Team NEO’s ongoing engagement with our economic development partners, government agencies, businesses and communities is critical in the face of pandemic-related challenges. As one of only six network partners for JobsOhio, we connect companies across the 18 counties of the Northeast Ohio Region to state resources for job creation and retention, regional investments, and business growth.
– J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio President and CEO
The Sherwin-Williams Company and Lordstown Motors Corp. Make Commitments to Expand
In 2020, through collaborative efforts with economic development partners, companies headquartered in the Northeast Ohio Region continued to grow and thrive here. They represent companies of all sizes, both new and established, across a wide range of industries.
In 2020, Team NEO released the fourth edition of Aligning Opportunities, in partnership with Delta Dental and with the generous support of The Sherwin-Williams Company and Alliance Solutions Group. The report, which explores the talent supply/demand gap for entry-level jobs in Northeast Ohio, was released in September and is now being utilized by job training programs and higher education institutions like Baldwin Wallace University, the University of Akron, College Now Greater Cleveland, Cuyahoga Community College and Lorain County Community College to develop, enhance or modify their offerings — and plan for the future.
Team NEO introduced Misaligned Opportunities, a report that examines racial equity as it relates to labor force opportunities, to inform conversations and influence solutions that we as a region can implement to effect positive change. While it is early to realize the full impact of this data, new communication lines are open and we’re exploring opportunities with organizations such as Urban League of Greater Cleveland.
For strategic solutions to better prepare the emerging workforce for the Northeast Ohio Region’s in-demand jobs, Team NEO formed the Talent Development Council (TDC), comprised of educational and industry-leading professionals. This collaboration is bringing new programs — such as the Youngstown State University/IBM IT Workforce Accelerator apprentice training program — to life.
In 2021, the Talent Development Council will continue to focus on regional talent alignment opportunities through the development of a shared data framework to better understand regional talent pipelines. This shared data framework will allow us to better understand both the current pipeline of talent related to in-demand jobs, as well as the capacity for regional institutions and sector partnership to build deeper pipelines. It is our hope that a broader collective dashboard, representative of what each partner is committed to moving forward related to talent, can be a starting point for addressing a more comprehensive view of the need for in-demand jobs.
In 2020, Team NEO, in partnership with Delta Dental, made significant efforts to connect with the emerging talent audience of 6th grade through undecided college students.
A dynamic inventory of readily available sites is necessary to attract new business to the region. In collaboration with Team NEO’s RightSites Council, we identified and reviewed 43 of the most competitive sites in the Northeast Ohio Region and launched a landing page.
To inform the marketplace about how sites can be efficiently developed, we partnered with a local engineering firm to develop conceptual site plans for 10 sites.
In partnership with community stakeholders, Team NEO leveraged JobsOhio programs as part of our coordinated strategy to improve the Northeast Ohio Region’s site inventory:
The Vibrant Community and Pre-Project Planning Programs support catalytic real estate development projects and provide technical assistance to prepare for future development. Team NEO supported and helped generate 18 Vibrant Community applications across 13 counties, and eight Pre-Project Planning applications across five counties.
To accelerate the pace of job growth, Team NEO markets the entire 18-county Northeast Ohio Region, drawing on its collective might. Team NEO quickly pivoted its marketing strategy at the onset of the pandemic to focus on businesses’ changing needs, as well as anticipated opportunities in the wake of the pandemic.
Team NEO also formed a Marketing Advisory Council (MAC) to guide the development and implementation of important initiatives. In 2021, the MAC will refresh Northeast Ohio’s economic development brand, rally regional stakeholders and influencers to support our collective promotional strategies, and drive performance, equity and accountability in this region’s marketing outcomes.
In 2020, as Ohio’s economy began to restart, Team NEO launched a multifaceted media campaign to demonstrate how our creative and informed solutions, based on research insights, talent and site expertise, as well as regional and state-level connections, can support organizations to meet the needs of our region’s “Next Normal.
Team NEO is a private, nonprofit economic development organization accelerating business growth and job creation throughout the 18 counties of the Northeast Ohio Region. As the designated JobsOhio Network Partner, we align and amplify local economic development efforts in the region’s 18-counties; we conduct research and data analysis to inform local conversations and influence solutions; we market the Northeast Ohio Region; and we work to increase access to jobs, education and training for the region’s 4.3 million people. We do this to build a more vibrant regional economy — one that is more talented, equitable, competitive, innovative, resilient and prosperous. For more information, visit teamneo.org.
Whether you have questions or concerns about your business, or would like to be connected with helpful resources, Team NEO can help. Visit teamneo.org or talk to us at 216-363-5400.
Bill Koehler
CEO, Team NEO
Dr. Jodi Berg
President and CEO, Vitamix
Board Chairwoman, Team NEO
Dr. Jodi Berg – President and CEO, Vitamix
The COVID-19 crisis stunned our country and our communities. As many struggled to deal with the pandemic’s early ramifications, Team NEO took action: we engaged with business leaders to identify pain points and immediate challenges, we developed solutions and strategies to continue moving forward, and, as the JobsOhio Network Partner for the Northeast Ohio Region, we leveraged our partnership to communicate local and regional needs to the state.
This early and ongoing intervention was critical. Despite significant challenges, the Northeast Ohio Region finished 2020 with the highest number of new jobs created in a single year since we started tracking regional economic indicators. This was due to continuous collaboration between Team NEO, JobsOhio, local partners and businesses.
In addition to job creation, new payroll and new capital investment, we achieved success in each of our five strategies, which focus on improving our regional competitiveness and encouraging more business investment in the Northeast Ohio Region:
Strengthen a Better Coordinated Regional Network
Advance Technology Adoption
Address the Talent Supply / Demand Gap
Grow a Pipeline of Competitive Sites
Promote the Region and Network Performance
There will be opportunity as we emerge from today’s crises. We look forward to collaborating with our partners – and to what we will collectively achieve – in 2021 and beyond. Together, we will make our region more talented, equitable, innovative, resilient and prosperous. Together, we will build a vibrant economy.
Sincerely,
Bill Koehler
Jodi Berg
The Sherwin-Williams Company, the iconic brand that has been part of Northeast Ohio for 155 years, reaffirmed its commitment to the region, announcing that its world headquarters will remain in Cleveland, with plans to build a new global headquarters in downtown Cleveland and a new global R&D center in Brecksville. Combined, the two facilities will house more than 3,500 employees with room to accommodate significant future growth. The company plans to add a minimum of 400 jobs at the facilities over time. In addition, the project will spur thousands of additional construction jobs.
Lordstown Motors Corp. (LMC) committed to produce the Lordstown Endurance, the world’s first full-size, all-electric pickup truck in the Mahoning Valley. In 2020, LMC received Ohio Tax Credit Authority approval to support the hub motor and battery line. This line alone is expected to bring 1,570 high-tech jobs to the Mahoning Valley and surrounding communities. A cross-organizational team including the Ohio Development Services Agency, JobsOhio, Team NEO, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, the village of Lordstown and Youngstown State University, plus state and regional representatives, worked with LMC to help bring the project to fruition.
To further enhance the Northeast Ohio Region’s industrial legacy and commitment to advanced manufacturing transformation, Nottingham Spirk, in partnership with Ernst & Young, announced it will create a 60,000-square-foot EY-Nottingham Spirk innovation center at its current facility in Cleveland’s University Circle area. The project is being assisted by a $1.5 million JobsOhio Research and Development Center Grant.
The Innovation Hub will guide manufacturing leaders along the journey to the next generation of technology through hands-on physical and virtual experiences utilizing Industry 4.0, which employs the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) connected technology.
Nottingham Spirk and Ernst & Young worked closely with JobsOhio and Team NEO to bring the project and $3.9 million investment to the University Circle area.
The partnership that will establish the EY-Nottingham Spirk Innovation Hub combines Nottingham Spirk’s Vertical Innovation™ disciplines with EY business model, digital, manufacturing and EY wavespace™ offerings. Opening of the facility is planned for spring 2021.
To reach this audience in the midst of social distancing constraints, we launched an emerging talent web page with videos featuring the Northeast Ohio Region’s young professionals talking about in-demand jobs. The Sherwin-Williams Company, GE Lighting, Cleveland Clinic, MCPc, The Technology House, Vitamix, Swagelok, Metro Health, IBM, and more, showcased employees for this effort.
In partnership with Rhodes High School, Team NEO also produced “Connect Your Passions to Career Opportunities,” a video demonstrating how your passions can lead to an in-demand career. This online content allows educators and career counselors working in a virtual environment to utilize Team NEO’s talent supply/demand data to inform conversations with students.
In 2020, as Ohio’s economy began to restart, Team NEO launched a multifaceted media campaign to demonstrate how our creative and informed solutions, based on research insights, talent and site expertise, as well as regional and state-level connections, can support organizations to meet the needs of our region’s “Next Normal.”
The Next Normal campaign leveraged local television, print, digital and social advertising with a clear message: There will be opportunities in the wake of COVID-19, and Team NEO will be there to ensure we’re working together to maximize the region’s — and each individual company’s — potential.