Jefferson County Port Authority

What Jefferson County Port Authority does

The Jefferson County Port Authority is a public government entity — specifically a political subdivision of the State of Ohio — that serves as the comprehensive economic development agency for Jefferson County, Ohio. Headquartered at 500 Market St., 1st Floor, Suite 3 in Steubenville, the organization is led by Executive Director Robert Naylor and a nine-member volunteer Board of Directors drawn from private-sector leadership across real estate, law, mining, retail (Walmart), manufacturing, and professional services. With a staff of 1-10 employees, it serves as the single point of contact for businesses evaluating site selection, relocation, or expansion in Jefferson County.

The Port Authority's core service offering comprises four pillars: (1) a Zoom Prospector site database enabling searchable access to commercial, industrial, office, retail, and land parcels, with staff-coordinated property tours; (2) business incentives administration covering Ohio Enterprise Zone tax abatements, industrial revenue bond financing, capital lease structures, and tax increment financing; (3) workforce development facilitation through OhioMeansJobs Jefferson County and educational partnerships with Franciscan University of Steubenville and Eastern Gateway Community College; and (4) direct management of income-producing real estate assets including the county-owned Jefferson County Industrial Park (with available parcels of 26, 4.8, 9, and 8 acres, and existing tenants National Colloid, Certwood, Bully Tools, Riley Petroleum, and R-Way Trucking) and the Franciscan Square mixed-use development (anchored by a 133-room Best Western Plus Hotel plus retail/restaurant/office space). There is no software product, proprietary platform, or technology stack beyond the third-party Zoom Prospector database.

The organization operates on a non-commercial revenue model. It does not charge fees for its core services. It is funded through a public-private partnership structure: Gold-level financial sponsorship from Jefferson County government and the City of Steubenville, with Silver and Bronze tier private sector sponsors. Revenue and ARR figures are not disclosed. Its primary "customers" are inbound site selectors and expanding employers — including major tenants such as TIMET (Berkshire Hathaway-owned titanium processing, 600+ employees), JSW Steel, and Trinity Health — but the Port Authority does not earn revenue from these relationships in the conventional sense; rather, they represent tax base and employment growth that justify continued public investment. Distribution is geographic (county-wide) and partner-mediated via JobsOhio, APEG, and OMEGA.

Name

Jefferson County Port Authority

Legal name

Jefferson County Port Authority

Website

https://jcport.com

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Jefferson County Port Authority is a public-government economic development agency for Jefferson County, Ohio, providing site selection, incentive coordination, workforce development, and property management for businesses relocating to or expanding in the county.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

SIC

Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)

Keywords

• Economic development
• Port authority
• Industrial parks
• Site selection
• Workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Steubenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

No factual information about the company's core offerings is present in the provided source content.

Product overview

The Jefferson County Port Authority operates as the county's comprehensive economic development agency, offering a unified portfolio of services rather than a software product. Its core offerings include a comprehensive Zoom Prospector site database for property searches, coordinated property tours, business incentive programs (state and local tax abatements, revenue bond financing, capital lease structures), workforce development facilitation through OhioMeansJobs and local educational institutions, and management of key commercial properties including Franciscan Square (retail/restaurant/office mixed-use development) and the Jefferson County Industrial Park (with multiple available parcels and existing tenants). The organization connects businesses with available sites, financing mechanisms, and workforce resources to facilitate relocation and expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and moderate.

• JobsOhiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio's non-profit economic development organization that provides tax credits, performance-based grants, and low-interest financing. Port Authority works closely with JobsOhio from initial project inquiry through incentive contract execution.
• Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth (APEG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppalachian regional affiliate of JobsOhio serving as the initial point of contact for proposed projects. APEG Project Manager Ed Looman has office space in Steubenville and works side-by-side with Port Authority on development proposals.
• Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association (OMEGA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional 10-county organization facilitating millions in federal investment into local infrastructure annually. Also offers low-interest financing to retail or industrial start-ups and expansion projects.
• Franciscan University of SteubenvillemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-renowned Catholic university with 2,100 undergrad and 350 graduate students, employing 370+ full-time individuals. Created Franciscan Square development bringing restaurants, office complexes, and 133-room Best Western Plus Hotel.
• Eastern Gateway Community CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity college offering associate's degrees and workforce training. Welding lab underwent $600,000 upgrade in 2016. Located in Jefferson County with Pugliese Training Center for workforce development.
• Jefferson County Chamber of CommercemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal chamber providing business resources and support for small business development in Jefferson County.
• SBDC Small Business Development CentermoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal program providing small business development assistance and resources.
• MCBI Regional Business IncubatormoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional business incubator providing support for startup businesses in the area.
• OhioMeansJobs Jefferson CountymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerState workforce development office managing Ohio's Office of Workforce Development programs, job training funding, and tax credits for eligible workers.
• Norfolk SouthernmoderateTechnology or IntegrationRail service provider serving Jefferson County along the river corridor, connecting to over 500 acres of dual rail industrial sites with river barge service.
• Wheeling & Lake Erie RailwaymoderateTechnology or IntegrationRail service provider serving former steel mill sites in Jefferson County, enabling industrial development with multimodal transportation access.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Greater Cleveland Partnership: The leading economic development organization for the greater Cleveland region, providing site selection, business attraction, and advocacy services — comparable in function but operating at a much larger metropolitan scale in Ohio.
• Dayton Development Coalition: A regional economic development organization for the Dayton region focused on job creation, capital investment, and site selection — comparable in function but serving a different Ohio geography.
• Regional Growth Partnership: Northwest Ohio's economic development partnership serving the Toledo region with site selection, business attraction, and incentive coordination — comparable in function but operating in a different Ohio geography.
• Team NEO: Northeast Ohio's regional business attraction and expansion organization providing site selection, market data, and incentive coordination — comparable in function but focused on a different Ohio geography.

Direct peers

• Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority: An Ohio port authority serving Lucas County that provides industrial site development, multimodal logistics, and economic development services — directly comparable as a county-level Ohio port authority with bond financing and incentive administration capabilities.
• Belmont County Port Authority: An adjacent eastern Ohio county port authority serving the Ohio Valley region with industrial site development and economic development programming — directly comparable as a small-county Ohio port authority operating in the same Appalachian region.
• Columbiana County Port Authority: A neighboring eastern Ohio county port authority focused on industrial site development, business financing, and economic development — directly comparable in scope, structure, and regional economic context.
• Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth (APEG): JobsOhio's regional affiliate serving eastern Appalachian Ohio with project management and incentive coordination — directly comparable in mission and operations, and a co-located partner with the Jefferson County Port Authority.
• Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association (OMEGA): A 10-county regional council of governments facilitating federal infrastructure investment and low-interest financing for industrial and retail projects — directly comparable as a regional economic development and financing partner.

Broad incumbents

• JobsOhio: Ohio's statewide private nonprofit economic development corporation that provides tax credits, performance-based grants, and low-interest financing — broader in scope but overlapping in mandate, and an active partner of Jefferson County Port Authority.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Jefferson County Port Authority