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Ohio ranked No. 4 in ‘business climate’

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By Thomas Gnau, Staff Writer Updated 1:57 AM Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Site Selection magazine has ranked Ohio No. 4 on its list of the “top ten business climates” in 2009, an improvement of three spots from last year, the magazine said Monday, Nov. 2.

The top five states on the magazine’s 2009 list are North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee, the magazine said today.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland said the ranking didn’t surprise him. On Monday, he visited with a partnership between Voith Hydro and American Municipal Power, which is creating 40 full-time jobs in Hannibal, Ohio to produce parts for hydro-electric generators.

“In spite of this economy, we have really focused on trying to make Ohio an attractive place for investment,” Strickland said. “Quite frankly, that’s why I fought as hard as I could with this budget to keep from raising taxes.”

Site Selection magazine has been kind to the area and the state in the past. In March 2009 — at a time when Ohio unemployment was 8.8 percent — the magazine rated the Dayton region at the top of a list of metro areas for welcoming commercial activity and development. (The Dayton region ranked in a category of metro areas with populations between 200,000 and 1 million.)

Also in March, the state received from the magazine its third consecutive “Governor’s Cup award,” its fourth in six years of the magazine’s competition.

The September 2009 Ohio unemployment rate was 10.1 percent, down slightly from 10.8 percent in August, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

“The ranking does not say the economy is wonderful,” said Mark Arend, editor-in-chief for Site Selection magazine. Instead, the ranking gauges the costs of business expansions, the level of bureaucratic “red tape” and taxation, he said.

The business climate rankings are determined by a business activity-tracking database run by Conway Data Inc., publisher of Site Selection, and by a survey of corporate site seekers across the country, the publisher said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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After reading the article, I had to laugh. Being an Employment Specialist for over 20 years,I have not seen the economy this bad!The job market is VERY competitive and there are limited jobs in the area, go see for yourself! I am out talking to employers in three counties ( Erie, Sandusky & Ottawa) and that hiring people is not on their immediate agenda. With the laying off of Civil Service positions, how could anyone TRULY believe that OHIO is a good location for employment.

rick
10:31 AM, 11/5/2009

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I thought this headline was an April's fool's joke, but it was Nov 4th! This was a PR piece someone paid to have written - nothing in it rings true and belies the facts of Ohio being very uncompeitive - the unemployment numbers prove it and the tax situation puts Ohio among the highest levied states in the country. If this article was true, we'd see many new businesses moving to Ohio - quite the opposite!!

Donnelsville Guy
5:10 PM, 11/4/2009

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If you've never heard of Dayton, you most probably are too young to have an honest opinion. Secondly, you seem to have a problem with positive or encouraging information. Please check out this information before you criticize the great midwest and Site magazine that you've never heard of...it sounds like there is an abundancy of things/places you have never heard of. It is no stretch of the imagination to envision great leaders of the industrial revolution converting to eco-friendly energies.

bswet
10:34 PM, 11/3/2009

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How nice for Ohio to receive this ranking. And how typical of all the haters to be here hating. Crazy how many people stay in a place they supposedly hate. :)

Spflder
7:20 PM, 11/3/2009

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I moved to the intermountain west. Like another world compared to the doom & gloom of Ohio & Cleveland.

Why would any business want to located in Ohio, let alone Cleveland or Dayton. High taxes, crime, aging population very little comparatively in quality of life and offerings other than inept sports franchises, getting fat and drinking.

Whether you want to beleive it or not. Ohio and its corrupt government offcials are in decline.

Sad to see my beloved city & state go down the drain

Joe
2:39 PM, 11/3/2009

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