Welcome to Ohio's #1 Era

Here's what every state should be studying from the ultimate economic comeback story.

Speed-to-market was a new factor added to CNBC's ranking this year, reflecting what CEOs want most right now. As a private nonprofit funded by liquor-profit revenue, JobsOhio isn't slowed by bureaucracy or legislative cycles. It can move at the speed of business. Lots of places talk about speed. This pioneering structure underpins it.

Ohio picked 5 super sectors to go all in on. You can trace today's results back to this focus: a booming Aerospace and Defense cluster around Wright-Patterson AFB. Massive energy investment in southern Ohio. A life sciences cluster in Columbus that one pharma exec recently told me rivals Research Triangle Park. Meanwhile, I still talk to many states who just want to be "industry agnostic." The lesson: find your strengths and lean in.

I've traveled to every corner of Ohio and the cohesion and alignment is unmistakable. At the center is J.P. Nauseef, who evangelizes Ohio every day, in every room he's in. He and JobsOhio have brought the entire state along in believing in, and sharing in, Ohio's economic rebound. The importance of buy-in is easy to overlook, but as J.P. told me: "It might take a little longer, but it's also stickier and has more resilience."

Before Standard & Works, I spent 13+ years working with Fortune 500 companies. I can honestly say: the JobsOhio team's execution ability is on par with the most iconic brands in the world. Day in and day out they put Ohio on the world's largest stages, whether it's CES, Farnborough, or BIO. They creatively attack and win the biggest deals. To win Fortune 500 companies, this is an organization that thinks and operates like one.

Ohio is a state defined by its industrious, dedicated, and kind people. That shows up in the workforce that CEOs I've interviewed rave about. While replicating this exact ethos isn't realistic, Ohio demonstrates how embedding economic growth into a place's core identity elevates everyone.

West Virginia sunk to 46 in this year's ranking. Part of why the state is making a push to adopt the JobsOhio model. Pennsylvania, which ascended from 17 to 13 this year, hired a JobsOhio veteran as Chief Commercial Officer in 2024.