2025 is already shaping up to be one of our busiest years for business attraction, with more than 60 companies considering capital investment and new job creation in Northeast Ohio through mid-year. Many of these companies are new to Ohio, signaling fresh interest in the region. But the story is about more than volume — it’s about how company requirements are shifting, and what those shifts mean for our competitiveness. These insights come from our annual Developing Opportunities1 analysis.
Mid-Year Snapshot (Q2 2024 – Q2 2025)
- 70%+ of requests for existing buildings, especially single-tenant, stand-alone facilities with a preference to purchase
- 60+ site searches through mid-year — on pace to surpass prior years
- Site sizes trending larger: median 75 acres (vs. 40 in 2024)
- Building sizes trending smaller: median 85K SF (vs. 110K in 2024)
Interestingly, for the first time in 5+ years, both ceiling heights (now averaging 25 ft vs. 30 ft in 2024) and rail-required projects ticked down. The question is whether these are emerging long-term trends — or temporary market realities as companies moved quickly to secure U.S. options.
So far in 2025, 53% of opportunities have come from global companies. This rebound aligns with ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and the push for diversified supply chains, as many firms seek a stronger U.S. foothold. Northeast Ohio is increasingly part of that conversation.
We’re also seeing more projects flagging the need for Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) access, particularly in advanced manufacturing. For global producers, FTZs are becoming a differentiator alongside port and airport proximity.
Cluster Trends
- Advanced Manufacturing: Surging — Federal trade policy seems to be a major factor in RFI activity. As federal incentives sunset, the outlook for reshoring and domestic supply chain investment is uncertain.
- Automotive: Demand is shifting from large OEM/EV plants to supplier-driven projects, reflecting slower EV adoption and supply chain diversification.
- Healthcare: Spiking — more leads in 2025 than the past three years combined, including large pharma and medical device manufacturing.
- Food & Agriculture: Steady, with unique infrastructure needs and speed-to-market pressures.
- Aerospace & Defense: Lower volume but high impact — both 2025 projects sourced directly by Team NEO.
- Polymers & Chemicals: Steady growth, with consistent year-over-year investment interest and activity.
The data is clear — but the why behind it is where we’re focusing next.
- Policy impacts: Did election cycles, new leadership, or policy shifts truly drive more projects — or just more “looks” that may not convert?
- Shifting preferences: Are smaller, single-tenant buildings and lower ceilings a long-term trend, or just urgency-driven flexibility as companies rushed to secure U.S. options or current market realities?
- Healthcare surge: Why the spike? How are health and federal policies affecting these projects?
- Inventory gap: Few modern smaller stand-alone buildings exist in NEO. What are the cost and risk dynamic of building this size on spec?
We’ll be unpacking these trends further — and highlighting how they connect to Northeast Ohio’s Right to Win — when we share the full Developing Opportunities 2025: By the Numbers analysis at our November 20th event.
Sponsorship Opportunities Available – Please view the Sponsorship Guide PDF and contact Connor Stease (cstease@teamneo.org) to learn more.
For Event Details & Registration please visit the event’s page.
View the Report
- Developing Opportunities is Team NEO’s annual analysis of site selection activity in Northeast Ohio. The report tracks company requirements, industry trends, and market shifts to help the region anticipate demand, strengthen site readiness, and position itself for business growth. ↩︎