Youngstown-Warren area ranked No. 1 in exports

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown-Warren area is featured prominently in the 2014 Metro Rankings Report of Business Facilities magazine, a publication for corporate- site selectors.

The area ranked No. 1 among the top 10 exports- growth leaders, fifth among the top-10 export-recovery leaders and ninth among the top 10 areas with the lowest cost of living.

The magazine also cited Youngstown and Pittsburgh as one of four National Manufacturing Innovation Leaders regions in the nation due to the work of Youngstown-based America Makes, the additive-manufacturing innovation institute.

“Such rankings further solidify the fact that there are great things going on in the Valley,” said Sarah Boyarko, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber’s vice president for economic development. “As a region, we continue to be recognized for all of the hard work that’s being done collectively to ensure our economic recovery.”

The magazine cited the Brookings Institution study that ranked Youngstown No. 1 in the nation for export growth from 2009 to 2012 and sixth in the export intensity of its economy.

The full list of the top-10 export-growth leaders:

1. Youngstown-Warren

2. New Orleans

3. Baton Rouge, La.

4. Detroit

5. Salt Lake City

6. Ogden, Utah

7. Houston

8. Toledo

9. Grand Rapids, Mich.

10. El Paso, Texas