

The second day of the event on Thursday was a scheduled helicopter tour of prime Ohio development sites, such as Van Wert’s JRS megasite and a distribution center in North Baltimore.

The final day of the event today will be a private reception on one of the Lake Erie islands near Sandusky.

Leis and other economic development officials hope the branding event will invite site selectors to seek more information about local development sites, such as the Van Wert megasite.