
Positioned to drive the future of the auto industry.
Industries
Automobiles are evolving … and we’re equipped to support the shift.
Located at the center of the U.S. and Canadian automotive industries, with strength in tires, trailers, offroad, motor sports, auto electronics, and energy storage, the Northeast Ohio Region is a smart choice for automotive companies – particularly companies pivoting to electrification.
Twenty-six thousand automotive workers, a superior infrastructure, and an end-to-end supply chain bolster the region’s automotive businesses – and 24 existing OEM facilities prove Northeast Ohio’s strength in the industry. Multimillion-dollar workforce training initiatives in areas like robotics, IT, and smart manufacturing demonstrate our commitment to the future.
Team NEO, Northeast Ohio’s economic development partner, is part of an engaged community of manufacturers, organizations, and institutions focused on the future of the industry. Team NEO helps bring manufacturing innovation to life with cluster groups that leverage our region’s unique assets and strengths. Focused on smart manufacturing and additive manufacturing, these clusters connect companies, and academic and research institutions, with opportunities to collaborate around new technologies that build on the region’s industrial, organizational and workforce strengths.
Download our resource guide and learn more about the Automotive industry within the Northeast Ohio Region.
The Northeast Ohio Region drives automotive business success.
Automotive and components manufacturers have significant opportunity for growth in Northeast Ohio.
#2 State in U.S.
Ohio is the #2 state for automotive manufacturing
26,000+
26,000+ auto workers
205 Programs
205 educational programs that lead to automotive industry jobs
1 million +
1 million-plus automobiles delivered annually from the Northeast Ohio Region

Success story: Ultium Cells LLC
In recent years, General Motors (GM) decided to restructure its business model to focus on its most profitable operations, including furthering its investment in electric vehicles (EVs). Meanwhile, LG Chem, Korea’s largest diversified chemical company, was considering establishing a U.S. battery cell manufacturing plant. Their shared interest in the EV space brought the two companies together to consider a joint venture (JV) to mass-produce lithium-ion batteries for EVs.
Knowing the state’s strengths in automotive, the JV team reached out to Ohio as a potential location for their JV. Within months, a coordinated team, including state, regional and local officials, presented options and data, including a viable site, financial incentives, a cost analysis related to taxes and labor, and the overall cost of doing business in Ohio.
In December 2019, GM and LG Chem announced the creation of their 50/50 JV, Ultium Cells LLC, to mass produce batteries for future EVs. The business is scheduled to open in August 2022 in Lordstown, Ohio, creating 1,000 jobs.
Ultium Cells will be an integral part of GM’s ambitious plans to develop 20 EV models by 2023, and it represents an investment of up to $2.3 billion through the new, equally owned JV. At the completion of the project, this facility will be one of the largest cell manufacturing plants in the world.
As the world transitions from internal combustion engines to EVs, battery technology and production will be the new backbone of the automotive industry. The Ultium Cells investment helps strengthen the automotive industry in the Northeast Ohio Region and support its growing EV-based cluster.
Top 10 Automotive Employers in Northeast Ohio
Company | Employed in Industry |
---|---|
Ford Motor Co. | 3,490 |
Ganley Auto Group | 2,201 |
Schaeffler Group USA Inc. | 1,700 |
General Motors Co. | 1,083 |
Mac Manufacturing | 700 |
Newman Technology | 700 |
Stoneridge Inc. | 550 |
East Manufacturing Corp. | 435 |
Artiflex Manufacturing, LLC | 428 |
Faurecia Emissions Control Systems NA, LLC | 400 |
Top 10 Automotive Occupations in Northeast Ohio
Occupation | Employed in Industry |
---|---|
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 5,859 |
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 1,106 |
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | 1,104 |
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 977 |
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 823 |
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 795 |
Machinists | 640 |
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 630 |
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 553 |
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 519 |

Mindy McLaughlin
Managing Director, Global Business Development, Team NEO