News
Norfolk Southern's Heartland Corridor rail route to Columbus finishes final link
Business First of Columbus
8/27/2010
Cargo flowing into the Midwest soon will have a major new route that could bring a growing share of it through Central Ohio.
Columbus Chamber, Small Business Council Now Accepting Applications for the 2010 Small Business Leader Awards
Columbus Chamber Press Release
8/26/2010
Chamber's YP Manager Named to Alive's 2010 People to Watch
Columbus Alive
8/26/2010
The Columbus Chamber's Young Professionals Manager Robbie Banks was recognized by Columbus Alive as one of the 2010 People to Watch.
OSU's Buckeye Bullet electric car averages 307 mph
Columbus Dispatch
8/25/2010
A team of Ohio State University students that set out to build the fastest electric car on the planet is heading home with a broken clutch and a big grin.
The Buckeye Bullet was clocked on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats at speeds averaging 307 mph, which could set a record if it is verified by the governing body of motorsports. The old record for an electric car was 246 mph.
Lazarus of old sprouts new life
Columbus Dispatch
8/8/2010
The old Lazarus building, which houses the Columbus Chamber office, features a roof-top garden. Learn more about it in this editorial by the Columbus Dispatch's Joe Blundo.
The Lazarus Building is the most significant "green" building in the country and is certified Gold through the LEED Program. The Lazarus Building provides space for 2,600 jobs in Downtown Columbus.
Stimulus provides $4.6M for logistics jobs
Business First
8/6/2010
A skills training program, created with federal stimulus money, will attempt to get the jobless back to work while providing Central Ohio’s logistics industry with the kind of skilled entry-level workers it is hard-pressed to find.
Chamber, Small Business Council Issue Call for Presenters
Columbus Chamber Press Release
8/6/2010
The Columbus Chamber and Small Business Council invite industry experts and thought leaders to share their ideas and knowledge at the Small Business Forum & Leader Awards. The event is Tuesday, Nov. 9, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Columbus, A Renaissance Hotel.
New Chamber Position: Manager, Internet Marketing
Columbus Chamber
8/5/2010
Columbus Ranks as a Best City for New College Grads
Bloomberg Business Week
8/3/2010
Columbus moves up to #9 on this list.
Sector Based Talent
The IEDC Economic Development Journal, Spring 2010
8/1/2010
This article by the Columbus Chamber's internship consultant Dave Cofer takes a look at an industry-specific internship program designed to meet the particular needs of the logistics community in the Columbus Region.
There May Be ‘No Better Place,’ but There Is a Better Slogan
The New York TImes
7/30/2010
The New York Times featured a story about Columbus' branding efforts.
Diverse Economy Helped Columbus in Downturn
USA Today
7/27/2010
Central Ohio gets chance to show off for influential group at IEDC conference
Business First
7/26/2010
Area officials’ efforts to get businesses to relocate to Central Ohio stand to get a major boost this fall when hundreds of site-selection and economic development experts, developers and consultants descend on Columbus.
New Chamber Position: Economic Research Analyst
Columbus Chamber
7/23/2010
Columbus Region Logistics Council Member Update
A Quarterly Update from the CRLC
7/21/2010
The July 2010 issue of the Columbus Region Logistics Council member newsletter. This newsletter is distributed quarterly.
Columbus Ranks as #16 Gay City in America
Daily Beast
7/20/2010
"From the obvious (San Francisco) to the surprising (Columbus), Richard Florida and Gary Gates crunched the numbers to rank the top gay cities in the country."
Grant helps firm launch back-injury device here
Columbus Dispatch
7/14/2010
Columbus - A Top U.S. Shopping Destination
Apartment Therapy
7/12/2010
Columbus is among the top 25 shopping destinations, as compiled by Apartment Therapy. Chamber Member Wexner Center for the Arts gets special mention.
Local Partnership Creates Much Needed Jobs
Fox 28
7/12/2010
Fox 28 broadcast a story about ART, or Logistics-Attracting and Retaining Talent, program developed through a partnership of CSCC and the Central Ohio Workforce Investment Corporation. The story featured Chamber and Columbus Region Logistics Council member ODW Logistics.
Member Connection - July 2010
7/8/2010
Smart Moves: How to Run a Logistics Job Fair
Inbound Logistics
7/1/2010
In Columbus, Ohio, as in many other cities, the sector's unemployment problem was not due to a lack of workers, but a lack of connections between employers and displaced workers. In an effort to solve this problem, the Columbus Region Logistics Council, a group operating under the direction of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, applied an innovative approach.
Chamber Board Member Receives Columbus Bar Association’s Community Service Award
Hahn Loeser Press Release
6/28/2010
Columbus Chamber Board Member Douglas S. Morgan, a partner with Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP, recently received the Columbus Bar Association’s Community Service Award.
Mr. Morgan was given the Community Service Award in recognition of his contribution of time and effort in service to the Central Ohio community and to the legal profession.
Mr. Morgan is well known as a leader of the "pedaling revolution" in Central Ohio. He bicycles to work every day and is on the board of Consider Biking, Central Ohio's bicycle advocacy group. He is also chair of the Chamber's Green Council.
Editorial: New challenges
Columbus Dispatch
6/24/2010
Chamber Leader to Step Down
Columbus Chamber Press Release
6/22/2010
Ty D. Marsh today announced his resignation as president and CEO of the Columbus Chamber. Marsh has held the position since December 2003.
Columbus Ranked 8th Best City for Volunteering
Columbus Underground
6/16/2010
According to a new national study conducted by VolunteeringInAmerica.gov, Columbus ranks as the 8th best city in the country for volunteering efforts.
Eddie Bauer to hire 325 with help of grant, credit
Columbus Dispatch
6/15/2010
"Apparel retailer Eddie Bauer will add 325 full-time jobs at its Groveport distribution center after receiving a $75,000 grant from the state, as well as an already-approved tax credit valued at $400,000.
The incentives will go toward machinery, equipment and renovations to the 2.2million-square-foot warehouse the retailer leases on Alum Creek Drive near Rickenbacker Airport, according to a news release from the Ohio Department of Development. The project is valued at $27.5 million."
OSU hospital expansion to deliver up to 10,000 jobs
Columbus Dispatch
6/14/2010
"ProjectONE, the biggest construction project in the university’s history, will position Ohio State to become a top-20 academic medical center. It also will have a huge impact on central Ohio’s economy with the creation of as many as 10,000 permanent full-time jobs and more than 5,000 construction jobs."
Chamber Announces Position Openings
Columbus Chamber
6/11/2010
Genoa Township to Improve 15 miles of Roads in 2010
6/10/2010
The Board of Trustees at their June 10th regular meeting announced and approved a contract for 2010’s roadway improvements to be completed by September 10th.
Columbus Metropolitan Library Named Library of the Year
Press Release
6/7/2010
Library Journal and Gale, part of Cengage Learning, today announced Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML), in Columbus, Ohio, has been named 2010 Library of the Year.
Pacer makes Dublin home base
Columbus Dispatch
6/5/2010
Pacer International has moved its headquarters to Dublin from California as part of a consolidation of the $1.5 billion company.
The move has brought a handful of top jobs to central Ohio and strengthens the local presence of the transportation-services company, which first moved here through its 2000 acquisition of Worthington-based shipper Rail Van Inc.
OSU revamps commercialization office
Columbus Business First
6/2/2010
Chamber Announces Position Opening: Vice President Existing Business Services
Columbus Chamber
6/1/2010
The Vice President of Existing Business will lead implementation of this new existing business program. The position interfaces with CEOs and other corporate, government, and community leaders and provides oversight of hands-on project management and assistance for companies interested in expanding in the region. The VP will direct the work of client service representatives.
The successful candidate will demonstrate strong analytical, communication, organizational and managerial skills.
Columbus a Top Art Destination
AmericanStyle Magazine
5/20/2010
AmericanStyle readers weigh in on their favorite big cities in the country-- Columbus ranks #13.
Ohio is named one of the Top 10 Best States for Entrepreneurship and Small Business
Fox Business
5/20/2010
The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council’s “Business Tax Index 2010” ranks the states from best to worst in terms of the costs of their tax systems on entrepreneurship and small business. The Index pulls together 16 different tax measures, and combines those into one tax score that allows the 50 states and District of Columbia to be compared and ranked. Ohio comes in at #9.
Who's snagging the young professionals?
Hi-Velocity
5/20/2010
Snagging highly mobile young professionals before they set down roots just might be the most important thing a city can do right now to cement its economic future. The Columbus Chamber's intern consultant Dave Cofer is featured in this article by Hi-Velocity.
Mayor Coleman, Partners Unveil First Bicycle Sharrow On High Street
City of Columbus Press Release
5/18/2010
To kick off Bike To Work Week today, the city’s Share The Road initiative took another step forward with the unveiling of the first bicycle sharrow pavement marking on North High Street. The sharrows, in addition to 54 Share the Road signs installed on High Street in the fall of 2009, remind cyclists and motorists that they, by law, must share the road legally and safely.
“The health of our workforce effects the wellness of businesses and our overall economy,” said Ty Marsh, president and CEO, Columbus Chamber. “Biking to work is one way to improve personal and community health. In addition, it supports efforts to ensure that our community is attractive to young professionals – the future of our workforce.”
Joint management deal signed for OSU, Nationwide arenas
Columbus Dispatch
5/11/2010
A contract that puts Ohio State University in charge of managing both Nationwide Arena and the Schottenstein Center has been signed, according to university spokeswoman Shelly Hoffman.
The agreement is a small part of a plan to create a better financial deal for the Blue Jackets, the main tenant at Nationwide.
Huntington Bank will hire 500
Columbus Dispatch
5/11/2010
Huntington Bank plans to add 500 jobs "at all levels and in a variety of disciplines" over the next five years, according to a statement from the Columbus-based bank. Those jobs would be in addition to the 3,300 employees Huntington currently has in Columbus.
The company plans to hold a press conference this afternoon to discuss the planned job creation, along with the re-upping of their lease of 200,000 square feet at the downtown Huntington Center office tower. The bank is signing for another 20 years at the location, which is next to their main downtown branch near Broad and High Streets, where they have been for 144 years.
Columbus Named a Logistics Hotspot
Inbound Logistics Magazine
5/4/2010
Central enough to reach half the U.S. and Canadian populations by truck in 10 hours, and eastern enough to move freight quickly to and from coastal ports, Columbus boasts a variety of attractions.
Much of the logistics excitement in the area stems from the Columbus Region Logistics Council, a consortium of shippers and service providers working to cultivate a strong business environment, further develop the local infrastructure, take advantage of new technologies, and foster a highly skilled workforce.
Ohio fares well in tech-job rankings
Columbus Dispatch
5/1/2010
Ohio’s high-tech industry was in the top 10 among all states in gaining jobs for the fourth year in a row, according to a recently released study.
The state was eighth-best in adding high-tech jobs between 2007 and 2008 and was ranked 14th nationally for total number of high-tech workers, according to TechAmerica Foundation’s 13th annual report, Cyberstates 2010: The Definitive State-by-State Analysis of the U.S. High-Tech Industry.
Columbus Chamber, Partners Host Business Expo
Columbus Chamber Press Release
4/27/2010
More than 3,500 business owners and decision makers will come together at the Columbus Chamber’s 2010 Business2Business Network EXPO. The EXPO will be held June 9 from 3-8 p.m. at the Greater Columbus Convention Center Battelle Grand.
Columbus Chamber Helps Businesses Go Green
Columbus Dispatch
4/22/2010
The Columbus Chamber of Commerce just made it easier for businesses and consumers to go green.
The chamber is rolling out a new website today in conjunction with Earth Day - www.Columbus.org/green - to provide a link to "green" organizations. It's also designed to help companies do business in more environmentally sensitive ways.
Ranking: Columbus among top 10 big cities
Report by RelocateAmerica via Business First of Columbus
4/21/2010
A researcher of metropolitan markets nationwide has dubbed Columbus one of the 10 best big cities and most affordable in a new ranking.
Brighton, Mich.-based RelocateAmerica has compiled its 100 top places to live list for the past 13 years. Rankings come from residents’ nominations followed up by surveys and an analysis of federal data on income, crime, employment and education statistics.
Among several individual lists RelocateAmerica compiled, Columbus made the final cut in a top 10 ranking of the nation’s biggest cities, which also included metro juggernauts such as Chicago, Dallas and Boston. It also was one of two Ohio cities, along with Cincinnati, to make the cut in a top 10 ranking of the most affordable metros.
As reported by Business First of Columbus.
Forbes: Columbus among 25 best cities for business and careers
Business First
4/19/2010
The magazine ranked Columbus 24th on its list, an improvement from its spot at 38th out of 200 major metropolitan areas a year ago.
America's Best Graduate Schools
U.S. News & World Report
4/15/2010
According to the U.S. News & World Report 2011 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools released today, The Ohio State University offers a vast array of graduate programs, with eleven ranked in the top ten. Top ten programs include part-time MBA program (business), supply chain/logistics (business), dispute resolution (law), legal writing (law), paleontology, administration/supervision (education), counseling/personnel services (education), curriculum/instruction (education), elementary education, secondary education, and vocational/ technical education.
Limited Brands Announces Plans To Advance International Strategy
Limited Brands Press Release
4/14/2010
Limited Brands is creating Limited Brands Canada, a Montreal-based company that will support all Limited Brands retail stores and strategic expansion in Canada, including La Senza, Bath and Body Works, Victoria's Secret Pink and Victoria's Secret (launching later this year).
Additionally, the company will consolidate the creative and merchant leadership of its international businesses to the Limited Brands World Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, to better support customers and associates. As a result, La Senza's creative and merchandising functions will relocate to Columbus. This structure will better connect La Senza to enterprise resources and support its advances in product, store experience and brand position.
Read more in the Limited Brands press release.
A job behind every orange barrel?
Columbus Dispatch
4/8/2010
Federal stimulus money will pay for a $14million project to better connect Rickenbacker Airport to a terminal where shipping containers are transferred to trains and trucks, and for a $9million railroad overpass on Home Road in Delaware County.
Columbus - A Top Bike-friendly City
4/7/2010
Columbus was ranked as the 34th best city in America to ride a bike by Bicycling magazine.The study took into account things like segregated bike lanes, municipal bike racks, bike boulevards, local government involvement, bike culture and bike shops.
93 Acres Annexed for Use by Businesses
The Columbus Dispatch
4/7/2010
New Albany Village Council approves annexation of additional 93 acres for business park expansion.
Member Connection - Monthly Newsletter
Columbus Chamber Monthly Newsletter
4/6/2010
The April 2010 Member Connection features the B2B Network EXPO, the Columbus Chamber's support for Issues 1 and 2, the new Green Council, and more.
Marriott hotel could be New Albany's first
This Week Community Newspapers
4/6/2010
Marriot Courtyard hoping to build New Albany's first hotel.
Genoa Township is Reaching Out to Businesses
4/2/2010
Columbus Chamber Supports State Issues 1 and 2
Columbus Chamber Press Release
3/30/2010
The Columbus Chamber announced that it supports State Issues 1 and 2. The issues will appear on the May 4 primary election ballot
NBC4 Report: Logistics Industry of the Future
NBC4 Columbus Video
3/26/2010
This video features the March 26 Logistics Job Fair. Click the arrow to play.
Columbus Region Logistics Council Member Update
March 2010 Newsletter
3/23/2010
The March 2010 issue of the CRLC Member Newsletter features information on the Council's strategy.
Delta Adds Direct Flight from Port Columbus to L.A.
Business First
3/19/2010
Delta Air Lines Inc. this week rolled out additional flights for its summer travel season that includes a new nonstop trip to Los Angeles from Port Columbus International Airport.
Google to Test Ultra High-Speed Internet Access – Nominate Columbus as Test City
via TechColumbus
3/19/2010
Google has announced a call for applications for cities who would like to be considered as a test site for a new ultra high-speed broadband network the company is planning to build and test. The network will deliver Internet speeds of more than 100 times faster than what most Americans experience. Through fiber-to-the-home connections Google plans to deliver Internet at speeds over 1 gigabit per second. Google will select one or more trial locations across the nation as test sites. Residents of Central Ohio are encouraged to go online and nominate Columbus as one of the test cities.
Columbus a Top Place in Midwest for Young Adults
Columbus Business First
3/16/2010
Columbus can count itself as a top 25 city for young Americans. Columbus and Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked highest in the Midwest in this report by BizJournals.
Columbus Housing Market: Ripe for Recovery (video)
The Today Show
3/16/2010
The Today Show features 5 housing markets that are "ripe for recovery." Columbus makes the list with an honorable mention.
Marysville named one of the most affordable suburbs in America
Bloomberg Business Week
3/4/2010
Marysville has been named one of the most affordable suburbs in America by Bloomberg Business Week.
The city of Marysville, in Union County, has six elementary schools, one intermediate school, one middle school, and one high school. It is served by Memorial Hospital and Union Country Airport and is a 35-minute drive from Port Columbus International Airport. Marysville has a public pool and more than 300 acres of parkland that includes a nature trail for walking and biking, a Frisbee golf course, and a skateboard park.
Ohio Wins Site Selection Magazine's Governor's Cup Award for 2009
Site Selection Magazine
3/3/2010
Ohio has won the 2009 Site Selection Governor’s Cup, which the 56-year-old Atlanta-based magazine has awarded annually since 1978 to the U.S. state with the most new and expanded corporate facilities as tracked by Conway Data Inc.’s New Plant Database. Conway Data publishes Site Selection, the oldest publication in the corporate real estate and economic development field, and the official publication of the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC, at www.iamc.org). Site Selection’s yearly analyses are regarded by corporate real estate analysts as “the industry scoreboard.” The magazine’s circulation base consists of 44,000 executives involved in corporate site selection decisions, most at the CEO/President/COO level.
Ohio claims the 2009 Governor’s Cup with 381 projects, after claiming the 2008 Cup with 503 projects. This is Ohio’s fourth consecutive Governor’s Cup and its fifth in seven years. Texas came in second this year with 374 projects, followed by Michigan (371), Pennsylvania (333) and Tennessee (234).
Member Connection - Monthly Newsletter
3/2/2010
Welcome to the March 2010 issue of the Member Connection, the monthly newsletter for Columbus Chamber members. Our newsletter delivers the latest updates and information on how to make your Chamber membership work for you.
Columbus: America's Top Wired Cities - #18
Forbes
3/2/2010
The Ohio capital is home to the Ohio Supercomputer Center and has made the Forbes' list all four years. Up from #29 last year.
The Shape of Things to Come
CFO Magazine
3/1/2010
The Columbus Chamber's Dr. Bill LaFayette shares his thoughts on the economic recovery in this national publication. He is profiled as one of eight leading economists in the country. “This is not the time to bar the doors and hide under the bed. Hunker down and you can miss the recovery. It's happening, and it's not a bubble. This is real growth tied to fundamental factors.”
How I dreamed big in Ohio
Wall Street Journal
2/26/2010
This "fast fix" features Columbus' Minimally Invasive Devices, Inc., a company that develops devices that assist doctors during laparoscopic surgery.
Economic Future Topic of Columbus Chamber Annual Meeting
Columbus Chamber Press Release
2/24/2010
More than 1,100 business and community leaders attended the Columbus Chamber’s Annual Meeting, held today in the new Battelle Grand at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The event focused on economic development plans for the Columbus region, including a vision for 2020 and the Chamber’s ongoing commitment to retain and expand existing businesses in central Ohio.
New study shows chamber of commerce members offer safer bet when it comes to business credit risk
American Chamber of Commerce Executives Press Release
2/22/2010
According to the study, produced by Coretera, chamber of commerce members possess an average credit score of 629, compared to a 557 average score for businesses at large. Such scores – the payment behavior from which they are derived -- play a significant role in attracting lines of credit and securing favorable terms from lenders and suppliers.
America's Best Housing Markets
Forbes
2/22/2010
Columbus comes in #6. Job-rich suburbs surround the city and 87% of middle-income families can afford a home. That combination creates significant pull for homebuyers.
OhioHealth Ranked Among Top 100 Places to Work
Fortune Magazine
2/17/2010
For the fourth consecutive year, Columbus-based OhioHealth ranks among the top 100 places to work in America by FORTUNE Magazine. OhioHealth ranks #46 in 2010. It is the highest ranked employer in the state of Ohio, and one of only four heathcare organizations in the top 50.
Job-training grants target high-growth fields
Columbus Dispatch
2/13/2010
Columbus State Community College and a local nonprofit group will receive about $5 million each in federal stimulus money to retrain more than 1,000 Ohioans in fast-growing fields.
Delaware County - Forbes #2 Best Places to Get Ahead
Forbes
2/4/2010
With three-year income growth of 11% between 2007 and 2009, Delaware County is one of 10 places Forbes found best for professionals to get ahead.
Paines' companies go green in Gahanna building
This Week Community News
2/3/2010
When Gary and Janet Paine decided to build a 15,200-square-foot facility to house their two companies in Gahanna, they added several environment-friendly features to benefit employees and help save energy. Gary Paine's business -- Pilot Freight Services -- is a franchise that transports products from one business to another and from businesses to individuals. Pilot is a Columbus Chamber member and part of the Columbus Region Logistics Council
February Member News
Columbus Chamber Monthly Newsletter
2/2/2010
Arena issue at heart of Jackets fan group
Columbus Dispatch
1/28/2010
A new fan group is working to build community support for fixing the Blue Jackets' financial troubles, which officials have said could endanger the team's future in the Arena District.
Dublin, Ohio Named One of Top Seven International Intelligent Communities
City of Dublin Press Release
1/20/2010
The City of Dublin joins communities from Scotland, Estonia and South Korea – and is one of only two from the U.S. – to be named a Top Seven Intelligent Community in a New York-based think tank’s annual list of smart cities from around the globe.
2010 Arnold Sports Festival
Notification
1/19/2010
DuPont Completes $295 Million Expansion for Photovoltaic Market
1/18/2010
Dupont announces an additional $175M investment in Circleville, increasing their total expansion investment to $295M.
Grandview Yard Financing Secured for First Phase Infrastructure
1/13/2010
Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority issues $12M in tax-exempt bonds to secure infrastrucutre financing for Grandview Yard development.
Columbus Economy Expected to Resume Growth in 2010
1/6/2010
Media contact information:
Michelle Bretscher
Columbus Chamber
150 South Front Street, Suite 200
Columbus, Ohio 43215
office: 614.225.6908
michelle_bretscher@columbus.org
Susan Merryman, APR
Columbus Chamber
150 South Front Street, Suite 200
Columbus, Ohio 43215
office: 614.225.6941 | fax: 614.225.6941
mobile: 614.571.4322
susan_merryman@columbus.org
