Greater Akron Offers Bounty of Options for Work and Play
Published Apr 13, 2009
The Greater Akron region, comprised of Summit, Portage and Medina counties, is rich in history, commerce, industry and culture.
While the region built its commerce on rubber and tire production, it has transformed itself into a world-class center for research and development in a variety of high-tech industries, including polymers and liquid-crystal development.
In recent years, more than $2.5 billion in private capital has been invested in new plants and plant expansions, a testament that the region’s economic and business climate is ideal for growing businesses. Greater Akron is home to more than 21,000 enterprises, including more than 150 Fortune 500 companies.
For the second straight year, Site Selection magazine ranked Akron No. 2 among metros with populations of 200,000 to 1 million for new business expansions and locations. Bridgestone Americas will build a $100 million technical center adjacent to its Akron operations. A $900 million development will be anchored by the new 450,000-square-foot world headquarters for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and include 1.2 million square feet of office, retail and residential space.
A public- and private-sector partnership in October 2008 launched the BioInnovation Institute to capitalize on Greater Akron’s traditional strengths in research, education and health care to create a nationally distinctive center of excellence for biomaterials and medicine.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded a five-year grant of up to $25 million to Cleveland-based OneCommunity, an acclaimed expert in helping communities create sustainable universal access, to create the Knight Center of Digital Excellence in Akron. The center will support deployment of networking technology for community-based digital-access projects and extend broadband Internet connections for community residents and businesses.
Akron is in the heart of Northeastern Ohio, a 4 million-population region that is home to major league sports in baseball, football and basketball, hosts a major pro golf event and offers such cultural treasures as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, renowned art museums and a host of performing arts venues. You can tour local wineries, sample the creations of internationally renowned chefs, expand your mind at the National Inventors Hall Of Fame, and soak up the vibrant and varied nightlife.
With its versatility, cosmopolitan flair, low cost of living, outstanding cultural access, history of innovation and ever-growing employment opportunities, it’s easy to see why Greater Akron is the ideal place to work, live and play.
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