Columbus Region Honored as No. 7 Metro Area by Site Selection Magazine

Columbus, OH – Moving up one spot from its ranking in 2014, the Columbus Region has been recognized as No. 7 on Site Selection magazine’s ‘Top 10 Metro Areas’ list, boasting 117 new and expanded facilities in 2014. Ohio repeated for the third time its second-place finish in the Governors Cup, with 582 projects, and again, took the No. 2 spot in the per capita ranking.

“The Columbus Region continues to climb this list year after year—thanks to the teamwork and dedication of state and local economic development partners,” said Kenny McDonald, chief economic officer, One Columbus. “This ranking shines the spotlight on the Columbus Region as one of the strongest economies in the U.S.”

The Columbus Region was recognized alongside peer metropolitan areas with populations greater than 1 million – including cities such as Chicago, Houston, Cincinnati and Atlanta, which occupied the top four spots. According to Site Selection’s criteria, new facilities and expansions included in the analyses must meet at least one of three criteria: involve a capital investment of at least $1 million; create at least 50 new jobs; or add at least 20,000 square feet of new floor area.

For the third consecutive year, Ohio’s 582 new projects earned the No. 2 spot in Site Selection’s overall Governors Cup state ranking – second only to Texas. Ohio also took the second-place spot in the per capita ranking, with Kentucky earning the top spot.

In addition to Columbus, other Ohio cities recognized include Akron, Ashland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Findlay, New Philadelphia-Dover, Toledo and Wooster.

For more information about Site Selection magazine’s other annual awards, and to see a full list of the honorees, visit SiteSelection.com.