Columbus 2020

What Columbus 2020 does

Columbus 2020, operating primarily as One Columbus (and also branded as the Columbus Partnership and Columbus Region), is a private non-profit economic development organization founded in 2010 and headquartered at 150 S. Front St., Suite 200, Columbus, Ohio. The organization serves an 11-county central Ohio region — Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Knox, Licking, Logan, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Pickaway, and Union counties — providing business attraction, retention, and expansion services to prospective and existing companies. Its service portfolio includes site selection assistance, incentive program navigation, workforce development coordination, permitting support, and community connections; the organization does not charge businesses for these services. Funding is sourced from a coalition of private investors via the Columbus Partnership, JobsOhio (Ohio's private economic development corporation), the State of Ohio, and other public-sector partners.

The organization's service delivery is structured as a collaborative economic development ecosystem — "The Columbus Way" — comprising One Columbus for core economic development, the Columbus Partnership as the CEO/business-leader coalition, Smart Columbus for smart-city and digital-equity initiatives (including the ConnectUS Coalition targeting 20,000 devices by end of 2027 for Franklin County households), and the Mid-Ohio Development Exchange for regional coordination. Specialized programs include the LinkUS regionwide mobility initiative (with COTA), workforce STEM and fiber-splicing training delivered in partnership with AWS, and the ED411 annual conference. The entity markets through columbusregion.com, social media (Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube), email newsletters, the ED411 event, and press releases.

Underlying "technology" in the product sense is not applicable; the organization's intellectual capital is concentrated in proprietary regional data (demographics, available real estate, incentive program structures), long-standing stakeholder relationships, and a quasi-governmental mandate as the region's designated economic development body. Performance is measured in regional economic-development outcomes — $10 billion in capital investment secured, $2 billion in new payroll, over 1,700 manufacturing establishments, and approximately 650,000 cars produced annually yielding $2.7 billion in automotive-related economic output — rather than through conventional revenue metrics. The region itself hosts 16 Fortune 1000 companies, 2.3 million people in the talent pool, 150,000 enrolled college students across 52 college campuses, and is ranked #1 in the Midwest for GDP growth.

Name

Columbus 2020

Legal name

The Columbus Partnership

Website

https://columbusregion.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Columbus 2020, operating as One Columbus, is a private non-profit economic development organization serving an 11-county central Ohio region, providing business attraction, expansion, retention, site selection, and workforce development services funded through public and private partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Site selection assistance
• Business attraction support
• Workforce development programs
• Regional growth strategy

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Columbus 2020 (operating as One Columbus and Columbus Partnership) is the regional economic development organization for the 11-county Columbus Region in Ohio. It provides free services to businesses seeking to start, expand, or relocate in the region, including site selection, incentive negotiation, workforce development coordination, permitting support, and community connections. The organization works in concert with partners such as JobsOhio, the State of Ohio, Mid-Ohio Development Exchange, and Smart Columbus to drive capital investment and job creation in the region.

Product overview

Columbus 2020 (operating as One Columbus/Columbus Region) is an economic development organization serving an 11-county region in central Ohio. The organization functions as a platform providing regional economic development services through interconnected programs including One Columbus for business attraction and expansion, the Columbus Partnership for leadership and stakeholder engagement, and Smart Columbus for innovation and smart city initiatives. Key service offerings include site selection assistance, workforce development coordination, incentive program navigation, and the ConnectUS digital inclusion coalition. The organization hosts the annual ED411 conference as a professional development and networking platform for economic development professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regional Site Selection & Business Location Services
• Workforce Development Coordination
• Incentives Navigation & Negotiation Support
• Smart City Innovation Programs
• ConnectUS Digital Inclusion Initiative

Quantifiable outcome

• $10B capital investment secured
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, flagship and core.

• WhirlpoolmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025Whirlpool announced a $300 million investment to expand manufacturing facilities in Clyde and Marion, Ohio, creating at least 448 jobs. Expansion reflects Ohio's strong manufacturing ecosystem.
• Anduril IndustriesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2025Defense technology company establishing a five-million-square-foot advanced manufacturing facility (Arsenal-1) in Pickaway County. Project represents largest single job creation and new payroll project in Ohio's history with over 4,000 production and service jobs by 2035. Capital investment of over $900 million.
• JobsOhiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio's private economic development corporation that works with state and local partners to attract new businesses and jobs to Ohio. JobsOhio is a key partner in the Columbus economic development ecosystem.
• State of OhiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government partner providing economic development support, incentives, and regulatory assistance for businesses expanding or relocating to Ohio.
• Mid-Ohio Development Exchange (MODE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development organization serving the mid-Ohio area, working collaboratively with One Columbus on economic development initiatives.
• Columbus PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA coalition of CEOs and business leaders committed to economic growth and community development in the Columbus Region. Serves as the private sector leadership arm of the Columbus economic development ecosystem.
• Smart ColumbuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation lab focused on smart city initiatives, technology innovation, and digital equity. Part of the Columbus Partnership's innovation ecosystem.
• IntelflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntel is building a $20 billion semiconductor manufacturing complex in New Albany - the first chip manufacturing facility in the Midwest. Represents major advanced manufacturing investment in the region.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWS is building data centers in Union County (two facilities of 1 million square feet each) with educational initiatives including 'Think Big Space' STEM programs in local schools and fiber splicing instruction at Tolles Career & Technical Center.
• GooglemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoogle operates and is building additional data centers in Lancaster, Ohio, including an 'Employee Hub' for employee gatherings and services.
• ConnectUS CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of 60+ organizations led by Smart Columbus addressing digital divide. Local corporate partners donate retired and refurbished devices with goal of providing 20,000 devices by end of 2027 to address 110,000 Franklin County households lacking digital devices beyond smartphones.
• Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOTA leads LinkUS, a regionwide mobility initiative designed to improve transportation access for residents to reach jobs, services, and recreational opportunities.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC): Regional economic development organization for the Phoenix metro that performs business attraction, retention, and expansion services for a multi-county region. Highly comparable in mission and operating model to One Columbus, and a direct competitor for corporate relocation projects in the Sun Belt vs. Midwest corridor.
• Greater Houston Partnership: Houston's combined chamber and economic development organization, integrating business leadership and economic development services across a multi-county metro. Mirrors the Columbus Partnership/One Columbus public-private integration model and competes for large corporate HQ and energy/manufacturing relocations.
• Metro Atlanta Chamber (Economic Development): Chamber-led economic development arm for the Atlanta metro, providing site selection, workforce, and incentive support. Operates a similar member-investor-supported model and competes directly for Southeast/Midwest corporate relocation deals.
• Charlotte Regional Business Alliance: Regional business and economic development organization for the Charlotte Region, formed by merger of the Chamber and EDC. Closely comparable in mission (regional economic growth, business attraction/expansion, workforce), funding model (investor-supported nonprofit), and Sun Belt competitive positioning.
• Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce: Chamber and economic development organization serving Middle Tennessee, delivering site selection, talent, and policy advocacy. Comparable mission and Sun Belt competitive overlap with Columbus for millennial-driven relocations and corporate HQ attraction.
• Greater MSP (Minneapolis-Saint Paul): Regional economic development partnership for the Twin Cities metro, performing business attraction, retention, and workforce services. Directly comparable in mission and structure, and a Midwest peer competing for similar corporate expansion projects.
• San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation: Independent nonprofit EDC providing business attraction, retention, and expansion services for San Diego County. Comparable mission, governance, and nonprofit investor-funded model, although operating in a coastal market rather than Midwest.
• Pittsburgh Regional Alliance: Regional economic development partnership serving the Pittsburgh metro and southwestern Pennsylvania. Comparable in mission (business attraction, retention, expansion) and structure (investor-supported nonprofit), and a fellow Rust Belt/Rust Belt-adjacent peer navigating manufacturing transition.

Others

• JobsOhio: Ohio's statewide private economic development corporation and a Core partner of Columbus 2020/One Columbus. Comparable in mission (job creation and capital investment attraction) but operates at the state level rather than regional level; relevant as a sibling/funder entity rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber: Chamber and economic development organization for the Cincinnati region, with overlapping industry focus in advanced manufacturing, logistics, and financial services. Operates in Ohio (same state) but in a different metro, serving as a regional peer and occasional collaborator on statewide economic development initiatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CBUSRegion
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/cbusregion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/onecolumbus
• Instagraminstagram.com/columbusregion

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Columbus 2020