As the state wraps up the most recent operating budget negotiations, one issue that was sought for inclusion but didn’t ultimately make the final bill is the desire of Ohio’s Craft Brewer community to alter the current law, which governs contracts with the state’s beer & wine distributors. Craft beer, the locally brewed beer, has […]

Ohio Statehouse battles to address critical utility as well as submetering issues has landed at half-time as the Ohio General Assembly resolved some but not all of these matters through the adoption of the state of Ohio operating budget. Ohio Senate Bill 123 would address the current battle between the state’s investor-owned electric utilities, primarily

$1.5 Billion was included for public infrastructure spending to encourage economic development projects across the state of Ohio through the recently enacted state operating budget.  These state programs include supporting the development of mega-sites tied to large scale industrial growth, funding critical water and sewer infrastructure, and supporting the development of other public infrastructure.  All

The recently enacted state of Ohio operating budget passed by the Ohio General Assembly contained $135 Million in funding targeting development opportunities in rural counties throughout the state.  Ohio’s rural based economic development program center on infrastructure development and rural company growth. Rural Industrial Park Loan Program. $30 Million was provided for the Rural Industrial

The lack of housing supply in urban and rural markets has become a major corporate site location concern for companies considering developing a project in most communities. If housing is not available for a company’s workers, it does not matter how great the local and state economic development incentives are or how low the cost

The Ohio General Assembly added another $500 million into Ohio Department of Development funding while maintaining key tax credit programs in the state of Ohio operating budget recently enacted.  Key programs funded below include: Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program. $350 Million for the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program was added in the state operating budget.  The Ohio

State Spending and Tax Policy in General. Continuing past tax trends, the Ohio General Assembly once again took a major swipe at reducing Ohio’s income tax. The $3 Billion in tax cuts leave Ohio with just two tax brackets down from the current four brackets. Ohioans now will pay a max of 3.5% of their

Taxes levied by local and state governments have a major impact on a company’s corporate site location decisions. Taxes by the state and local governments are a critical component of measuring the cost of doing business in a region.  Different local and state governments tax businesses differently. What and how much local and state governments

Illinois is a global leader in advanced services as Chicago remains a hub for major corporate headquarters.   Industry clusters are regional concentrations of related industries.[i] Clusters consist of companies, suppliers, and service providers, as well as government agencies and other institutions that provide education, information, research, and technical support to a regional economy.[ii] Clusters

Housing is joining workforce development to become a major corporate site location issue.  Regions not growing are failing to develop substantial residential growth.  Finally, rural regions are losing population at an alarming rate and desperately need new residential products to retain existing employers and to keep their young people.  No matter where you are in