Toledo & Northwest Ohio
Videos
ONN HD Videos
ONN News provides HD videos featuring Ohio Means Business and the ways others have achieved a State of Perfect Balance in Ohio.- View ONN's Ohio Means Business featured videos »
Toledo & Northwest Ohio Region
Contact:
Eileen Granata
Regional Economic Development Director
One Government Center, Suite 1520
Toledo, OH 43604-2205
Phone: (419) 245-2445 Fax: (419) 245-2448
Eileen.Granata@development.ohio.gov
Northwest Ohio Region Reports
Download current reports about the Northwest Ohio region in PDF or Excel format.
- Executive Summary (PDF | Excel)
- Demographics (PDF | Excel)
- Workforce (PDF | Excel)
- Business (PDF | Excel)
hiVelocity News from the Region
- Blue Water Satellite stays dry using image-processing technology to find pollutants
- Advanced Energy Manufacturing Center in Lima slated to become first of its kind
- Toledo-based Seavival gets traction with patented first-responder kit
- Chagrin Falls-based RADAR focused on eliminating medical communication errors
- Carpe Ventum (Seize the Wind)
- The pharmacist will see you now
- Food movement is for real as Ohioans, producers, go local
- Q&A: David Beck helps us sift through CIFT
- New kid on the block plans to let the sun shine in on Toledo's economy
Contact Us
Ohio Sales Manager - Matt McQuade
(614) 857-0900 ext. 231
Ohio Regional Contacts
Toledo and Northwest Ohio are dominated by a strong manufacturing base in glass, plastic, primary and fabricated metal, motor vehicle and parts manufacturing, and advanced and environmental technologies, as one of the world’s premier locations for thin-film photovoltaic R&D and production. Its strategic location supports a strong distribution and logistics market, including BAX Global Inc. and UPS, and auto industry support firms Lear Inc., M-Tek Inc. and Honeywell International. Thirty six Fortune 500 firms maintain operations in Northwest Ohio, including Owens Corning, Owens-Illinois, Cambell Soup, and Parker Hannifin.
Referred to as “Solar Valley” by ABC News, the Toledo region has achieved a leadership position in the solar industry. Companies that maintain significant operations in the region include First Solar, the world’s largest manufacturer of photovoltaic panels and Xunlight, a producer of thin-film solar panels. Each company has experienced robust growth in Northwest Ohio and worldwide, expanding from start-up status to global companies with manufacturing facilities in the Toledo area to capitalize on research, innovation and commercialization opportunities. The University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University are key collaborators in the Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization, which focuses on the acceleration of the commercialization of next generation device technologies, improvement in the current generation of thin film PV for lower production costs, and the reduction of technological barriers to the demonstration stages involving fabrication of thin film.
Northwest Ohio's central location to major Midwest cities and Toronto provides unparalleled access to the Midwest market. At the crossroads of Interstates 75, 80 and 90, the region provides access to the world through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, an international cargo hub and one of the leading rail centers in the country. Northwest Ohio provides a global platform for doing business anywhere in the world.
"Our Toledo sorting hub and warehouse facility is the heart of an international logistics solution network," says Steve Grier, vice president for Transportation Hub Operations at Toledo-based BAX Global Inc. The $2.4 billion supply chain and transportation solutions company is looking forward to the fruits of $1.35 billion in approved future Ohio spending on highways, bridges and other state infrastructure improvements. "Ohio's world-class infrastructure helps us rise to the toughest transportation challenges," Grier says.
Nearly 180,000 students are enrolled at the region’s 49 colleges, universities, and post secondary institutions. On a per capita basis, Northwest Ohio ranks second nationally in number of students pursuing engineering degrees.
Toledo and Northwest Ohio offers diverse cultural amenities. With attractions like the Toledo Museum of Art, the Toledo Zoo, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Museu,m and the historic Sauder Village, the area offers outstanding educational and entertainment resources. Lake Erie offers fishing, recreational boating and swimming, with the world famous Cedar Point Amusement Park, located on its shores. Northwest Ohio is home to an extensive metropark system, nature preserves, wildlife refuges and state parks, which offer trails for hiking, running, and cross-country skiing. Finally, the region is home to a variety of professional and college teams, such as the AAA minor league baseball Toledo Mud Hens and Toledo Walleye ECHL hockey team.
Notable Recent Investment Projects
- FirstSolar - $150 million investment, including the creation of 134 new jobs for the production of solar panels.
- Xunlight - $20 million investment, including the creation of 280 new jobs for the production of solar panels.
- General Motors - $332 million investment in the company’s Toledo transmission facility.
- Willard & Kelsey - $108 million investment, including the creation of 400 jobs for the production of solar panels.
- CSX - $80 million investment, including the creation of 55 jobs for the company’s North Baltimore intermodal facility.
Regional Economic Development Links
- Regional Growth Partnership
- Northwest Ohio Regional Economic Development Association
- Erie County EDC
- Fostoria Economic Development Corporation
- Ottawa County Improvement Corporation
- Sandusky County Economic Development Corporation
- Wood County Economic Development Commission
- Ohio Department of Development