State Representative Jim Buchy
JobsOhio An Important Part of Growing State’s Economy

A major part of bringing new businesses and jobs to Ohio is working closely with those businesses and explaining the benefits and advantages of locating in our state. In Ohio, a lot of that collaboration is done by a development entity made up of people with business background and experience called JobsOhio.

JobsOhio was created in the first bill passed by the Ohio House in January 2011, and since that time has helped the state climb out of the economic hole it found itself in just a few short years ago. Under JobsOhio’s almost three years of operation, it has worked closely with 538 companies and has been involved with the creation of more than 41,000 new private sector jobs. That is about one-fourth of the total number of private sector jobs created in the state in that time period.

One of Ohio’s greatest strengths is its diverse industrial base. JobsOhio works with a wide range of industries that are vital to our region, including manufacturing, automotive, and agriculture and food processing. This diversity has helped Ohio have the seventh-highest producing state in the country with a $509 billion gross state product.

Governor Kasich often points out the interesting statistic that Ohio is located within 600 miles of 60 percent of all American and Canadian manufacturing. While St. Louis is known as the “Gateway to the West,” Ohio at least is a strong link between the East, Midwest and West. With new infrastructure projects being constructed ahead of schedule all across the state, the ability for businesses to ship goods in our state is being strengthened.

We have felt the effects of Ohio’s growing economy here locally. Recently, the Celina-based printing company, Casad Company Inc., announced that it expects to create 59 new full-time jobs, generating $1.4 million in additional annual payroll and retaining $1.5 million in existing payroll. I was pleased and indeed proud to see JobsOhio’s commitment to helping small, family-owned businesses throughout this expansion project. Because of this collaboration, 59 families in west-central Ohio will be better off financially.

Improving Ohio’s economy improves Ohio’s families, and that continues to be the goal in state legislature. Along with recent tax reforms and changes to the regulatory climate, it is great to have a strong partner like JobsOhio working with us to create jobs.

As always, I appreciate your feedback. One way to efficiently share your thoughts is to fill out my online survey at tinyurl.com/buchyoct