Ohio’s long road from economic decline to No. 1

By U.S. Sen. Jon Husted
R-Ohio
https://www.husted.senate.gov/

When CNBC published its Top States for Business rankings in 2010, Ohio ranked 34th. In its latest rankings, Ohio is number one.

That recognition is gratifying because I remember just how difficult things were for Ohio families not all that long ago.

When Ohio was losing ground

I grew up in northwest Ohio during a time when our state was in economic freefall. Around the time I graduated from high school, the company where my father worked was failing. My dad and my uncle lost their jobs in our hometown of Montpelier, and my family ultimately had to leave Ohio to find work. 

Unemployment across Ohio at that time hovered around 8% to 9%.

After graduating from the University of Dayton in 1989, I watched many of my classmates leave Ohio for opportunities in Chicago, Atlanta, New York City, Los Angeles and elsewhere. I loved Ohio, so I stayed. I went to work in economic development at the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce because I believed our state could compete again, and I’m not a quitter.

Those were difficult years. Companies were leaving Ohio, and manufacturing communities were suffering. In the Dayton region alone, five GM and Delphi plants at the beginning of the decade were reduced to one by its end. Roughly 30,000 GM and Delphi jobs shrank to about 5,000.

The reason businesses and people were leaving wasn’t a mystery. Ohio simply wasn’t competitive enough.

The choices that changed Ohio

Our state had one of the nation’s highest income tax rates, three burdensome business taxes, and even taxed the machinery and equipment companies needed to modernize and compete. We had become a harder place to invest, build, hire and grow.

Fortunately, leaders in both the public and private sectors began the long work of turning Ohio around.

I have been fortunate to play a role in many of those reforms during my years in public service, and I have witnessed firsthand the difficult decisions that helped Ohio climb from near the bottom of the pack to the top.

Success has many fathers and mothers. Ohio’s comeback belongs to governors, legislators, business leaders, local officials, educators, workers and entrepreneurs who chose the road less traveled to long-term prosperity.

Governors and legislators from both parties made important contributions. Governor George Voinovich restored fiscal discipline and reformed workers’ compensation. Governor Bob Taft championed tax and tort reform. Governor John Kasich created JobsOhio and signed a law eliminating the death tax to make Ohio more competitive. Governor Mike DeWine has built on that foundation with major investments in infrastructure, career and technical education, workforce development and transformational economic development projects.

My experience in both the private and public sectors has taught me that businesses don’t choose locations based on one factor alone. They look for competitive taxes, sound infrastructure, prepared sites, reliable energy, safe communities, skilled workers, excellent schools and a high quality of life. Successful states are built one smart decision at a time.

At the turn of this century, Ohio was losing people, jobs, and confidence. Today, Ohio has more people employed than at any time in our state’s history, and unemployment remains near historic lows.

Being named CNBC’s No. 1 state for business matters. It enhances Ohio’s reputation, attracts investment, creates jobs and gives companies another reason to choose our state. But it is also validation that disciplined public policy, combined with the hard work of Ohioans, can change the trajectory of a state.

The work isn’t finished

Of course, being No. 1 doesn’t mean our work is finished. The best organizations − and the best states − never stop improving. Every day presents another opportunity to become more competitive.

We’ve also watched other states make themselves increasingly expensive places to live and do business. That has created opportunities for Ohio. In recent years, dozens of companies have relocated headquarters or significant operations here because they recognize what Ohio now offers: affordability, talent, infrastructure and a welcoming business climate.

But for me, this story has never been just about rankings or economic statistics. It’s about families.

When Ohio struggled, my parents, my brother, my sister and countless friends had to leave to find opportunity elsewhere. I never wanted future generations of Ohioans to face that same choice.

My goal has always been simple: to help make Ohio a place where our children and grandchildren can build successful careers close to the communities that raised them − if that’s where they choose to live. They may still pursue opportunities across the country or around the world, and that’s part of the American dream. But they should never have to leave because Ohio failed to provide one.

That is why Ohio’s comeback means so much to me.

We’ve come a long way, and while there is still more to do, Ohio has proven that decline is not destiny.

Onward, Ohio.

Note: This column by Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) also appeared in the Columbus Dispatch and the Cincinnati Enquirer.

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