OSU, Cleveland Clinic to team up

Hospital, university will work to get technologies to marketplace

By Ben Sutherly, The Columbus Dispatch

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 - 4:52 AM

 

The Cleveland Clinic and Ohio State University agreed yesterday to join forces in fast-tracking the commercialization of health-care technology, signaling a desire to compete less and collaborate more.

 

Officials billed the partnership as Ohio’s largest medical-commercialization network.  The two institutions are among the largest of the state’s centers of medical-related research and development based on National Institutes of Health funding. “There really can be no more significant alliance than this teaming of our two institutions up and down I-71,” Christopher Coburn told a crowd at OSU’s Technology Commercialization office on N. High Street.  Coburn is executive director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations, the health system’s corporate-venture branch.

 

The partnership remains largely undefined, as does its potential impact on job creation and economic development.  But it will begin with the university and health system assessing their respective strengths and designating 20 technologies as initial commercialization priorities.  In addition to health care, cooperation between the two institutions will focus on venture capital, funding and Third Frontier activities.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/07/25/osu-cleveland-clinic-to-team-up.html

 

If you ever wonder what kind of economic development might be accomplished in this country with more bipartisan cooperation, consider Columbus, Ohio. This low-key, Middle American metropolis of about 800,000 is becoming something of a celebrity city, talked up in a recent New York Times Magazine piece on the success of Ohio and visited more than a dozen times by presidential and vice-presidential candidates. No wonder. After taking a dive during the recession, Columbus has roared back, with the metro area creating more new jobs than any other city in Ohio over the past two years. In many ways, it's a...

 

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2125517,00.html#ixzz27n7DusJy

^I'd like to read more of that Time magazine article about Columbus, but one has to be a subscriber to read further.

^ Most certainly, metropolitan Columbus has made great strides in economic development, but to state that it "has roared back, with the metro area creating more new jobs than any other city in Ohio over the past two years" is untrue and undermines the entire credibility of the Time article.  (In 2011, metro Cincinnati created more jobs than Columbus and Cleveland combined.)

If you ever wonder what kind of economic development might be accomplished in this country with more bipartisan cooperation, consider Columbus, Ohio.  This low-key, Middle American metropolis of about 800,000 is becoming something of a celebrity city, talked up in a recent New York Times Magazine piece on the success of Ohio and visited more than a dozen times by presidential and vice-presidential candidates.  No wonder.  After taking a dive during the recession, Columbus has roared back, with the metro area creating more new jobs than any other city in Ohio over the past two years.  In many ways, it's a...

 

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2125517,00.html#ixzz27n7DusJy

I just got around to reading the full Time Magazine article about Columbus.  It's an interesting read and a shame that the full text can't be linked here. 

 

Here's some more information about the article:  It was written by Rana Forrohar who writes a column called "The Curious Capitalist" and the full title of the article is: 'The Columbus Comeback: Ohio's capital moved beyond partisanship to become a model for economic growth'. 

 

I'll try to recreate the gist of the article by first finishing the opening paragraph posted above and then by adding a few key excerpts from the article. (italicized text indicates direct quotation from the Time article) 

 

The opening paragraph finished as follows: "In many ways, it's a ... model for what an economy can do when you admit that growth isn't about tax cuts and austerity but about both streamlining government and investing public money in the right things."

 

After that, the author delved into Columbus' diversified economy as one reason it weathered some of the effects of the 2008 financial crisis.  Then the author states, "But what really sets it apart are the steps it has taken since.  In 2009, Mayor Michael Coleman, a Democrat who has since been re-elected to a fourth term, was faced with chopping roughly $100 million in municipal spending - more than 15% of the total operating budget."

 

The author listed the various things Mayor Coleman did to balance the budget in 2009, such as layoffs, mandatory furloughs, forgoing raises, trimming pensions, reduced trash pickup and closing some rec centers.  But as the author said, "It wasn't enough.  By mid-2009, 'things were getting worse, not better' says Coleman.  'We were at a crossroads. If I cut more, we were going to have to lay off 1,100 public workers, including firefighters and police." ... "It was time, says the mayor, to "ask ourselves, What kind of city did we want to be?"

 

The author states, "Coleman went to the city's business leaders - a mostly conservative group including major Republican donor Leslie Wexner, founder of Limited Brands - and asked them to support an income tax increase, the first in 27 years.  They agreed and helped finance a successful protax ballot campaign, in large part because they believed the mayor had already proved his fiscal chops and because he vowed to put a third of the tax hire into development.  The plan: give businesses money to retrain workers, pour money into new infrastructure, improve the housing stock and redevelop the city's downtown and riverfront to attract more knowledge workers." ... "Says Wexner, 'We chose to strategically invest in out future at a very critical time, and the results are paying off.' "

 

She finishes her column by saying, "Columbus has gone beyond partisan politics and supply-side nonsense to create real growth.  Once the election is over, I suspect many people will start paying more attention to this city - and the many others around the country that are quietly moving ahead while Washington remains gridlocked."

The term "knowledge workers" was used in the Time Magazine article "The Columbus Comeback: Ohio's capital moved beyond partisanship to become a model for economic growth".  American urban studies theorist Richard Florida, who is best known for his concept of the creative class and its implications for urban regeneration, will be in Columbus today.  Florida will speak at a 2012 Innovate Columbus event presented by TechColumbus and the OSU's Fisher College of Business.  This event is one of many during the inaugural idUS series currently taking place in Columbus.

 

Walker Evans of Columbus Underground had an interview with Richard Florida to learn more about how his ideas apply specifically to Columbus and to preview his presentation.  The full Q&A can be found at the link below:

 

Columbus Underground: Richard Florida to Speak in Columbus about our Creative Economy

^ Most certainly, metropolitan Columbus has made great strides in economic development, but to state that it "has roared back, with the metro area creating more new jobs than any other city in Ohio over the past two years" is untrue and undermines the entire credibility of the Time article.  (In 2011, metro Cincinnati created more jobs than Columbus and Cleveland combined.)

 

Actually, that's not entirely true, either. 

 

Non-Farm Jobs Created August 2010 to August 2012

Cincinnati: 41,300

Columbus: 30,800

Cleveland: 13,700

 

So no, Cincinnati did not create more jobs than the two others combined, though Cincinnati does appear to have created more non-farm jobs in that time frame.  I have no idea if they were using the non-farm jobs numbers or something else, however, not having a subscribtion.  They may have also used total recovery from the recession bottom.

 

If so, here's how many jobs were lost in each metro during the recession.

Cleveland: -121,000

Cincinnati: -101,400

Columbus: -73,100

 

And here's the recovery in the past 2 years.

Columbus: Gained 42.1% of jobs lost during the recession in the period August 2010-August 2012.

Cincinnati: Gained 40.7% of jobs lost during the recession in the period August 2010-August 2012.

Cleveland: Gained 11.3% of jobs lost during the recession in the period August 2010-August 2012.

 

So if they went that way, Columbus did gain back a larger share of it's recession losses the last two years, but I'm thinking that's not how they measured it.

 

And just an FYI, here is the total % recovery through August 2012 from the bottom for each metro.

Columbus: 71.8%

Cincinnati: 62.5%

Cleveland: 33.3%

 

 

 

And just an FYI, here is the total % recovery through August 2012 from the bottom for each metro.

Columbus: 71.8%

Cincinnati: 62.5%

Cleveland: 33.3%

 

 

 

 

I would hardly say that any of the three Cs have "roared back" -- especially Columbus.

^ So, at this point (no matter what the actual "stats" are), you'll no doubt agree that the article writer's original statement (about "Columbus roaring back and creating more new jobs than any other city in Ohio in the last two years") is in error and undermines her entire article?  After all, your own figures (especially paragraph two) demonstrate exactly that.

^ So, at this point (no matter what the actual "stats" are), you'll no doubt agree that the article writer's original statement (about "Columbus roaring back and creating more new jobs than any other city in Ohio in the last two years") is in error and undermines her entire article?  After all, your own figures (especially paragraph two) demonstrate exactly that.

 

Yes, as far as total jobs, but I have no idea how they arrived at their figures and gave an example that showed how Columbus could be ahead in the jobs picture.  It just depends how they arrived at their conclusion.  I hesitate to call them wrong when there is conflicting data that supports both claims.   

And just an FYI, here is the total % recovery through August 2012 from the bottom for each metro.

Columbus: 71.8%

Cincinnati: 62.5%

Cleveland: 33.3%

 

 

I would hardly say that any of the three Cs have "roared back" -- especially Columbus.

 

Columbus and Cincinnati are probably near the top % of metros as far as total jobs recovered from the recession.  So maybe not roared back exactly, but still doing well from a national picture.  Besides, the entire article was not based on the single metro of job growth, anyway.  It also talked about infrastructure and public works investments as well as the relationship between Democrats in Republicans within the metro and how it's related to the recovery.

Two recent economic reports from the Dispatch and Business First:

 

Columbus Dispatch: Regional jobless rate falls to 5.4%

 

Business First: Housing construction up nationally – although far behind Central Ohio surge

Roxane discussing west-side plant expansion, 240 new jobs

By Brian R. Ball, Business First staff reporter

Date: Friday, November 23, 2012, 6:00am EST

Last Modified: Tuesday, November 27, 2012, 11:25am EST

 

Pharmaceutical maker Boehringer Ingelheim Roxane Inc. plans to invest $50 million in its Wilson Road manufacturing complex as it begins to concentrate more on the market for generic drugs.

 

The project could mean 240 jobs as the company invests $18 million to expand the facility, $30 million for new equipment and $2 million in furniture and fixtures.  The plant employs 1,008 workers and has a base payroll of nearly $66 million.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/11/23/roxane-discussing-plant-expansion.html

IBM adding 500 jobs at new data analytics center in Columbus

By Carrie Ghose, Business First staff reporter

Date: Thursday, November 29, 2012, 12:05am EST

Last Modified: Thursday, November 29, 2012, 6:27am EST

 

IBM Corp. will establish an IBM Client Center for Advanced Analytics at its northwest Columbus campus, adding 500 jobs over the next three years.

 

Ron Lovell, an IBM vice president with 23 years in his native Columbus, will lead the center, which will be the global technology giant’s main hub for helping clients with business intelligence and forecasting.  It will be the company’s leader for “Big Data,” the emerging buzzword in IT for sifting through the unimaginable quantities of data produced by digital transactions, social media and mobile devices to find patterns that will help businesses run more efficiently and profitably.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2012/11/28/ibm-adding-500-jobs-at-new-data.html

A little more about IBM's new "Big Data" center from Business First:

 

IBM credits Cardinal Health, Huntington, Nationwide, Limited with helping bring center to Columbus

Tesla picks Dublin for electric car maker’s 1st service center in Ohio

Business First by Dan Eaton, Staff reporter

Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2012, 2:55pm EST

 

The Palo Alto, Calif.-based maker of electric cars is bringing a 3,000-square-foot service center and repair operation to 4140 Tuller Road, the company’s first facility of any kind in Ohio. ... The center is scheduled to open by March and will service much of the Midwest.  The company has 30 service locations open or in planning, but the bulk of those are on the coasts.  There is a service facility open in Chicago and one in the works for St. Louis.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2012/11/27/tesla-picks-dublin-for-electric-car.html

Nationwide Insurance's new $32 million, 5-story, 200,000 square foot office building at the northeast corner of Nationwide & Front (10 W. Nationwide Blvd.) opened today.  Columbus Business First looked at the building's opening in the context of Nationwide's other downtown offices.  The article also looks at the new office opening as part of Nationwide's 2010 pledge with the City of Columbus to move 1,400 employees from its suburban locations into downtown.  In return, the City agreed to assist in infrastructure upgrades to Nationwide Realty's Grandview Yard project, which borders Columbus.

 

Nationwide ready to bring 1,000 workers downtown

Business First by Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Date: Friday, December 7, 2012, 6:00am EST

 

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., already downtown Columbus’ largest private employer, expects to bring 1,000 more workers into the city by February as it nears completion of a new office building across the street from its headquarters.  Nationwide on Dec. 10 will begin relocating employees into the five-story office building at Nationwide Boulevard and Front Street from its retirement plans division in Dublin.

(. . .)

Nationwide and its affiliates already have about 8,200 workers downtown.  Once the relocation is complete, Nationwide will occupy six buildings with a combined 2.6 million square feet in and around the Arena District.

(. . .)

The relocation program fulfills a pledge Nationwide made in 2010 with the city to move 1,400 jobs from the suburbs.  Columbus officials, in return, promised financial assistance for upgrades to West Third Avenue and utilities serving Grandview Yard, the 100-acre mixed-use project straddling the boundary of Grandview Heights and Columbus.  Those infrastructure upgrades began this year.  The insurer’s real estate subsidiary, Nationwide Realty Investors, is developing Grandview Yard.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/12/07/nationwide-ready-to-shift-1000-jobs.html

 

1) 10 W. Nationwide Blvd. (opened today) - 5-story, 200,000 sq. ft. - 1,000 employees

2) 275 Marconi Blvd. (opened 2006) - 5-story, 130,000 sq. ft. - 800 employees

3) One Nationwide Plaza HQ Bldg. (opened 1976) - 40-story, 1.1 million sq. ft. - 3,800 employees

4) 215 N. Front St. (opened 1952) - 8-story, 143,000 sq. ft. - 90 employees

5) Three Nationwide Plaza (opened 1988) - 27-story, 700,000 sq. ft. - 2,500 employees

6) 280 Plaza/280 N. High St. (opened 1981) - 18-story, 313,000 sq. ft. - 950 employees

Business First had more about today's opening of Nationwide Insurance's new $32 million, 5-story, 200,000 square foot office building at Nationwide & Front in a non-restricted view article (linked below):

 

Business First: Nationwide begins moving suburban workers into new downtown offices

 

 

---

They also had a pretty good slideshow of the building's opening.  Fifteen photos, inside and outside:

 

Business First: First Look: Inside Nationwide's newest office building

 

Molina adding 226 jobs at new Columbus HQ

By Carrie Ghose, Staff reporter

Business First - Jan 4, 2013, 4:23pm EST

 

Molina Healthcare of Ohio plans to add 226 jobs this year as the managed-care company takes on an added caseload of Medicare and Medicaid recipients, Columbus Business First has learned.

 

The division of Long Beach, Calif.-based Molina Healthcare Inc. bought a 160,000-square-foot building at 3000 Corporate Exchange Drive in northeast Columbus December 20 to house its growing operation. ... Molina leases offices at 8101 N. High Street for about 425 employees and will gradually move them for a total head count of 650 in the new building by year’s end.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2013/01/molina-adding-226-jobs-at-new-columbus.html

Manufacturer's new digs gives new path to growth

By Dan Eaton, Staff reporter

Business First - Jan 4, 2013, 6:00am EST

 

Ernie Green Industries Inc. has a new home on the west side of Columbus and the diversified manufacturer is ready to fill it, including with work possibly relocated from China.  The company and its Ennovea plastics subsidiary relocated to a 37,000-square-foot complex at 2030 Dividend Drive in late 2012, giving them a centralized corporate home for the first time.  It also provides a base from which the company hopes to expand by bringing outsourced manufacturing back to the U.S. from China and developing new products, many targeted at the burgeoning medical and home health-care market.

(. . .)

The complex on the west side houses administrative offices and R&D operations, as well as some manufacturing and distribution. ... The Columbus plant makes medical inhalers and the CardioQuick Patch, a template for electrocardiogram leads.  The company over the summer acquired Variant Products, a maker of pharmaceutical-related products such as grinders, pill boxes and cutters.  Production is in China, with some consumer packaging handled at the west side plant, but Larry Jutte, president and chief operating officer, thinks manufacturing can be brought to the U.S.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2013/01/04/new-digs-new-path-to-growth.html

Recent article from Columbus Business First about how changes to Ohio Medicaid contracts and opportunities with health insurance exchanges required by the Affordable Care Act are adding jobs in Ohio and the Columbus area.  Ohio’s new Medicaid contracts require that the winning bidders base call centers for Ohio members within the state.  Below is a rundown of the job figures from the article (with the full article linked below):

 

- As previously posted here, Molina Healthcare of Long Beach, CA bought a Columbus office building in December to house its expanding operation and will add 226 jobs at that location.

- The Ohio subsidiary of St. Louis-based Centene Corp. plans to add 200 jobs in the state as part of its expansion - mostly clinical workers because it has an Ohio call center - 100 of the 200 jobs to be at its Columbus office.

- Minneapolis-based UnitedHealth Group said about 150 of 250 jobs it expects to add in the state would be at its Ohio headquarters in Westerville.

- Dayton-based nonprofit CareSource made 500 hires last year to handle a new contract in Kentucky.

- Toledo-based Paramount Health Care plans to hire but has not yet determined how many.

- Aetna Inc. did not win a statewide Medicaid contract, but is participating in a pilot project and expects to 100 jobs statewide.

 

Business First: Managed-care companies adding 1,000 jobs with Medicaid shift

Logistics firm TQL moving to Brewery District, adding 100 jobs

By Rick Rouan, Staff reporter

Business First - Jan 14, 2013, 10:57am EST

 

A Cincinnati-area truckload freight brokerage has moved its Columbus office downtown and plans to add 100 jobs in the next three years.

 

Total Quality Logistics LLC said it has left its offices at 4249 Easton Way, where it operated since it came to Columbus in 2011, for new digs at 640 S. Front Street in the Brewery District, next to Grange Mutual Casualty Co.’s headquarters.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/01/14/logistics-firm-tql-moving-to-brewery.html

Testing firm SEA mulling HQ consolidation in Columbus

SEA Ltd. looking to build at Busch Corporate Center to consolidate operations

By Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Business First - Jan 25, 2013, 8:18am EST

 

A forensic engineering company in north Columbus may develop a new headquarters at the Busch Corporate Center, where it also would move its research operation from Plain City.  SEA Ltd., based just outside Interstate 270, has pledged to add 30 engineering, research, science and technology jobs to its work force in return for a 10-year, 75 percent real estate tax abatement from the city.

 

Approval of the incentives agreement would spur construction of a 90,000- to 100,000-square-foot office building and research complex on 46 acres off Schrock Road, east of the Anheuser-Busch Cos.’ Columbus brewery.  The project is estimated to cost $9 million.  SEA, an abbreviation for Scientific Expert Analysis, has about 100 workers its 7349 Worthington-Galena Road center where it has operated for 30 years.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2013/01/25/sea-mulling-busch-for-hq-testing-lab.html

Cardinal Health restructuring to cost 180 jobs, including 20 in Dublin

By Carrie Ghose, Staff reporter

Business First - Jan 31, 2013, 11:01am EST

 

Cardinal Health Inc. said Wednesday it plans to cut about 180 jobs, including 20 at its Dublin headquarters, and take a pre-tax charge of $79 million as it restructures a unit in its medical supply division. ... The pharmaceutical and supply distributor outlined the costs in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, saying the charges will come from employee separations and an expected loss on selling real estate at its campus in Waukegan, Ill.

 

The company is closing the Chicago-area facility that assembles surgical kits, which are sterilized packages with instruments used in specific surgical procedures, and moving production to the two other facilities that make the kits in Fort Mill, S.C., and Juarez, Mexico.  The Waukegan facility employs about 650, but the net job loss to Cardinal will be about 100 as positions transfer to the other two sites.  Cardinal moved 700 jobs from Waukegan to Dublin five years ago.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/01/30/cardinal-health-restructuring-to-cost.html

PCM/Sarcom adding second operation with New Albany data center

By Carrie Ghose, Staff reporter

Business First - Jan 29, 2013, 3:44pm EST

 

National IT services provider PCM Inc. is adding to its largest subsidiary, Central Ohio’s PCM/Sarcom, by building a data center in New Albany.

 

The Sarcom division, which produces about one-third of PCM’s $1.5 billion in annual revenue, has been growing steadily since the Lewis Center company was acquired in 2007, said Joe Hayek, named Sarcom president in July.  It’s now at about 350 employees, up from 280 two years ago when the company was approved for a state job creation tax credit, and will add 15 to 20 workers this year.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/01/29/pcmsarcom-adding-second-operation.html

Columbus 2020 getting $1.8M funding boost from Third Frontier

By Jeff Bell, Staff reporter

Business First - Jan 29, 2013, 1:48pm EST

 

Columbus 2020 will receive $1.8 million to support the economic-development work it does as part of the JobsOhio Network. 

 

The Ohio Controlling Board released the money Monday with the funds to come from Ohio’s Third Frontier program.  Columbus 2020 was one of six regional development groups dividing more than $8 million.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/01/29/columbus-2020-getting-18m-funding.html

Time Warner adding more than 75 jobs in Columbus

By Evan Weese, Web coordinator

Business First - Feb 4, 2013, 4:13pm EST

 

Time Warner Cable plans to hire more than 75 new workers in Columbus to bolster its Time Warner Cable Business Class, technical support, telemarketing and other operations.  Following several rounds of hiring last year, the cable company – one of Central Ohio’s largest employers with nearly 1,900 workers in the region – will host recruiting sessions this week in Columbus, Findlay and Zanesville to fill a combined 120 jobs.

 

A primary driver of growth continues to be Time Warner Cable Business Class, which employs 335 workers in Central Ohio, said spokesman Mike Hogan.  The business provides phone, Internet, ethernet, cable TV and security services for companies.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/02/04/time-warner-adding-75-jobs-in-columbus.html

Organic grocer Lucky’s Market coming to Clintonville

 

Lucky’s Market is making a big leap into Ohio.

 

The 10-year-old organic and specialty grocer has two stores in its native Colorado but has picked Clintonville for its first out-of-state expansion. The store at 2770 N. High St. is scheduled to open Oct. 23.

 

Owners Bo and Trish Sharon said in a press release their goal is to provide a “foodie” experience for the shopper.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2013/10/organic-grocer-luckys-market-coming.html

Exel to expand Westerville HQ as new division eyes downtown Columbus

By Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Business First - Jan. 22, 2014, 3:52pm EST

 

A new freight brokerage division at Exel Inc. plans to relocate to the Warehouse District in downtown Columbus even as the third-party logistics division of Deutsche Post DHL gets a new deal to expand its North American headquarters in Westerville by 84 jobs.

 

Exel Freight Connect Inc. has tentative plans to move into 26,000 square feet on the vacant fourth floor of 226 N. Fifth St. as it builds up its staff to 117 employees during the next few years.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/01/22/exel-solidifies-expands-westerville.html

In 2012, IBM announced it was moving its world "Big Data" center to Columbus - more about that here, previously in this thread.  Now it looks like Ohio State University is in line for some upgrades to two of its campus buildings as a result of IBM's Big Data center.

 

OSU in line for $53M from state capital budget for Big Data program

By Carrie Ghose, Staff reporter

Business First - Jan. 23, 2014, 1:07pm EST

 

The Ohio Higher Education Funding Commission has recommended $52.8 million in state capital dollars to renovate two historic campus buildings at Ohio State University into the headquarters for the research and work-force training in Big Data that it’s promised IBM Corp.

 

The $37.2 million to renovate Pomerene Hall is the single largest project among $404 million in recommendations issued Thursday.  The other project for the data analytics hub is $15.6 million for Oxley Hall.

(. . .)

Ohio State had pledged greatly expanding its program training students in data analytics as part of the public-private coalition that in late 2012 wooed IBM to locate its IBM Client Center for Advanced Analytics in north Columbus.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/01/23/osu-in-line-for-53m-from-state.html

Ohio State to hire 50-60 faculty for Big Data program

By Carrie Ghose, Staff reporter

Columbus Business First - Feb. 5, 2014, 2:32pm EST

 

Ohio State University plans to hire 50 to 60 faculty over the next three years as it forms a Big Data research program and undergraduate major that will work across all of its colleges and departments, Provost Joe Steinmetz says.

 

It would cost $5 million to $7.5 million a year to staff the new data analytics program for which state higher education officials have recommended $53 million from the state capital budget for renovating Pomerene and Oxley halls to handle offices and technology.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/02/05/ohio-state-to-hire-50-60-faculty-for.html

Investment gains and milder weather help Nationwide to $1.3B operating profit for 2013

By Evan Weese, Staff reporter

Columbus Business First - Feb. 13, 2014, 12:54pm EST

 

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.’s operating income jumped to $1.3 billion in 2013 on record-high operating revenue, favorable investment returns and milder-than-expected weather.

 

Top-line revenue of $23.9 billion increased 6 percent from a year earlier and contributed to total net operating income of $1.3 billion, up 75 percent from $741 million in 2012, the Columbus-based insurer said.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/02/13/investment-gains-and-milder-weather.html

JPMorgan Chase, the country's largest bank, announced 8,000 layoffs last month.  Chase's large presence in Central Ohio will get off relatively easy, with 136 mortgage banking jobs being eliminated.  More about this is at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/02/25/jpmorgan-chase-laying-off-136-in.html

 

What's particularly galling is that Chase is saying this is part of a wider cost-cutting initiative from the company.  How about this "cost-cutting initiative"?  Cut CEO Jamie Dimon's $20 million salary!  Dimon got a 74% pay hike from his board of directors for doing such a great job last year.  Dimon great job performance was to oversee a record $20 Billion in fines levied to JPMorgan Chase over the course of the past year for a variety of transgressions that touched on the bank's business practices.  For this "great performance" Dimon will receive $18.5 million worth of stock bonuses in addition to $1.5 million base salary - up from the $10 million bonus plus his $1.5 million base salary from the previous year.  A 74% increase because, you know, he "earned" it.  More about this is in this post.

Couple of "big data" updates.  The first is about the Columbus Collaboratory, a partnership of seven Columbus corporations.

 

Battelle exec to join Columbus Collaboratory as interim CEO, budget raised to $33M

By Carrie Ghose, Staff reporter

Columbus Business First - March 5, 2014, 2:35pm EST

 

The seven Columbus corporations investing to create Columbus Collaboratory have raised the project budget to $33 million and hired an interim CEO from coalition member Battelle.  Brad Ashbrook, who has been leading Battelle’s internal efforts to help form the new data analytics and cybersecurity company, said in a statement to Columbus Business First he intends to stay involved after a permanent CEO is found.

 

The project is supported by $5 million in state bond money from the Ohio Third Frontier’s new Technology Asset Grant Program.  The founding corporations had pledged $3 million apiece over five years to support operations, for a $26 million total, when applying for the state aid in December.  They since upped that to $4 million apiece to support facilities and operations.  The group is seeking a site in or near downtown.

 

The collaborators are American Electric Power, Battelle, Cardinal Health, Huntington Bank, L Brands Inc. (formerly The Limited), Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and OhioHealth.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/03/05/battelle-exec-to-join-columbus.html

The second "big data" update is about how the Columbus Collaboratory, the Ohio State University and IBM's Big Data expansion at its northwest Columbus campus (called the IBM Client Center for Advanced Analytics) will be filling the hundreds of highly technical/high income jobs that are expected to be created.

 

Business First:  So, how will Columbus Collaboratory and other Big Data firms fill those jobs?

Apparently former JobsOhio head Mark Kvamme isn't the only one jumping into the Central Ohio venture capitalist milieu.  Former OSU basketball star and NBA player Michael Redd is also getting into the VC business:

 

Business First:  Former OSU star Michael Redd starts post-NBA life with venture capital firm

 

Aaron Renn (aka The Urbanophile) was in town recently and took another look at Columbus - five years after he wrote an article referring to Ohio's Capital City as “the new Midwestern star”:

 

http://www.urbanophile.com/2014/05/26/checking-in-on-columbus/

^who is Aaron Renn and why does anyone care what he has to say? Did anyone actually read the article? He was kind of dismissive of Columbus and most of the compliments were backhanded. The worst part was when he visited Columbus Commons park on an overcast Afternoon in the mide of the week and basically said "See!! I wrote 5 years ago that no one would use this park and I was 'vindicated' (his actual word) in my prediction!"

Yeah man. You visited a park for 15 min on a slow Tuesday. Thanks for doing a little research about the programming that actually happens there that brings huge crowds.  He came off as uninformed and clueless.

That's talk radio "one man's anecdotal observation is somehow scientific" logic.

^^ Well, he does run a pretty interesting urban affairs site at http://www.urbanophile.com/.  And he did speak at one of our Columbus Metro Club forums as few years ago.  Plus, the good folks over at CU seem to like him - enough to do a three-part interview with him (links posted below):

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/interview-the-urbanophile-checks-back-in-on-columbus-bw1

http://www.columbusunderground.com/interview-the-urbanophile-checks-back-in-on-columbus-bw1/2

http://www.columbusunderground.com/interview-the-urbanophile-checks-back-in-on-columbus-bw1/3

 

But jeremyck01 is right on the mark with Renn's comments about the Columbus Commons Park.  Certainly no one expects every comment about one's city to be positive.  But the Commons Park comments were a cheap shot.  As jeremy pointed out, the Commons Park was designed for large downtown crowds and is programmed that way: Columbus Symphony's Picnic With The Pops and other concerts, a massive annual Food Truck Festival, and large downtown gatherings like the being the HQ for Race For The Cure and Columbus Marathon, among others. --  And there are plently of more intimate smaller-scale parks nearby, like the Scioto Mile riverfront parks, Goodale Park to the north, Schiller Park to the south and the Topiary Park to the east.  If a couple of UO posters can find this out, an urban affairs expert certainly can.

 

As much good critique as Renn generates, he does seem to have an off-putting dismissive side.  Especially when it comes to the type of development projects we like to report on and follow here at UO.  He basically has an attitude of "everyone does that" and acts unimpressed when the urban basics are done well.  When he does that he comes off like a fashion critic who wants "something different" all the time.  But cities can't let the perfect always be the enemy of the good.

He also said Columbus, Indiana is probably better known than Columbus, Ohio:

I caused some pain for myself on a Columbus message board by suggesting that outside the United States, especially in Europe, Columbus, Indiana probably has better brand recognition than Columbus, Ohio and that among a certain social set if you just said, “Columbus”, the Indiana town is what would come to mind. This is because Columbus, Indiana has one of the world’s most important collections of modernist architecture by a who’s who of key architects. (It is an absolute must visit, incidentally, and be sure to sign up for the bus tour at the visitor’s center). It has an international reputation for this.

 

At least he acknowledged people disagreed.  But I still can't get past him saying that.  It's ridiculous. You could point out so many world class things in Columbus, but he really thinks that if you go to Europe you will run into more people who know of Columbus, Indiana (population 44k) than Columbus, Ohio... lol  I didn't even know there was a Columbus, Indiana until 4 years ago when I told someone from Indiana I was from Columbus and they thought I meant the Indiana one.  I guess that's my bad though.

 

He also says Louisville is famous because of the Kentucky Derby.  Which, I'm ashamed to say, I had no idea was in Louisville.  I knew it was in Kentucky and that's about it.  Louisville, to me, is known for the Louisville Slugger.

 

I think he has some ok ideas about certain things, but he's also a bit delusional.

 

 

He also said Columbus, Indiana is probably better known than Columbus, Ohio:

I caused some pain for myself on a Columbus message board by suggesting that outside the United States, especially in Europe, Columbus, Indiana probably has better brand recognition than Columbus, Ohio and that among a certain social set if you just said, “Columbus”, the Indiana town is what would come to mind. This is because Columbus, Indiana has one of the world’s most important collections of modernist architecture by a who’s who of key architects. (It is an absolute must visit, incidentally, and be sure to sign up for the bus tour at the visitor’s center). It has an international reputation for this.

 

At least he acknowledged people disagreed.  But I still can't get past him saying that.  It's ridiculous. You could point out so many world class things in Columbus, but he really thinks that if you go to Europe you will run into more people who know of Columbus, Indiana (population 44k) than Columbus, Ohio... lol  I didn't even know there was a Columbus, Indiana until 4 years ago when I told someone from Indiana I was from Columbus and they thought I meant the Indiana one.  I guess that's my bad though.

 

He also says Louisville is famous because of the Kentucky Derby.  Which, I'm ashamed to say, I had no idea was in Louisville.  I knew it was in Kentucky and that's about it.  Louisville, to me, is known for the Louisville Slugger.

 

I think he has some ok ideas about certain things, but he's also a bit delusional.

 

I'm not a very big fan of Aaron.  He's from Indiana so expect him to boost anything Indiana.  He can be harsh on Indianapolis at times, but when Columbus clearly excels over Indy in a lot of regards he will speak highly of Indianapolis over Columbus.  I think he sees Ohio in general as a competitor like most from surrounding states and will quickly use comments like "Columbus, Indiana being a bigger brand name than our capital city.

In MASSIVE news...

 

:clap:

 

Nationwide moving 3,400 workers from Dublin as it builds new corporate campus at Grandview Yard

 

 

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. is bringing its employees in from the suburbs in a seismic shift that will see the company vacate long-held offices in Dublin while greatly expanding Grandview Yard and giving a boost to the Arena District and downtown Columbus.

 

In all, about 3,600 employees in Dublin and Westerville will relocate as part of the move, which will take place in stages as leases expire.

 

Brian Ellis, president of the insurer’s Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. affiliate, said the shift represents “an outstanding opportunity” to move workers into company-owned buildings while improving their work environment and the company’s efficiency by having its 13,000-plus area employees all within a couple miles of each other.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/06/27/nationwide-moving-3-400-workers-from-dublin-as-it.html

Hey Progressive - take note

A bit disappointing that Nationwide won't build a new tower for all those workers, but that disappointment is mitigated by the fact that the new complex will essentially be Downtown and will have a fairly strong influence on the future of the area.  We may end up seeing some larger scale residential projects come up because of it, including (finally) the one that's supposed to happen at the old casino site in the AD.

Hey Progressive - take note

 

Chase too.  They're not based in Columbus, of course, but they have increased the workforce in the area by thousands in recent years.  But all those increases have been in the far-flung suburbs. 

And now they're moving again to Dublin.

And now they're moving again to Dublin.

 

Who's moving to Dublin? Chase?

Jeni’s: We want to join downtown revival with new HQ

 

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams LLC could be coming downtown.

 

With its headquarters, that is.

 

Columbus City Council Monday approved a five-year, 50 percent downtown office incentive for the ice cream maker to consolidate multiple office spaces north of Grandview Heights into a downtown operation.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2014/07/jeni-s-we-want-to-join-downtown-revival-with-new.html

^ That is great to hear this news about Jeni's.  The company has come a long way since Jeni Britton Bauer opened a stall in the North Market in 2002.  Now it looks like she's returning downtown just down the street from where she began.  According to today's report in the Dispatch - http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2014/07/15/jeni-plans-to-move-headquarters-to-arena-district.html - Jeni's would be moving into 17,000 square feet of space in 401 N. Front Street.  That's the four-story retail/office building built in the late 1990's/early 2000's located immediately east of Nationwide Arena and immediately north of the historic Ohio Moline Plow building.

 

According to the previously posted Business First report, Jeni's has 5,000 sq. ft. in two buildings on Chesapeake Avenue off Northwest Boulevard (which is located in Clinton Township).  They also have a 2,500 sq. ft. bakery next their offices.  Jeni's production facility/kitchen is in 10,000 sq. ft. at 909 Michigan Avenue in Harrison West.

 

According to the Dispatch report, Jeni's intends to move 40 current employees into the 401 N. Front Street space and to create 15 additional positions.  They plan to begin moving in August, complete the move by next April and invest $200,000 in improvements, equipment and fixtures at the 17,000 sq. ft. 401 N. Front location.