March 4, 200916 yr Big Lots 4th quarter sales fall; earnings beat estimates Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - 7:21 AM By Marla Matzer Rose, The Columbus Dispatch Big Lots reported lower sales for fourth quarter, but earnings beat analysts' modest expectations by a few cents. Results were released prior to the opening of the stock market today. For the 13 weeks ended Jan. 31, the Columbus-based discount retailer earned $78.7 million, or 96 cents per share, on revenue of $1.36 billion. That compares to earnings of $92 million, or $1.04 per share, on revenue of $1.41 billion in the year-ago period. The quarterly results included a $3 million loss from discontinued operations related to KB Toys' bankruptcy and closing of operations. Big Lots sold KB eight years ago, but still had liabilities on some of its store leases. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/03/04/abig.html?sid=101
March 4, 200916 yr Verizon to hire 125 in Dublin Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - 3:10 AM By Margaret Harding, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH At a time when layoffs are common, one company is adding jobs instead. Verizon Wireless plans to hire 125 customer-service representatives at its Dublin call center, said spokeswoman Laura Merritt. That will bring the employment total there to about 1,400 and in all of central Ohio, including retail stores, to 1,700, she said. The company recently acquired Alltel, increasing its customer base. Both companies offer cell phones and wireless service. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/03/04/verizon_hiring.ART_ART_03-04-09_C8_EQD40OP.html?sid=101
March 4, 200916 yr It's bad in region, but worse in state Central Ohio's jobless rate better than state's by 2.1% Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - 3:26 AM By Dan Gearino, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH By most standards, central Ohio's jobless rate for January -- 7.6 percent -- was pretty rotten, the worst since 1984. But it doesn't look so bad compared with the state's as a whole. Central Ohio's rate was up from 6.3 percent in December and 5.2 percent in January 2008, according to a report released yesterday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. But the local unemployment rate was 2.1 percentage points better than the state's figure of 9.7 percent, the largest gap since the prosperous summer of 1998. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/03/04/local_unemp.ART_ART_03-04-09_A1_C8D4494.html?sid=101
March 6, 200916 yr Beating predictions a big boost for Big Lots Thursday, March 5, 2009 - 3:28 AM By Marla Matzer Rose, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Big Lots' sales and profit might have slid a bit in the fourth quarter, but the numbers announced yesterday beat analysts' expectations -- and Wall Street responded. Shares of the Columbus-based closeout retailer soared $2.61, or nearly 18 percent, to close at $17.15. The closing price was Big Lots' highest since November and runs counter to the continued decline in the share prices of many other retailers. Big Lots reported income of $78.8 million on sales of $1.37 billion during the fourth quarter, down slightly from a profit of $92 million on sales of $1.41 billion in the year-ago quarter. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/03/05/biglots_earns.ART_ART_03-05-09_C10_6HD4G00.html?sid=101
March 15, 200916 yr <b>Startup Weekend Columbus II - April 3-5</b> <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/swc2.png"> The Columbus edition of <a href="http://startupweekend.com/open/columbus/">Startup Weekend</a> swings into its second year in 2009, this time running from April 3 to April 5. The event is being hosted at TechColumbus. For those who haven't heard about the event, it's a weekend long marathon session for the best and brightest minds in the region to come together, share ideas, brainstorm and launch a dozen (or so) small startup businesses. Everyone from web developers to marketing professionals to artists to entrepreneurs are all welcome to attend. Last year's <a href="http://startupweekend.com/sw-columbus-recap/">event</a> was the largest Startup Weekend event at that time, and this year's event is being planned to be even bigger and better. For more information, <a href="http://startupweekend.com/open/columbus/">click here</a>.
March 23, 200916 yr Lawmakers cry foul over Chase's rumored outsourcing plans Business First of Columbus Tuesday, March 17, 2009, 3:22pm A group of more than three dozen members of Congress, led by U.S. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy, asked the CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co. to explain reports that the company plans to spend hundreds of millions on outsourcing work to India. The letter sent Tuesday to Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and signed by Kilroy, D-Columbus, and 41 other members of Congress comes after published reports in India indicated that the bank would spend $400 million on work outsourced to that country to improve information technology. Chase is the second-largest bank in Central Ohio and the region's third-largest employer, with nearly 14,700 workers, according to Columbus Business First research. Kilroy in the letter points to the $25 billion Chase received through the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program, writing that "taxpayers of the United States of America contributed $25 billion to your company to help stabilize our economy - not send jobs overseas." Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/03/16/daily17.html
March 25, 200916 yr Stormy skies, markets hit Safe Auto, Grange Business First of Columbus - by Adrian Burns Friday, March 20, 2009 Two Columbus insurers have joined the ranks of those experiencing an earnings slide in 2008. Grange Mutual Casualty Co. and Safe Auto Insurance Co. reported in filings with the state big drops in income last year, spurred by investment losses and declines in underwriting income. The two privately held companies joined a growing list of insurers buffeted by declines in investment revenue and, for some, record claims levels from storm damages. Other Columbus insurers showing dismal 2008 earnings have included Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., which lost $342 million; State Auto Financial Corp., which lost $31.1 million; and Motorists Insurance Group, which lost $26.2 million. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/03/23/story6.html
March 28, 200916 yr Walmart shuts 650-job lab State to check if company reneged on 2002 tax-credit deal Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 3:12 AM By Tracy Turner, The Columbus Dispatch Walmart's decision to close its South Side optical lab yesterday and lay off 650 workers has state officials considering ways to recoup a $1.8 million job-creation tax credit the company received. The Ohio Department of Development awarded Walmart the tax credit when it opened the lab in 2002, on the condition that the company create and maintain jobs there for a certain number of years, department spokeswoman Kelly Schlissberg said. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/03/28/walmart_optical.ART_ART_03-28-09_A1_SPDCL10.html?sid=101
April 3, 200916 yr Cardinal Health unit to lose 1,300 jobs No cuts in Dublin Cardinal Health Inc. said yesterday that its clinical and medical products unit will eliminate 1,300 jobs, with most of the cuts made over the next six months, as hospitals cut back on equipment purchases. Cardinal Health spokesman Troy Kirkpatrick said the layoffs do not affect employees at the Dublin headquarters. Cardinal Health said the clinical and medical products unit will lay off 800 people and eliminate 500 more jobs through attrition. The region most affected by the job cuts is southern California, where 200 jobs in San Diego are being eliminated. Full story: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/04/01/cardinal_layoff s.ART_ART_04-01-09_C8_SRDDRB7.html?sid=101
April 3, 200916 yr Lawmakers cry foul over Chase's rumored outsourcing plans Business First of Columbus - Tuesday, March 17, 2009, 3:22pm Maybe some good will come of this? MERGER GAINS? Chase, city talk about more jobs for area Friday, April 3, 2009 - 3:14 AM By Steve Wartenberg, The Columbus Dispatch JPMorgan Chase has confirmed that it is in talks with Columbus officials about the possibility of bringing a significant number of jobs to central Ohio. The discussions came to light during a letter-writing skirmish between Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy and JPMorgan Chase executives about a reported plan to outsource jobs. In a March 23 letter to Kilroy, Chase Executive Vice President John Donnelly wrote: "... please be aware that our chief administrative officer, Frank Bisignano, and Mayor Coleman have recently discussed adding a significant number of jobs to Columbus." Read more at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/03/copy/KILROY_CHASE_LETTERS.ART_ART_04-03-09_A1_JEDEO5U.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
April 6, 200916 yr Nationwide makes more job cuts Business First of Columbus - by Adrian Burns Friday, April 3, 2009, 1:01pm EDT Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. has eliminated 480 information technology jobs, including 150 in Central Ohio, the company said Friday. The cuts include 230 Nationwide employees and 250 contract workers, said spokesman Eric Hardgrove. The Nationwide reduction was the second sizeable job action to come out of a Central Ohio company this week. Dublin-based Cardinal Health Inc. said Monday that it will chop 1,300 jobs from its future spinoff CareFusion Corp., but none of the reductions would involve Columbus-area workers. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/03/30/daily47.html
April 8, 200916 yr Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 12:29pm EDT <b>Report: Columbus ‘job sprawl’ better than U.S.</b> Business First of Columbus Private-sector jobs near Columbus’ central business district have fanned out into the suburbs like most big metropolitan areas in the U.S., but a new report indicates the city continues to keep most of its jobs closer than the rest of the pack. Washington, D.C.-based liberal public-policy think tank Brookings Institution in a report titled “Job Sprawl Revisited: The Changing Geography of Metropolitan Employment” found that 21 percent of private-sector employees in the nation’s top 98 metros worked within three miles of downtown as of 2006. That was down from about 23 percent in 1998. The jobs picture for areas immediately outside of downtown is similar for Columbus. The city, like the average for all metros in the report, had 23 percent of its jobs within three miles of downtown in 1998. By 2006, that total for Columbus fell below to 19 percent, according to the report. Columbus, however, stands in contrast to the rest of the nation’s top metros in having nearly half of its private-sector employment between three and 10 miles outside of downtown. That total stood at 47 percent in 1998 and only fell to 45 percent as of 2006, meaning roughly two in three private-sector jobs in the area are within 10 miles from downtown even though more jobs have fanned outward. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/04/06/daily12.html?ana=from_rss
April 8, 200916 yr <b>Fourth IT Martini Event Takes Place on Thursday</b> By Walker | April 6, 2009 10:02am <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/itmartini.jpg"> If you’re an IT Professional, you most likely spend way too much time in front of a computer. When it comes to networking, your first thoughts might involve splicing cat-5 cable, or playing around with the Twitter API. But John Bishop and Aladin Gohar of IT Martini are here to remind you that networking can also mean a fun night out connecting to other like-minded individuals the old fashioned way: face-to-face over cocktails. We recently chatted with John to get some insight into this ongoing series of social events. MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/fourth-it-martini-event-takes-place-on-thursday
April 8, 200916 yr Big Lots hits accelerator after pause Retailer expanding while others are shrinking Business First of Columbus - by Dan Eaton Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 8:00am EDT Big Lots Inc. stores often operate in aged retail centers aimed at discount-minded shoppers, but its next venture will move it into a new neighborhood. The Columbus-based closeout merchandise seller will open a 35,000-square-foot store near the Polaris Fashion Place mall, in a former Linens ‘n Things Inc. storefront vacated last year when the home goods retailer closed. The Polaris Parkway store, expected to open in May, is the fruit of Big Lots’ real estate strategy, which preached patience on expansion as the company restructured behind the scenes. Now the company is poised to secure prime locations at lowered prices as retailers shutter stores and rents fall in a retail industry contraction. Big Lots Inc. Business: Closeout merchandise retailer Based: Columbus Employees: 37,000 Area employees: 1,650 2008 revenue: $4.6 billion 2008 profit: $152 million Web site: www.biglots.com Full story: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/04/06/story6.html?b=1238990400^1805668
April 16, 200916 yr Rent Often Too Big A Bite Many spending more than what is 'affordable' Wednesday, April 15, 2009 3:18 AM By Rita Price THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The average Columbus-area renter can't afford a two-bedroom apartment without spending more than 30 percent of income on housing and utilities, according to a report released yesterday. And the lowest-paid workers -- those earning the $7.30 minimum wage -- would have to put in a 78-hour workweek to make ends meet. The annual Out of Reach report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition focuses on the one-third of U.S. households that pay rent. Their stories have been overshadowed in recent years by the foreclosure crisis, advocates say. Full story: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/15/NOTENOUGH.ART_ART_04-15-09_B1_KDDID5F.html?sid=101
April 17, 200916 yr Strange article. All I could think about why they picked a two-bedroom place for a single-income person. Is that the norm?
April 17, 200916 yr Unfortunately it is. But alot of single income families have kids and require two bedrooms to live comfortably. It's just another example of people living beyond their means - which is a major component of the mortgage crisis as we all know. Though I do have a little more sympathy for renters. They're highly succeptible to job loss. People don't want to give up their habits and adjust to the economy. Columbus cost of living is fairly low - probably just as low as Clevelands. If these people were transplanted to LA or NYC they would have absolutely no idea what to do.
April 25, 200916 yr Chase mulling 1,150 jobs for Central Ohio Business First of Columbus - by Brian R. Ball Saturday, April 25, 2009, 8:00am Central Ohio may get 1,150 jobs from JPMorgan Chase & Co. under a tax incentive deal scheduled to be considered Monday by the Ohio Tax Credit Authority, Columbus Business First has learned. Public documents show that Westerville would gain about 150 of those jobs over the next five years as well as an investment of $9 million into JP Morgan facilities. The site or sites for the other 1,000 jobs could not be discerned. More at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/04/20/daily46.html?ana=from_rss
April 29, 200916 yr Chase gets state tax break for jobs; city aims to follow Business First of Columbus Monday, April 27, 2009, 6:28pm New York-based JPMorgan Chase & Co. would save about $14 million over 15 years during the term of a state incentive approved Monday by the Ohio Tax Credit Authority. The financial services company, among the largest employers in Central Ohio, also is set to gain $8.3 million in tax credits and cash from the City of Columbus. JPMorgan Chase received the 15-year, 75 percent tax credit against its state tax obligation in exchange for its pledge to create 1,000 jobs in Columbus and 150 jobs in Westerville over the next five years. About 900 of those jobs would be created during the next three years. The state tax deal requires the company to keep the jobs in the region for 30 years. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/04/27/daily9.html?surround=lfn
May 8, 200916 yr Abercrombie & Fitch cutting 170 jobs at HQ Business First of Columbus - by Dan Eaton Thursday, April 30, 2009 Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is cutting 170 jobs at its home office. The struggling New Albany-based retailer confirmed the layoffs Thursday. It is the second round of job cuts for the retailer this year, following a 50-employee cut in January. After a 13 percent sales decline in stores open at least one year in fiscal 2008, Abercrombie & Fitch has posted company-wide same store sales declines of 30 percent and 34 percent in February and March. Abercrombie & Fitch runs 352 flagship stores and 759 others under the Abercrombie, Hollister Co., Ruehl and Gilly Hicks nameplates. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/04/27/daily45.html
May 8, 200916 yr Safelite adding 300 Columbus jobs Business First of Columbus Wednesday, May 6, 2009, 3:42pm A newly completed customer service center for Safelite AutoGlass will mean 300 new jobs in Columbus for the company. Columbus-based Belron US Inc., which does business as Safelite, said Wednesday it plans to begin adding jobs to the 25,000-square-foot contact center this month. The center is housed on the first floor of Belron’s headquarters at 2400 Farmers Drive in northwest Columbus, the company said. The company expects to hire full- and part-time employees to field calls from customers looking to schedule vehicle glass service. When the new facility opens, Belron’s Central Ohio full- and part-time employment will top 1,800, the company said. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/05/04/daily19.html?surround=lfn
May 8, 200916 yr Abercrombie & Fitch cutting 170 jobs at HQ Business First of Columbus - by Dan Eaton Thursday, April 30, 2009 Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is cutting 170 jobs at its home office. The struggling New Albany-based retailer confirmed the layoffs Thursday. “The company is committed to improving its efficiency. As a result, it has implemented significant initiative at its home office where it is in the process of eliminating approximately 170 positions,” General Counsel David Cupps told Columbus Business First, reading from a prepared statement. He declined to answer additional questions about the cuts. It is the second round of job cuts for the retailer this year, following a 50-employee cut in January. After a 13 percent sales decline in stores open at least one year in fiscal 2008, Abercrombie & Fitch has posted company-wide same store sales declines of 30 percent and 34 percent in February and March. Abercrombie & Fitch runs 352 flagship stores and 759 others under the Abercrombie, Hollister Co., Ruehl and Gilly Hicks nameplates. http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/04/27/daily45.html What are kids buying instead? It seems like Iron Maiden shirts mostly. Maybe they're just not buying anything.
May 9, 200916 yr MORPC: Despite economy, central Ohio getting greener Wednesday, May 6, 2009 1:29 PM By JENNIFER NESBITT, ThisWeek Staff Writer Central Ohio has been hit hard by the downturn in the economy, with increased unemployment and decreased development, but its communities still are making strides toward sustainability, according to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. MORPC last week released its 2009 state of the region report highlighting data from 40 areas focusing on the region's sustainability, which the report defines as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/upperarlington/stories/2009/05/06/0507uamorpc_ln.html?sid=104
May 11, 200916 yr I just posted most of these Columbus Alive surveys over in the City Discussion - What Columbus Needs thread. Noozer posted the Transportation survey/discussion over in the Transportation - COTA thread. And I posted the Downtown survey/discussion over in the Columbus Random Developments thread in the Projects section. But I thought the Jobs survey/discussion should go here. Here are the links, followed by the Jobs survey. What Columbus Needs What Columbus Needs: City Life What Columbus Needs: Discussion What Columbus Needs: Downtown What Columbus Needs: Jobs What Columbus Needs: Transportation What Columbus Needs: Youth movement
May 11, 200916 yr Additional employment information from the Jobs survey article... What Columbus Needs: Jobs Thursday, May 7, 2009 - 7:09 AM By Brittany Kress, Columbus Alive http://www.columbusalive.com/live/content/features/stories/2009/05/07/ca_u_needsjobs.html?sid=108 Columbus' top three employers: State of Ohio: 24,492 Ohio State University: 21,107 JP Morgan Chase: 14,689 Fortune 1000 firms headquartered in Columbus: Cardinal Health Nationwide American Electric Power Limited Brands Hexicon Specialty Chemicals Big Lots Greif Abercrombie & Fitch Huntington Bancshares Worthington Industries Scotts Miracle-Gro Mettler-Toledo International Retail Ventures Bob Evans Farms Source: www.columbus.org
May 13, 200916 yr Some recent Central Ohio economic news: Discover Financial Services lays off 50 in New Albany DuPont to eliminate 130 jobs in Circleville Hexion profit up on lower sales in first quarter
May 13, 200916 yr Home prices slide even further Columbus drops least among cities in Ohio Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - 3:03 AM By Alan Zibel, ASSOCIATED PRESS Median home prices in the first quarter of 2009 for Ohio's major metropolitan areas, and the change from the first quarter of 2008: Akron: $50,100, down 48.0 percent Canton: $66,200, down 25.2 percent Cincinnati: $106,500, down 17.1 percent Cleveland: $69,900, down 31.5 percent Columbus: $118,300, down 10.4 percent Dayton: $79,700, down 20.7 percent Toledo: $65,500, down 27.0 percent Youngstown: $51,200, down 24.4 percent Source: National Association of Realtors http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/05/13/home_prices_april.ART_ART_05-13-09_A6_5CDRFRM.html?sid=101
May 14, 200916 yr Grove City meets Hollywood as Netflix brings central distribution center here Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - 3:03 AM By Tim Feran, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Netflix, the world's largest online movie-rental service, has moved its central operations center -- and initially, 120 jobs -- to Grove City from Sunnyvale, Calif. "We looked at 13 other communities in the Midwest before choosing Grove City," said Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey at a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday. "The overriding factors, in no particular order, were location, real estate, tax incentives, artery/road access and there's a terrific pool of employees here. The work ethic here is outstanding." http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/05/13/NETFLIX.ART_ART_05-13-09_A6_5CDRFTF.html?sid=101
May 18, 200916 yr Chase gets state tax break for jobs; city aims to follow Business First of Columbus Monday, April 27, 2009, 6:28pm City Council to consider Chase incentive Business First of Columbus Monday, May 18, 2009, 11:50am EDT Columbus City Council on Monday night is expected to vote on a more than $6 million incentive package aimed at JPMorgan Chase & Co. as the bank looks to add 1,000 jobs in the city. The $6.3 million incentive package, which includes a 10-year tax credit and an eight-year Job Growth Incentive, is set for consideration as emergency legislation weeks after the Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a 15-year, 75 percent tax credit valued at about $14 million for Chase. The company has pledged to create 1,000 jobs in Columbus and 150 jobs in Westerville over the next five years. About 900 of those jobs would be created during the next three years. http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/05/18/daily3.html?surround=lfn
May 20, 200916 yr Incentives for Chase jobs clears council Business First of Columbus Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 10:43am EDT Columbus City Council on Monday night approved more than $6 million in tax incentives to persuade JPMorgan Chase & Co. to add 1,000 jobs in the city. The incentives package includes a 10-year tax credit valued at $4.5 million for the company and an eight-year Job Growth Incentive valued at $1.8 million. Chase has said it could add 1,000 jobs at its sprawling Polaris Parkway center over the next five years. JPMorgan Chase is the third-largest employer in Central Ohio, with nearly 14,000 workers, including 3,000 employees at an operation in Westerville. The company is looking to add 150 jobs to that suburban operation. http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/05/18/daily13.html?surround=lfn
May 20, 200916 yr City OKs Limbach incentive Business First of Columbus Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 9:59am EDT Mechanical contractor Limbach Co. LLC is moving to the Near East Side of Columbus with another incentive in hand after Columbus City Council approved a tax break. The incentive, which got the green light Monday night, comes as Limbach gets ready to leave its Grandview offices at 851 Williams Avenue. That site now is a piece of Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd.’s $500 million Grandview Yard mixed-used development. The company is relocating to 822 Cleveland Avenue with plans to add 35 jobs and retain the 110 it is moving from Grandview. http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/05/18/daily12.html
May 20, 200916 yr Incentives for Chase jobs clears council Business First of Columbus Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 10:43am EDT Columbus City Council on Monday night approved more than $6 million in tax incentives to persuade JPMorgan Chase & Co. to add 1,000 jobs in the city. The incentives package includes a 10-year tax credit valued at $4.5 million for the company and an eight-year Job Growth Incentive valued at $1.8 million. Chase has said it could add 1,000 jobs at its sprawling Polaris Parkway center over the next five years. JPMorgan Chase is the third-largest employer in Central Ohio, with nearly 14,000 workers, including 3,000 employees at an operation in Westerville. The company is looking to add 150 jobs to that suburban operation. The company said it’s also considering expansion sites in Michigan, Louisiana, Texas and New York, where it is based. The proposed outlay for the expansion would cost the banking company about $16 million. The state already has approved a 15-year, 75 percent tax credit valued at about $14 million for the jobs expansion. http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/05/18/daily13.html?surround=lfn It's a shame these jobs won't be Downtown, but we'll definitely still take them. The author even described the location as "sprawling". tee hee
May 20, 200916 yr Author It's a shame these jobs won't be Downtown, I couldn't agree more. I was secretly hoping that Coleman would include a stipulation that these new jobs would at least partially have to go downtown. Oh well...
May 20, 200916 yr Does Chase even have offices downtown? I thought all of JP Morgan's modern serfs were in the northern 'burbs.
May 20, 200916 yr Author Does Chase even have offices downtown? Last I heard they still have around 200 employees at The Columbus Center: But that number may have changed since then.
May 23, 200916 yr Chase likely to take deal, bring in jobs Tax incentives raise prospect of 1,150 new positions here Friday, May 22, 2009 - 3:12 AM By Steve Wartenberg, The Columbus Dispatch With three tax-incentive packages in hand totaling an estimated $20.5 million, it appears likely that JPMorgan Chase will soon bring 1,150 new jobs to central Ohio. This week, the Columbus City Council approved a $6.2 million tax-incentive package that requires Chase to add 1,000 jobs at its Polaris and Easton facilities, while the Westerville City Council approved a $225,000 tax-incentive package for the creation of 150 jobs. The state passed a $14 million state tax incentive last month for both projects. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/05/22/CHASE_JOBS.ART_ART_05-22-09_A1_O5DUKA1.html?sid=101
May 28, 200916 yr Central Ohio jobless rates give mixed picture in April Franklin County's unemployment rate rose to 8.1 percent in April from 7.8 percent in March, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said yesterday. Delaware County's rate also rose, to 6.6 percent from 6.4 percent. Licking County's jobless rate fell to 9.2 percent from 9.6 percent. Madison and Pickaway counties also reported declines, to 9.5 percent from 9.8 percent and to 10.4 percent from 10.5 percent, respectively. Fairfield County's jobless rate held steady in April at 8.1 percent, as did Union County's rate at 8.4 percent. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/05/27/brjob.html?sid=101
June 2, 200916 yr It's official now! JPMorgan Chase to add 1,150 jobs in central Ohio Growth to take place over three years Tuesday, June 2, 2009 - 10:39 AM By Steve Wartenberg, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH JPMorgan Chase is adding at least 1,150 jobs in central Ohio over the next three years, after months of lobbying from state and local officials and tax-incentives packages that were too good to pass up. About 1,000 of the new jobs will be split between Chase's McCoy Center in Polaris and its lending facility near Easton Town Center. The remaining 150 will be at the company's Cleveland Avenue offices in Westerville, the company said. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/06/02/chase_jobs.html?sid=101
June 18, 200915 yr Report: Columbus holding its own amid recession Business First of Columbus Wednesday, June 17, 2009, 9:16am Columbus is feeling the sting of the recession like any other metropolitan area in the nation, but a new report indicates it’s holding up better than other big cities in Ohio – not to mention dozens of other major cities in the U.S. A report from Washington, D.C.-based liberal public-policy think tank Brookings Institution dubbed the MetroMonitor bills itself as a “beneath the hood” recession-era look at metros with more than 500,000 residents as of 2007. The report placed the Columbus metropolitan statistical area 40th among those ranked for its strength, based on employment, unemployment, wage, output, home prices and foreclosure data. No other Ohio city made the top 50. Cincinnati, Cleveland, Akron and Dayton found slots from 61st to 80th. Toledo was ranked the 10th-weakest major metropolitan area nationwide. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/06/15/daily18.html
June 24, 200915 yr Region’s unemployment stays at 8.2% in May Business First of Columbus Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 10:14am EDT While Ohio’s jobless rate continued climbing in May, unemployment in Central Ohio held steady at 8.2 percent, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Tuesday. The jobless rate in the seven-county area, while unchanged from April, is up from 5.1 percent in May 2008, seasonally unadjusted. http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/06/22/daily11.html?surround=lfn&ana=test
June 29, 200915 yr Scotts expansion in the works Business First of Columbus - by Matt Burns Friday, June 26, 2009, 2:55pm EDT Lawn and garden giant Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. is looking to expand its Marysville headquarters and create more than 50 jobs with a new manufacturing plant. A resolution is moving through Marysville City Council that would provide for a 10-year, 75 percent property tax abatement valued at about $1 million for Scotts, one of Central Ohio’s 50 largest employers and among its 10 largest public companies. Scotts is looking to mount a $23 million project to build a 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will retain 15 jobs and create 33 full-time and 39 part-time positions, Marysville Administrator Jillian Froment said. More at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/06/22/daily42.html?surround=lfn&ana=test
July 8, 200915 yr Central city retailers hopeful for area’s housing market Business First of Columbus - by Brian Williams For Business First Tuesday, July 7, 2009, 8:00am EDT Jeff Zettler is not part of Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman’s inner circle, but the hardware merchant was a step ahead of the mayor’s call in 2000 to revitalize the downtown housing market through public and private investment. Zettler was saying 10 years ago that more downtown housing would bring more pedestrian traffic in a way that City Center never did. Downtown residents, he said, would need hammers and bathroom caulk from places like Zettler Hardware Co., which has been downtown since 1844. Today, he is cautiously optimistic about that prediction. “We’ve seen downtown somewhat rejuvenate,” he said. “And we’ve had a bit of a renaissance here since ’05 or ’06.” Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/07/06/focus2.html?b=1246852800^1854560
July 23, 200915 yr Area jobless rate hits 9.1% 8-county central Ohio numbers still best in state, even with influx of recent grads A new crop of college graduates entering the job market helped push central Ohio's unemployment rate to 9.1 percent last month, up from 8.3 percent in May. Despite the significant increase, central Ohio is the only metropolitan area in the state with a rate below 10 percent. The figures were issued yesterday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
July 24, 200915 yr <b>Dr. Bill LaFayette Explains the Columbus Economy</b> By Walker | July 23, 2009 10:48am <img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/lafayette.jpg"> We recently sat down with Dr. Bill LaFayette, the Vice President of Economic Analysis at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, to discuss a variety of topics related to the Columbus economy. Bill shares with us his professional insight and research on some of the most important job sectors in the region, the growing importance of the creative class and urban renewal, and his thoughts on how Columbus is weathering the current economic recession. READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/dr-bill-lafayette-explains-the-columbus-economy
August 7, 200915 yr Travel slump not clogging up hotel pipeline Business First of Columbus - by Robert Celaschi For Business First Thursday, August 6, 2009, 8:00am EDT In one of the worst hotel business climates in a generation, Columbus is adding rooms. Development is happening all over town under Holiday Inn, Fairfield Inn, Value Place, Four Points, Embassy Suites and Cambria Suites brands. Hotel developers talk it up as an opportunity to get ahead of the curve and position themselves for the eventual upturn. But they also don’t have much choice. Hotels nearing completion now were financed back before the economy turned sour. By the time it did, construction plans had passed a point of no return. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/08/03/focus2.html?b=1249272000^1869034
August 12, 200915 yr Five companies earn TechColumbus investments Sunday, August 9, 2009 - 7:16 PM By Erinn Connor, The Columbus Dispatch TechColumbus has given a boost to five local technology-based companies through $700,000 in investments. The nonprofit group, which aims to promote and develop tech companies, gave the investments through the Central Ohio TechStart initiative. The TechStart funds are drawn from a variety of sources, such as the Ohio Third Frontier program, local governments, individuals and other institutions. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/08/09/techcolumbus_invests.html?sid=101
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