ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Welcome to the City of North Olmsted's Division of Economic Development.  The primary purpose of the Economic Development Division is to significantly enhance the quality of life for city residents by advancing job retention and creation and capital investment within the existing industry base as well as through attraction of new businesses. 

Our goal is to serve the business community by providing creative, custom services that they may need to successfully grow or locate their operations in the City of North Olmsted.  We are here to help your business succeed. 

Key initiatives of the Economic Development Division include the following: 

    • Business retention and attraction
    • Development of underutilized or unused properties
    • Advancing development opportunities along the Crocker-Stearns corridor
    • Infrastructure improvements

2010 Economic Development Highlights and 2011 Strategy

It appears that the northeast Ohio economy held its own in 2010.  According to a Brookings Institute report, the economic recovery in Cleveland in terms of employment and household income ranked 10th among 50 U.S. metropolitan areas.  Thought-leaders at Team NEO – the region's business attraction group – believe the ongoing diversification of the regional economy is contributing to northeast Ohio's improving economic resiliency. 

Like the region, the city of North Olmsted has been focused on economic diversification through its business retention and expansion efforts.  Here are some economic development highlights from 2010: 

  • A new car dealership relocated to the city of North Olmsted and occupied the former Great Northern Dodge facility, a vacant dealership on Lorain Road within the North Olmsted Auto Mile.  The owner chose the North Olmsted location, in part, because of its close proximity to the major retail hub around Great Northern Mall.  The project added 45 new jobs in the city and is expected to add 10 or more jobs within the next 3 years.  In addition, the dealership plans to spend more than $1 million to renovate the vacant dealership.
  • A growing chemical distribution company chose to stay and expand in North Olmsted.  The company's project will result in the retention and creation of approximately 80 total jobs over the next few years.
  • A business service company decided to keep its Midwest operations in North Olmsted, thus retaining and creating approximately 80 total jobs in the city over the next couple years.
  • The city of North Olmsted issued 85 commercial building permits in 2010 for new building construction and/or improvement projects.  Capital investment associated with new commercial building construction and/or improvements was nearly $8.6 million, a 20% increase from 2009.  That investment activity supported an estimated 52 construction jobs and $2.3 million of associated payroll in the city. 

The City of North Olmsted will continue to pursue targeted strategies to advance business retention, expansion and attraction in North Olmsted in 2011.  Here are some of the strategies that we will continue to use this year to foster economic development in the City.

Key Strategies for 2011

  • Target business attraction and retention efforts on stable and/or growing industry sectors where the City can be competitive.  Those industries include health care (businesses and institutions) and high tech (e.g. software, engineering, research, etc.).
  • Promote areas of potential future development, including I-480/Stearns Road and the Crocker-Stearns Corridor, as well as I-480 and Lorain Road.
  • Use technology tools (e.g. dynamic real estate database and video technology) to better market available commercial properties for sale and/or lease, and promote the city as a good location for business.
  • Improve the quality and amount of information available to businesses looking for a new location and potential investors of commercial real estate.
  • Assist retailers, including auto dealers to market North Olmsted as a destination to shop.
  • Continue to stay engaged with business and government leaders from across the state and region to identify project opportunities and promote North Olmsted as great place to locate.
  • Remain responsive to needs of prospective businesses. 
  • Continue to respond to leads from State, County, and Team NEO.
  • Continue to identify opportunities to secure economic development related funding assistance from County, State, and Federal governments.

Hiring new employees?  Upgrading the skills of your workforce?

Employment Connection can help and at no cost! Employment Connection, northeast Ohio's premier workforce organization, is a collaboration between the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County that helps local businesses stay competitive! To learn how Employment Connection can be your competitive advantage, contact Don Graves, Business Service Consultant with Employment Connection, at (216) 664-3017 or by email at don.graves@ula-ohio.org