‘governor’s cup’ Magazine names Kasich, Ohio winners

March 5, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

By Chelsea Miller

Ohio

Gov. John Kasich is on the right track, according to one real-estate and economic development magazine.

Site Selection magazine named Kasich the winner of this year’s “Governor’s Cup,” a ranking of 50 states according to their success in attracting capital- investment projects.

Ohio captured the win with the most new and expanded projects, at 498.

The state was followed by Texas with 464 and Pennsylvania with 453.

Ohio’s new projects represent an increase of 30 percent from last year. Site Selection credits the improvement to Kasich’s efforts to make the state more business friendly and the Ohio Department of Development’s JobsOhio, a private, nonprofit corporation working to attract and maintain jobs in the region.

According to its website, JobsOhio, along with the Kasich Administration, secured 245 new investments, expansions and relocations in 2011, creating more than 21,000 jobs and keeping around 62,000 existing ones.

Walt Goode, director of business development at Team Northeast Ohio/ JobsOhio, said a resurgence in manufacturing jobs in the shale industry has helped the organization in its job-creation efforts. He added that the nod from Site Selection was an honor.

“When a state wins the Governor’s Cup, its very exciting news and gratifying news,” he said.