Monthly Economic Update | March 2015

MONTHLY
ECONOMIC
UPDATE
MARCH 2015
columbusregion.com 614-225-6063

Jobs: 37 created
Investment:
Facilities: Manufacturing
1
$50 million
COLUMBUS 2020 MONTHLY UPDATE | MARCH 2015
PROJECTS MARCH 2015 AND YEAR-TO-DATE
FIRST-TIME VISITS (2014 vs. 2015)NUMBER OF PROJECTS STARTED
(2014 vs. 2015)
PERCENT OF PROJECTS STARTED - MANAGED
BY COLUMBUS 2020 (2014 vs. 2015)
CASE STUDY: HIRSCHVOGEL AUTOMOTIVE
GROUP
85%
79%
70%
77%
50%
83% 68%
67%
79%
80%
77%
80%
94%
89%89%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2014 2015
2
5
6
5
4 4
1
7
6
3
5
44 4
5
0
4
8
12
2014 2015
20
24
20
30
22
24
19
12 14
20
30
10
18 18
27
0
10
20
30
40
2014 2015
Hirschvogel Automotive Group, headquartered in Germany
and among the world's largest automotive suppliers in the
area of steel and aluminum forging and machining, is
expanding its U.S. presence in the Columbus Region. The
company will invest more than $50 million toward the
purchase of new machinery and equipment and expansion
of its existing Columbus facility. The company will add 37
new manufacturing and machining jobs to its current 322-
employee workforce over the next three years.
Columbus 2020 and JobsOhio was a major factor in our
decision to continue to invest in the Columbus Region with
CEO, Hirschvogel Automotive Group.
**Balance of started projects sourced/managed by JobsOhio

2
ATTRACTION PROJECTS:
PROJECTS BY SOURCE
DOMESTIC/INTERNATIONAL
PROJECTS BY SECTOR
ACTIVE PROJECTS AS OF MARCH 31, 2015
TOTAL ACTIVE PROJECTS
(141 PROJECTS)
EXPANSION PROJECTS:
PROJECTS BY SOURCE
EXPANSION PROJECTS:
PROJECTS BY SECTOR
EXPANSION PROJECTS:
DOMESTIC/INTERNATIONAL
SUSPECTS AND PROSPECTS
49 51
0
20
40
60
80
100
Suspect Prospect
Suspects = Projects identified and
qualified via direct dialogue with the
company or consultant representing the
company.
Prospects = Projects qualified,
parameters defined and the company or
consultant has visited the Region.
71%
29%
New Existing
77%
9%
14%
Columbus 2020
Local ED partners
JobsOhio
56%34%
10%
Columbus 2020
Local ED partners
JobsOhio
14
2
22
3
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
43
19
26
12
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
47%53%
Domestic International
93%
7%
Domestic International

BUSINESS ATTRACTION | DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
MARCH 2015 COMPLETED ACTIVITIES
APRIL 2015 PLANNED ACTIVITIES
Columbus
Los Angeles
IAMC Spring 2015 Professional Forum
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MISSIONS:
New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Detroit, Los Angeles
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Toronto, UK, Italy, Germany
3
Chicago: The Columbus 2020 team attended the Forbes
Reinventing America Summit to learn about leading strategies for
the future of American industrial innovation and economic growth.
Japan: The Columbus 2020 team conducted an international
mission to Japan, holding meetings with companies about U.S.
investment opportunites.
Washington, D.C.: The Columbus 2020 team attended the
SelectUSA Investment Summit to hold meetings with companies as
well as attend the IEDC Federal Economic Development Forum.
Greenville: The Columbus 2020 team attended the Secrets of Site
Selection conference to network with economic development
professionals and learn about the latest site selection trends.

March 2015 Performance:
10 visits in March (48 YTD)
Visits conducted by:
CASE STUDY: THELAB
Jobs: 10 created
Facilities: Office
4
BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION | MARCH 2015
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT VISITS CONDUCTED BY SECTOR
theLab, a creative production agency founded in 2002 and
headquartered in New York City, has opened a new office
location in the Columbus Region. The company is leasing
5,500 square feet in Grandview Heights and plans to hire
ten to 15 employees over the next 18 months. The
Columbus office will serve as point of contact for the
According to CEO David Bridges, theLab considered
expansion in Chicago and Columbus to be near existing
clients and ultimately selected Columbus because of
market opportunity and the number of corporate
businesses located in the Columbus Region.
30%
50%
20% Columbus 2020
only
Local ED
partner only
Both Columbus
2020 and LEDO
3
2
1
4
0
2
4
6
Columbus Dublin Rest of
Franklin
County
Marion
County
2
5
3
0
3
6
9

Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
CASE STUDY: VELVET ICE CREAM
Jobs: 6 created
Investment:
Facilities: Headquarters, Distribution
5
Source: Ohio Secretary of State
*Note: Registrations are only an indicator of business formation and do not represent actual new businesses. For example, a registration may be filed to
reserve a business name or for other reasons in advance of a potential business. Dissolutions, surrenders and withdrawals do not include mergers,
consolidations, reinstatements and other changes that may lead to a loss of a business. In addition, not all businesses that close make a filing.
BUSINESS CREATION
BUSINESS DISSOLUTIONS,
SURRENDERS, WITHDRAWALS
PATENTS BY REGION INVENTORS
& ASSIGNEES
NEW BUSINESS REGISTRATION*
$2.5 million
Velvet Ice Cream, a 100-year-old privately owned ice cream
manufacturer based in Utica is expanding operations in the
Columbus Region. The company continues to expand existing
business relationships resulting in the need for a larger
refrigerated warehouse. Velvet is investing $2.5 million in the
new facility and creating six new jobs.
1,027
1,205 1,173 1,170
500
750
1000
1250
1500
Nov Dec Jan Feb
176
315
296
167
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Nov Dec Jan Feb
80
26
73
24
41
21
48
13
Inventor Assignee
November December January February

6
POLICY & ADVOCACYIN THE NEWS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEWS
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
Columbus Region ranked a top 10 metro
Moving up one spot from its ranking in 2014, the Columbus
Region has been recognized as No. 7 on Site Selection
expanded facilities in 2014. Ohio repeated for the third time
its second-place finish in the Governors Cup, with 582
projects, and again, took the No. 2 spot in the per capita
ranking.
http://bit.ly/1NWiCXP
Ohio has record export year in 2014
Ohio companies exported $52.1 billion in goods during 2014
setting a record for the state. Ohio ranks No. 9 in the U.S.
include Canada, Mexico and China.
http://bit.ly/1aeh2Dp
Columbus No. 13 large metro area for job creation
In a recent Gallup report analyzing the 50 largest metros,
Columbus ranked No. 13 with a Job Creation Index score of
33 based on respondents who say their employer is hiring
and expanding the size of its workforce minus the
percentage who say their employer is reducing the size of
its workforce.
http://bit.ly/1GZdeAG
For all of the latest news, visit:
http://columbusregion.com/Media-center/Recent-
News.aspx
Development Services Agency increasing funds
for export promotion
The Development Services Agency (DSA) is
increasing its export promotion funds by $115,000
to assist Ohio small businesses interested in
increasing export activity. DSA works with seven
contract companies throughout the globe that
cover 35 countries and handle marketing and
export promotion for Ohio companies. Each office
typically receives $45,000 annually, but the
growing offices in the United Kingdom, Asia and
Mexico City will receive additional funds to help
Ohio companies market themselves and connect
with trade partners.
For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/1OiPaxd
Air cargo numbers spike at Rickenbacker Airport
Air cargo was up over 65 percent from February of
last year with a total of 17.1 million pounds of air
cargo moved through Rickenbacker Airport during
February. The spike in volume was primarily due to
labor disputes at West Coast ports which caused
companies to transport more goods by air.
Passenger travel was also up nearly 35 percent from
a year ago due to expanded flight offerings from
Allegiant Air out of Rickenbacker Airport.
For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/1z1PuYh

11-County Columbus Region = 4.3%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, seasonally adjusted
Source: Xceligent Source: Columbus REALTORS
7
$3.38
$10.24
Industrial
Retail
5.4%
9.2%
Source: Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Direct
Asking Rent
(per sf)
Vacancy
Rate
Use
Office 13.7%
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
(AS OF MARCH 31ST)
HOUSING SALES
$16.19
NUMBER OF WEEKLY UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS
(WEEK ENDING 1/03/15 TO WEEK ENDING 4/4/15)
REGIONAL ECONOMIC DATA
NUMBER EMPLOYED AND UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
(FEBRUARY 2015)
6.1% (-1.0)
Marion
26,342 (+119)
4.0% (-1.7)
Knox
30,594 (+2,131)
Unemployment
rate
(February 2015)
Number
employed
residents
(February 2015)
Change from
February 2014 to
February 2015
3.7% (-0.5)
Delaware
96,371 (+5,289)
4.3% (-1.4)
Fairfield
72,542 (+1,929)
4.3% (-1.3)
Franklin
623,852 (+25,657)
4.2% (-1.4)
Licking
84,420 (+4,712)
4.3% (-1.5)
Madison
19,905 (+1,238)
4.8% (-1.3)
Morrow
16,390 (+97)
4.4% (-2.3)
Pickaway
24,785 (+1,987)
4.0% (-0.7)
Union
26,358(+775)
4.5% (-0.8)
Logan
22,442 (+105)
-300
100
500
900
1,300
1,700
2,100
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
1/3
1/10
1/17
1/24
1/31
2/7
2/14
2/21
2/28
3/7
3/14
3/21
3/28
4/4
Continuing New
2,309 2,280
1,468
$164K
2,365
2,564
1,453
$181K
New
Listings
In
Contracts
Closed
Sales
Average
Sales Price
February 2014 February 2015

Monthly Economic Update | March 2015

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