Recent Development Activity Exemplifies Why NEO is a Great Place to Do Business
With a $229 billion economy, companies across the globe recognize Northeast Ohio for its talented workforce, exceptional logistics network and top-rate quality of life. These are just some of the reasons companies choose to locate and grow their businesses in our region.
As further evidence of this, several companies recently announced their plans to locate or grow their operations in Northeast Ohio, marking major wins for our region.
Nestlé to Bring 300 Jobs to Solon Campus
In early February, Nestlé announced that it would be moving 300 technical, production and supply chain jobs to its Solon plant. Already home to Nestlé’s Center of Excellence for the company’s frozen and chilled foods businesses, Solon also supports a variety of other business functions for the global brand. In total, Nestlé employs more than 2,000 people in Solon, boasting an annual payroll of approximately $84.5 million.
Nestlé’s decision to move the 300 jobs to Solon was a direct result of the company’s desire to have its employees closer to its US factories – 75% of the company’s factories are located in the eastern half of the country. Ultimately, the company’ recent announcement points to the confidence it has in the region. To that end, in 2012, Nestlé brought 334 jobs to Solon to manage the company’s pizza brand; in 2016, the company opened a $50 million research and development plant. These continued investments are indicative of Nestlé’s ongoing commitment to Northeast Ohio.
Wisconsin-Based Charter Steel Selects Cuyahoga Heights for $150M Mill
Charter Steel, a division of Charter Manufacturing, recently announced that it will build a new $150 million steel mill adjacent to its coil mill and steelmaking operations in Cuyahoga Heights. The project will create 25 jobs in the region. The mill is expected to come online in the second half of 2018 and represents the largest investment ever made by the 81-year-old, family-owned business.
As noted in this Cleveland.com article, John W. Mellowes, CEO of parent company Charter Manufacturing Co., is dedicated to the region and sees great potential in Northeast Ohio. Mellowes states:
“Over the past 10 years, we have invested more than $250 million in our existing Cuyahoga Heights facilities. Those improvements – coupled with a strong workforce and Ohio’s positive business climate – have set the stage for this expansion. With this new investment we see an opportunity to grow by leveraging a very successful high-service model, coupled with advanced steelmaking, to serve both existing and prospective new customers with an engineered, cut-length steel bar.”
Charter Steel’s announcement is yet another example of a company that sees the many benefits of operating in our region and state.
Hyland Expands Westlake Headquarters
As one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the region, Hyland continues to expand its footprint in Northeast Ohio. In early February, the company broke ground a 70,000-square-foot addition to its research and development center. The expansion will include office space for up to 400 more employees as well as a training center for events.
Employing more than 2,000 people worldwide, the company’s Westlake headquarters is home to 1,600 of its employees, with several new hires expected this year. As the company continues to expand and build its Northeast Ohio footprint, it is routinely cited as one of the best places to work. In fact, Fortune recently included Hyland in its ranking of the 30 best workplaces in tech, alongside other notable tech companies such as Intuit and Adobe. Hyland earned the number 10 spot on Fortune’s list.
Hyland’s current expansion project is its second expansion to its global headquarters in the last four years. The current project is expected to come online in May 2018.
To learn more about these projects and their anticipated impact on Northeast Ohio, please follow the links below.