HCDC News

Hamilton County Region Ranks Second in Nation in Corporate Projects

Hamilton County and the Greater Cincinnati metropolitan region ranked second in the nation in the number of new and expanded corporate facilities, according to the latest rankings by Site Selection magazine. It's the highest ranking the region has ever earned in Site Selection's annual list. The publication, considered the industry scoreboard for corporate location projects, focuses on new corporate projects, and doesn't track retail and government projects, schools or hospitals.

For regions with more than a million people, Hamilton County and Greater Cincinnati ranked just behind the Chicago metropolitan area. Overall, the state of Ohio placed first in the nation, winning the publication’s Governors Cup for the second year in a row. The Governor's Cup goes to the state with the most new or expanded capital projects as tracked by Site Selection publisher Conway Data Inc.'s New Plant database. Ohio tallied 399 new or expanded corporate facilities.

Ohio Ranks 2nd in Midwest in Medical Device Industry

Ohio has become a leader in the medical device industry, finds BioEnterprise, a business incubator for the life sciences industry. BioEnterprise examined FDA registration records and found that 625 companies in Ohio have registered to make or sell medical devices. That ranked Ohio No. 2 in the Midwest.

Many of those companies are using their expertise in traditional manufacturing to expand into making medical devices. One of those is Cincinnati's Plastic Moldings Co., a traditional plastics manufacturer that saw an opportunity in biosciences and decided to expand. Ohio's strong base of manufacturing is the reason the state is ready to lead in the growing life sciences sector, BioEnterprise said. The skills, equipment and expertise needed to manufacture precision industrial components and assemblies are similar to those needed for medical devices.

UC Study Finds Fortune 500 Headquarters Improve Region’s Quality of Life

The 10 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Hamilton County and the surrounding region quantifiably improve the quality of life here, according to a recent study by the University of Cincinnati. UC's Economics Center for Education and Research created the Fortune 500 Benefits Index, measuring characteristics such education, culture, leisure activities, health services and transportation.

The Hamilton County and Greater Cincinnati region showed higher values than the national averages for six areas: classical music, professional theater, arts radio, amusement parks, botanical gardens and arboretums and zoo aquariums. Cincinnati has more Fortune 500 companies per capita (4.85 companies per million people) than New York Chicago, or Los Angeles.

Workshop Will Help With Federal Grant Preparation

During an April workshop, business owners can learn more about two programs that can mean big money for small businesses. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program funds small-business research and development that has commercial potential. The Small Business Technology Transfer program funds technological innovations developed in partnership with research institutions. Federal agencies such as EPA, NASA, Commerce, Defense and Homeland Security participate in the competitive grant programs.

The Hamilton County Business Center, CincyTech USA, The Circuit and Bio/Start are sponsoring a two-day workshop on grant writing to help entrepreneurs manage the rigorous review process. The intensive workshop will cover all aspects of preparing a competitive SBIR/STTR proposal. To register for the April 16 and 17 workshop, call 513-558-7339.

Hamilton County Tops for New Business

A recent study by Expansion Management magazine and the nonpartisan National Policy Research Council ranked the county among the top 20 mid-size counties in the United States for attracting new companies. It was one of just 60 counties to earn a mention out of 3,141 nationwide.

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