JobsOhio to Send Delegation to the SelectUSA Investment Summit to Attract Foreign Investment and Jobs to Ohio

COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwired - Jun 13, 2016) - Ohio is a global investment destination with more than 1,000 foreign companies from 47 countries doing business in Ohio. In an effort to grow that number, representatives from JobsOhio will attend the SelectUSA Investment Summit later this month, continuing the organization's ongoing efforts to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ohio.

SelectUSA, a program within the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration, promotes and facilitates FDI in the United States. The Investment Summit, which will be held June 19 through 21 in Washington, D.C., showcases the United States as the world's premier business location and brings together economic development organizations from across the country with companies from all over the world that have a serious interest in U.S. investment. More than 2,000 attendees from 65 nations are expected to attend this year's summit.

International establishments employ 215,560 people in Ohio, and the JobsOhio team wants to see that number grow.

"SelectUSA is a great partner," said Andrew Lange, director of international sales for JobsOhio. "It's designed to complement economic activities led by the states, including Ohio. SelectUSA's Investment Summit continues to grow each year, and we look forward to making connections with global investors and share with them the benefits of doing business in Ohio."

JobsOhio will have one of the largest booths at the summit, sharing it with representatives from its six regional economic development partners that comprise the JobsOhio Regional Network. They'll all plug the same message: Ohio is a great place to invest.

"JobsOhio offers a unique economic development model. As a private, nonprofit company, we offer business experts from a wide array of industries, with experience starting and running companies, both here in the U.S. and overseas," said Lange. "Ohio also offers diverse cities, cultures and industries positioning Ohio to attract even more foreign direct investment to our state."

During last year's Investment Summit, JobsOhio staffers scheduled 150 meetings with potential investors. They hope to have even more this year.

"These meetings are so important to us," Lange said. "They help us establish relationships that can lead to investment in our state."

In the past year JobsOhio staffers made 40 trips to 12 countries, many resulting from leads from the 2015 Investment Summit. That event served as the catalyst for the relationship between JobsOhio and the Sofidel Group, an integrated paper manufacturer based in Italy. JobsOhio representatives visited the company's facility in Italy after the Investment Summit and, within a few months, the Sofidel Group announced plans to build its first U.S. greenfield site in Circleville, creating 310 jobs for that region. 

Ohio, with the 7^th largest population in the country, has an abundant talent pool; a stable and competitive business climate; a thriving and diverse economy; reliable and low-cost energy; and the logistics infrastructure to facilitate access to supply chains and American markets.

To learn more about FDI in Ohio, visit www.jobs-ohio.com/international/.

About JobsOhio
JobsOhio is a private, nonprofit corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion efforts. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth, Columbus 2020, Dayton Development Coalition, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobs-ohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.