Ohio ranked third in nation in announced deals, new JobsOhio report says

JobsOhio is a privately funded nonprofit acting as Ohio government’s economic development arm.

The organization also said it secured $14.4 billion in capital expenditure commitments, 327 “project wins,” 16,457 net new jobs created, with $1.1 billion in new payroll while protecting 27,836 existing jobs and $1.78 billion in annual payroll.

Ohio also attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2023, ranking ninth in the U.S. in FDI CapEx (capital spending) of $4.2 billion, making the state 14th in jobs created, just over 4,000.

The state agency also took note of big Dayton-area projects and included a word of appreciation for Clay Mathile, the former owner and chief executive of the Iams pet food company, and a longtime Dayton philanthropist, who died in August 2023.

“Clay deeply believed in the power of economic development to improve lives, and his passion was instrumental in creating the Dayton Development Coalition, one of the seven JobsOhio regional economic development partners,” the report said.

JobsOhio recently announced the creation of the JobsOhio Small Business Academy, a partnership with business education campus Aileron in Miami County.

Spotlighted in the new report also was Joby Aviation Inc.’s announcement of manufacturing plans in Dayton, made Sept. 18 last year in Oakwood.

Joby intends to build a manufacturing operation to make electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOL) near Dayton International Airport, having a facility operating by 2025.

While job estimates have since varied, the original announcement last year said employment could reach 2,000 workers.

“We also made global headlines — again — with deals like Joby, the single largest aerospace deal in Ohio history, and AWS (Amazon Web Services) that is investing billions in Ohio,” JobsOhio said.

JobsOhio also took note of Diné Development Corp., an IT firm, which plans to put about 100 new jobs in 714 Monument St. building in downtown Dayton.

Diné bought that building from CityWide Development Corp. for $1.3 million last November.

The JobsOhio report can be read here.