Steve Stivers: A win, thanks to DeWine and Husted leading
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, February 15, 2022
It was an honor to attend the announcement a few weeks ago that Intel would be building a $20 billion semiconductor facility in Ohio.
Winning the largest economic development project in Ohio history didn’t occur by happenstance. Ohio won this project thanks to the steadfast, pro-business leadership of Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted.
Mike DeWine has been relentless in selling Ohio—no state has had more new development projects per capita than Ohio since Mike DeWine became governor.
The Intel megaproject will not only bring more than 20,000 good-paying jobs to Ohio, but it will also provide enormous opportunity to businesses, communities and families in all corners of the state for generations to come. More than 140 existing Ohio businesses across the state are already a part of Intel’s supply chain and the project is expected to bring additional new businesses to Ohio to support the supply chain.
As a major general in the Ohio Army National Guard, I am also excited about the national security implications of this announcement. We cannot afford to outsource national security products to China. These chips will not only power everything from phones and cars to home appliances and computers, but also military equipment, so they must be manufactured right here at home in the U.S.
With an eye toward Ohio’s future, DeWine and Husted took action to not only make Ohio the global epicenter for chip manufacturing but rebuild a sustainable domestic semiconductors supply chain critical for American prosperity and national security.
Broken down, the Intel megaproject will generate more than 20,000 jobs in the state, including:
• 3,000 direct Intel jobs earning an average of $135,000 per year (plus benefits).
• 7,000 construction jobs over the course of the build, and tens of thousands of additional indirect and support jobs.
• The project is projected to add $2.8 billion to Ohio’s annual gross state product.
I could not be more proud of our state and the bold, innovative leadership we have in DeWine and Husted. We know Ohio is second to none when it comes to talent, public-private collaboration and dedication to excellence and hard work. Now, it’s time to show the world.
Steve Stivers is president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce