About:

Team NEO advances Northeast Ohio’s economy by attracting businesses worldwide to the 16-county Cleveland Plus region. The organization is a joint venture of the region's largest metro chambers of commerce.

Fund Support:

$10.43 million

Performance:

Northeast Ohio is recognized by national site selectors as an attractive destination for growing companies. Since 2007, the organization has attracted 52 new company operations, 4,900 new jobs and more than $189 million in annual payroll to Northeast Ohio, leading to a total annual regional payroll benefit of $333 million.

 

2012 Update:

  • Team NEO has elected three regional business leaders to its board: John Brown, president, Richland Bank; James R. Clay, chairman and Westfield Group leader, CEO, Westfield Insurance and Westfield Bank; and Christopher M. Kelly, partner-in-charge, Cleveland, Jones Day. The three business leaders join a group dedicated to advancing Northeast Ohio’s economy through strategic regional collaboration.
  • Jessica Chapman joined Team NEO as Manager, Marketing Communications and will focus on digital communications for the organizaiton.
  • Selas Heat Technology, a combustion heating company will locate in Portage County bringing 22 jobs and $1.25M in annual payroll to the region.
  • Team NEO hosted executives from Chesapeake and Halliburton for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame FAM Tour, which focused on the Oil & Gas sector.  
  • Organized and hosted a 60-person delegation from Portland (Greater Portland, Inc.), which selected Northeast Ohio for its 2012 best practices trip. The group includes business, economic development, academic, and state and local government leaders. The trip was sponsored by Greater Portland, Inc., which is the Portland-Vancouver regional economic development partnership. Greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio were selected due to the demonstrable strides that have been made in economic development in the last ten years.
  • In coordination with JobsOhio, Team NEO convened 16 oil and gas industry representatives to speak to 20+ NE Ohio, state and Appalachia economic development professionals.  The panel presentations were designed to help the region better understand how the oil and gas supply chain (relative to shale opportunity) is likely to develop.
  • Chief Executive Officer Tom Waltermire was named marketing executive of the year by the Akron Chapter of Sales and Marketing Executives International. 
  • Jennifer A. Spencer joins Team NEO as manager, business attraction. Spencer will manage and execute business attraction projects designed to encourage new investment into the Cleveland Plus region. Her responsibilities will include connecting prospective businesses with a variety of resources, from properties and supply chain partners to financial incentive options. 
  • Team NEO has elected two regional business leaders to its board: Stuart W. Cordell, partner, Warren and Young, Ashtabula; and Daniel P. Walsh Jr., president, Greater Cleveland region, Huntington National Bank. These new trustees will contribute to the board’s ongoing efforts to strengthen regional collaboration and advance Northeast Ohio’s economy.
  • Team NEO reports four "wins"  region bringing new jobs and adding payroll to the region: Exterran(adds 51 jobs and $1.17m in payroll); Exterran (103 jobs, $4.9m payroll); Phillips Medical (100 jobs, $7.9m);Selas Heat Technology (22 jobs, $1.25m payroll). 
  • Team NEO ended 2011 with strong results:  In partnership with local economic development organizations and the state of Ohio, Team NEO recruited 11 new companies to the 18 counties of Northeast Ohio in 2011. These new companies represent a record setting 1,430 new jobs and $52 million in new direct annual payroll – the highest job count and annual payroll contribution since the program began in 2007.  
  • Released the Q4 Cleveland Plus Quarterly Economic Review reports that Northeast Ohio's economy continues to grow. Year-over-year employment has grown for the past six consecutive quarters and the region's unemployment rate is lower than the national average. Read more in the Q4 Cleveland Plus Quarterly Economic Review.
  • Stephanie Mercado, Esq., former executive director of the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, has joined Team NEO’s  JobsOhio office as a business development director.
  • David Tholt, a vice president and senior portfolio manager with Huntington, joins Team NEO as an executive-in-residence with its JobsOhio regional office.  As executive-in-residence, Tholt will share his 24 years of finance and banking acumen with the Team NEO staff and with business leaders seeking to establish new operations – or grow their companies – within Northeast Ohio. He also will offer counsel and information to the many local economic development organizations and professionals affiliated with Team NEO.
  • Received a $475,000 grant from Team NEO (funds from Third Frontier to support Team NEO’s responsibilities as one of six JobsOhio Network Regional Partners across the state) for direct-to-company business attraction in strategic industry sectors.