Enterprise Appalachia delivers easy access to supply chain and market

Ohio's Enterprise Region location and tax structure makes it cost effective for you to serve customers in North America and around the globe.

Entrepreneurs in Ohio Appalachia are ideally located to take advantage of development and commercial networks in Ohio and surrounding states. Ohio is within 600 miles of 60 percent of the U.S. population and 50 percent of the Canadian population, 62 percent of U.S. manufacturing plants, 59 percent of wholesale establishments and 63 percent of retail establishments. Yet Ohio has not relied on geography alone to drive business location and expansion, but invested in world-class systems creating synergy between transportation, data and domestic and international export.

The infrastructure in Appalachia Ohio provides businesses access to regional, national and global markets. Two interstate highways and nine four-lane highways serve Appalachian Ohio. Commercial air service is available from airports surrounding the region at Port Columbus, the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Airport, Akron-Canton Regional Airport, Pittsburgh Airport and the Wood County and Huntington airports in West Virginia. CSX, Norfolk Southern and the Ohio Central Railroad provide rail service throughout the region. The Ohio River is a major freight artery and water source. The Ohio River and Lake Erie in northern Ohio handle more freight tonnage than the Panama Canal. Learn more.

It's no wonder Ohio is the only state in which exports have increased each year since 1998.

Ohio Foreign-Trade Zones create ideal business location for global economy

Running an international business can be a logistical challenge of high overhead and never-ending costs to import or export foreign goods. Many U.S. companies have moved operations overseas to lower costs associated with transportation of components and finished products. As competition becomes more global, the ideal business location provides access to markets necessary for companies to maximize flexibility while reducing supply chain costs.

Companies find locating their business in Ohio provides both tactical and strategic benefits, such as an efficient transportation system and established supply chain, as well as benefits garnered from locating in a Foreign-Trade Zone.

In total, there are 10 Foreign-Trade Zones in Ohio, making the state an ideal location for global businesses to lower costs and boost profits in a 21st century economy. Foreign goods may be admitted to an Ohio Foreign-Trade Zone without being subject to customs duties or other import-related taxes.

International companies located in Ohio realize all the benefits of locating in a Foreign-Trade Zone, along with a lower cost of doing business with easy access to profitable markets, a central location and world-class logistics infrastructure.
Companies located in Ohio are able to access global markets while keeping overhead costs down and increasing profits. Foreign-Trade Zones are secured sites where goods can be stored, repackaged, assembled and manufactured. The zones offer companies the ability to reduce, defer or eliminate duties, and stored inventory is not subject to import quotas. Products imported into these zones are exempt from duty until they enter the U.S. marketplace, and duty is never paid if the products are re-exported.

The state’s world-class logistics capabilities help companies reduce operating costs by getting components and finished goods quickly to their destination anywhere in the U.S. or around the globe through an extensive logistics management network. Ohio is centrally located within 600 miles of 60 percent of the U.S. and Canadian population and is within a one-day drive of 70 percent of North America’s manufacturing capacity.

Ohio’s established logistics infrastructure includes multi-modal and inter-modal networks allowing efficient import and export of products—180 public airports, eight interstate highways, 36 freight railroads and 25 waterfront ports.

In fact, a recent report by the Quantitative Economics and Statistics Practices (QUEST) of Ernst & Young in conjunction with the Council On State Taxation (COST) ranks Ohio as third in the nation for friendliest tax environment.

The most notable changes to Ohio’s tax system include the elimination of two very burdensome business taxes – the corporation franchise tax and the tangible personal property tax. These taxes were replaced by a new, 0.26 percent Commercial Activity Tax (CAT), which applies only to in-state sales.

The advantages Ohio offers positions the state as an international leader for business success in the 21st century global marketplace. Companies continue to discover the benefits of investing in Ohio, finding a preferred location for capital investment, a competitive business environment and a perfect balance between business pursuits and personal aspirations.

Read today's press release to learn more about Ohio's foreign trade zones.

What It’s Like to Live in Ohio

Cathy Falkenberg and her husband, Rob, who is CEO of UnitedHealthcare of Ohio, relocated to Ohio in 2005 from Dallas to pursue a promising career and life opportunity. While relocating her family across the country was challenging, life in Ohio quickly reassured Cathy they had found their "home." I asked her if she could describe in one word what it means to live in Ohio. Her answer? Access.

She shared with me, "Accessibility is what makes Ohio shine. Ohio is an accessible state, in every sense of the word. Commuting to work and school is easier here. It is a refreshing change from other areas of the country where we have lived. I don't have to plan more than an hour in just commute time. We spend less time in the car and more time doing the things we love to do. We also have easy access to family in other states."

"Ohio has a very strong work-life balance, and I would definitely say that having the right balance is more attainable here than any other place I have lived," Cathy continued. "Ohio's communities are very supportive. Its metropolitan areas are not pretentious but are still very cosmopolitan. I value the fact that there is cultural diversity here. The work:life balance here is very attractive, no matter what your age is."

To read my interview with Cathy, click here.

Supply Chain Know-How, in Ohio

Access to commercial networks and markets in Ohio's Enterprise Appalachian Region supports best practices in supply chain management, giving companies a significant edge in profitability, quality and service, according to a recent Inc. magazine white paper.

"Real Best Practices for Supply Chain Optimization," is the third in a series of Inc. white papers discussing ideal selection criteria for business startup – access to supply chain and markets, access to business capital and support services, access to knowledge and labor and access to a balanced life. It offers a prescription for efficiently managing the supply chain – the continuum of materials, information, and finances needed to convert raw materials or resources into a product or service delivered to the final customer.

"Savvy entrepreneurs know that choosing the ideal location to start a business can mean the difference between success and failure," said Ed Burghard, executive director of the Ohio Business Development Coalition. "The Appalachian Ohio Region has become a hub for entrepreneurial enterprise, in part because its location in Ohio's manufacturing heartland provides access both to a strong supply chain and a ready market for products and services."

One company that has thrived as a result of its location in Appalachian is Rocky Brands. CEO Mike Brooks cites the area's hardworking 21st century workforce and location within 600 miles of 60 percent of the U.S. population as factors that created an ideal location for this world leader in rugged outdoor and occupational footwear headquartered in Nelsonville, Ohio.

He says excellent schools and low cost of living make it easy to attract and retain talent, while his employees stay sharp through study in Ohio's first-class higher education system at Hocking College and Ohio University. A strategic location in Enterprise Appalachia supports efficient product distribution through more than 3,000 outlets nationwide.

In addition to business success, Enterprise Appalachia offers the avid outdoorsman a work-life balance he has found nowhere else. Through the airport in nearby Columbus, he takes easy day-trips to meet with customers, often returning home in time for dinner and a walk in the area's pristine woodlands with his wife. He can have it all – professional success and a rewarding personal life – without sacrificing one for the other.

Visit here to learn how Ohio's Enterprise Appalachia delivers the ideal location criteria for business start-ups: access to supply chain and markets, access to capital, access to knowledge and labor and access to a balanced life.

Renier Construction Celebrates 30 Years of Thriving Business in Ohio

Bill Heifner, president of Renier Construction Corporation in Columbus, Ohio, founded the company in 1980 as a one-man operation, specializing in industrial and commercial construction. Today, Renier's long list of clients includes Germain Motor Company, Ross Laboratories and Dayton Freight Lines. Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Bill about what has led to the company’s steady growth and overall success.

Bill attributed much of his company’s success to Ohio’s transportation infrastructure, providing Renier with superior market access. Heifner said, “Forward thinking by local and state leaders several decades ago laid the foundation for a transportation infrastructure that has Ohio well positioned for growth and efficiency.”

He also spoke with me about the Ohio Promise, which is that you can achieve professional success within the context of a fulfilling life.  Bill believes that Ohio offers a fulfilling, meaningful lifestyle with robust cultural and entertainment options, extensive green space and sports, and excellent schools and universities. Coupled with a business environment that is open and welcoming to newcomers and emerging leaders, Bill says, Ohio delivers on its promise.

Click here to read my complete interview with Bill.