Editor’s Note: This guest column is part of an annual special section called Visions, in which Toledo Free Press asks local economic development and business leaders to share what they see ahead for Toledo and Northwest Ohio in the coming year.
The Regional Growth Partnership (RGP) is the lead economic development group serving the Toledo region and 17 counties of Northwest Ohio.
As a privately led organization, the RGP focuses on meeting the site selection needs of corporate clients in a confidential, innovative and time-sensitive manner.
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The RGP offers a full range of traditional business development services, working in conjunction with our partners at the regional and state levels, to most effectively manage the site selection process.
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These services include: comprehensive site and facility searches; incentive packaging; project development, planning and expediting; facilitating projects in collaboration with regional and state partners; and providing access to Northwest Ohio’s premier venture capital firm.
To support these business development efforts, the RGP serves as the network partner in Northwest Ohio for JobsOhio, a private, state-created corporation leading Ohio’s job-creation efforts. The RGP partners with JobsOhio to provide project management and administration resources throughout the 17 counties it serves.
The RGP’s business development efforts are focused on six cluster industries: advanced and alternative energy; advanced materials and manufacturing technologies; automotive; food processing/agricultural business; transportation and integrated logistics; and bioscience.
Site consultants are the primary audience for the RGP because of the central role they play in the site location process. Our business development team focuses on direct outreach efforts to this target group. This includes direct market visits and hosting consultants for special events.
The RGP’s business development efforts also include an international component focused on cultivating the region’s infrastructure to serve both foreign-owned businesses and companies looking to expand in the global marketplace. Much like domestic business attraction, the international investment strategy is geared toward site consultants and targeted industry executives.
As chief marketing arm for the region, the RGP takes a lead role in pitching and selling Northwest Ohio’s assets to a national and international audience. Our editorial marketing campaign has generated coverage for the region in such prominent outlets as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, ABC World News, CNN and Newsweek.
To help foster technology development, the RGP created Rocket Ventures, which serves as Northwest Ohio’s top resource for entrepreneurs and startups seeking capital and commercialization assistance. Client companies are eligible for funding consideration and access to a professional team which offers unparalleled knowledge and assistance and a track record of success in launching early-stage tech companies.
Dean Monske is president and CEO of the Regional Growth Partnership.
