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Site Selection Factors for the Automotive Industry The U.S., Mexico, Canada Agreement (USMCA), for example, which has now higher local [requirements] content. So before, the local content for automotive projects was at about 62%, and now they raised it to 75%, which means you have to manufacture much more in the U.S. For example, Germans like to ship in the engine but that is a very large part [of the car]. So, the whole supply chain is changing. And then, with all the new agreements with China, for example, the tariff war going on, back and forth, how many tariffs ar...

When Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine closed the bars earlier this month to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, a West Chester Twp. couple knew they had to shift their business model. Mike and Debbie Dranschak opened White Dog Distilling Company on Central Avenue in Middletown 16 months ago and they realized the retail bottle liquor business wouldn’t be enough to keep them open. “We got worried how are we going to survive like everybody else,” Debbie Dranschak said. “We didn’t want to fall through the cracks.” Read full article.

Construction has started on a $10 million school campus expansion that Middletown School officials say will help both relieve elementary classroom overcrowding and improve learning spaces. Middletown school and city officials recently broke ground on the campus of Rosa Park Elementary to begin construction on additional classroom space. When the new addition is opened in August 2021, officials said the current Rosa Parks Elementary will look radically different. Read full article.

Ohio has an outstanding economic development network that goes above and beyond for communities, companies and people. By working together toward a common goal, you make a difference. Site Selection Magazine’s Governor’s Cup results are a testament to this unwavering work ethic. You helped make Ohio No. 1! As the No. 1 state for projects per capita and No. 2 for total projects overall, Ohio is the only state in the nation to place in the top three in both Governor’s Cup categories. Your work is further reflected in the JobsOhio 2019 Annual Report, which shows impressive job creation and capital investment numbers following ...

Forced by coronavirus shutdowns, remote learning is an experiment on a grand scale, and so far area students, parents and teachers say for the most part it is working. Since Ohio mandated the closing of K-12 schools at least until April 6, school officials in Butler and Warren counties have scrambled to put together digital lessons and activities designed to fill in the learning gap created by ending classroom instruction. Every school family, in its own way, is now a home-schooling family due to state-ordered isolation. Read full article.

The AK Steel Middletown Works plant is open and considered an essential business during the current COVID-19 pandemic, which officials clarified after the city’s emergency dispatch center received numerous calls this week about there still being activity at the site. “They are an essential (business), but people keep calling about it,” said Middletown police Chief David Birk. Read full article.

Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as Governor Mike DeWine, the JobsOhio board of directors held its quarterly public board of directors meeting via live webinar on March 17, 2020. While JobsOhio reported its results of ongoing initiatives, it also addressed the current COVID-19 pandemic and how it plans to work with the state to support Ohio businesses during this time. JobsOhio President and Chief Investment Officer J.P. Nauseef thanked Governor DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Health Director Dr. Amy Acton for their clarity and leadership for Ohio and the nation during this unprecedente...

A consultant told the Middletown City Council that if the Oakland neighborhood is designated a historic district, it could become “a powerful tool” for the city’s economic growth. Dan Barton of Brainwave Historic Preservation Consulting said the Oakland area has “fallen on hard times,” but he believes with the right plan and execution, its success can mirror Over-the-Rhine in Cincinnati and the Oregon District in Dayton. He said the redevelopment of the area could spur interest from younger residents and financial institutions willing to invest. Read full article.