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Columbus A vision for the region’s economic future
OHIO STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
By Jennifer Wray
THE NEWS, ultimately, was good: NetJets announced it would not only remain in Columbus, but also expand—adding 800 jobs to the 2,000 it already had in the city. But around every silver lining is a dark cloud. The fact that the region had almost lost the operational headquarters of NetJets, a fractional jet ownership/charter company, proved to be a wake-up call for local business and economic development leaders. They vowed not to let such a close call happen again. Before its 2008 announcement, NetJets had considered expanding elsewhere. It took a several months-long, allhands-on-deck effort—one that included $67 million in direct state and local incentives, as well as indirect support from the state, city and the Columbus Regional Airport Authority—to persuade the company to stay.
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