Leadership

OMA Members Spotlighted as Reshoring Champions

OMA members Abbott, American Nitrile, Honda, and Intel — as well as other Ohio manufacturers — are spotlighted for their reshoring efforts in an April 9 story published by The Columbus Dispatch.

As high-profile manufacturing projects draw national attention to Ohio, automation is playing a major role in growing the sector’s productivity and competitiveness, OMA President Ryan Augsburger told the publication. 4/10/2023

Construction Activity Boosts U.S. Manufacturing Outlook

The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. manufacturing-related construction spending in 2022 soared to $108 billion — the highest annual total on record, and more than was spent to build schools, health care centers, or office buildings. The article, which can be read here, attributes much of the activity to automation advances, new supply chain strategies, and federal incentives. 4/11/2023

Economic Outlook Seminar in Columbus, April 27

At 3 p.m. Thursday, April 27, OMA Connections Partner GBQ Partners will host an in-person economic outlook seminar in Columbus. This complimentary event will examine trends shaping Ohio’s and the nation’s economic and policy landscapes. Learn more and register. 4/14/2023

Ranked: Top 5 Supply Chain Issues

As supply chains continue to challenge manufacturers, OMA Connections Partner Plante Moran has published this list of the top five issues that persist. The article also highlights solutions your business can implement. 4/10/2023

More Insight Into CHIPS Act Funding

The U.S. Department of Commerce recently published its proposed rule on implementation of the federal CHIPS Act. For companies considering applying for CHIPS Act funding, OMA Connections Partner Jones Day has published this analysis. Meanwhile, the department is soliciting public comments until May 22. 4/14/2023

Ohio Manufacturing GDP Sets Another Record: $133.6B

Ohio manufacturing’s annual economic output hit a record $133.58 billion in Q4 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The seasonally adjusted data show the state’s annual manufacturing GDP grew more than $43 billion from a decade earlier. As of February, Ohio reported 685,000 manufacturing jobs. 4/4/2023

Proposed Grant Would Boost Ohio Manufacturing Equipment, Competitiveness

In addition to advocating for the historic $684 million workforce investment proposed in the governor’s two-year state budget plan, the OMA is also calling for the creation of a new statewide manufacturing equipment grant.

As proposed by the OMA, the Smart Technologies Assistance Program (STAP) would establish competitive grants that would be available to Ohio’s small and medium-sized manufacturers. These grants would help businesses modernize production while boosting the competitiveness of Ohio’s top industry. Read more. 4/3/2023

Governor Signs Transportation Budget

Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 23, the state’s two-year transportation budget, on March 31 without any line-item vetoes. The new budget, which takes effect July 1, directs how the state will spend approximately $13.5 billion in state and federal revenue on transportation-related projects. Gongwer News Service published this wrap-up report on the budget’s key provisions. 4/3/2023

Study: Ohio Is an Economic Development Leader (Again)

Site Section has published the results of its annual Governor’s Cup contest for economic development. Ohio captured third place with 479 projects in 2022, down slightly from 507 in 2021. Only Texas and Illinois had more. On a per-capita basis, Ohio also came in third, behind Kansas and Kentucky.

More than half of Ohio’s new economic development projects are traditionally tied to manufacturing. 4/5/2023

Ohio Cities ‘Dominate’ Site Selection Study

In its annual comparison of economic development projects by state, Site Selection reports that Ohio dominated its 2022 “micropolitan” ranking. Thanks in large part to manufacturing investment, there were 22 Ohio communities on the magazine’s list of top micropolitans (urban areas with fewer than 50,000 residents). Findlay captured the top spot for the ninth consecutive year.

In separate rankings for larger cities, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton-Kettering, Lima, and Springfield all made the top 10 of their respective metro categories. 4/5/2023