One Team + One Mission

Team NEO advances Northeast Ohio’s economy by attracting businesses worldwide to the 16-county Cleveland Plus region.

Team Northeast Ohio unites the region to accelerate economic growth by serving as the central point for business attraction. We are a nonprofit joint venture of the region’s largest metro chambers, privately funded to market the 16-county Cleveland Plus® region.

We are a central resource, informing and serving those considering their initial investment with expansion or relocation into Northeast Ohio.

Team NEO collaborates across 16 counties to:

  • Generate high-quality, targeted business attraction opportunities
  • Successfully manage leads with state and local partners
  • Promote regional teamwork

Significant Impact

Team NEO employs 15 professional staff members and operates with a $3 million annual budget. Based on historical results, Team NEO’s regional average annual economic impact is nearly $70 million, a 20:1 ROI on each dollar invested.

  • $3 million annual budget
  • Generating more than 85 new qualified business attraction opportunities annually
  • Attracting more than 10 new companies per year
  • Creating more than 1,100 new jobs each year
  • More than $35 million in new payroll annually
  • Nearly $70 million in regional annual economic benefit

Funding Partners

  •  
  • Timken Foundation
  • (Council of Smaller Enterprises)
  • Dominion

Together our organizations build the foundation of The Greater Team NEO.

History

The Team NEO concept emerged in 2002 in response to the business community’s need for a strategically coordinated economic development agenda that leverages the strengths of Northeast Ohio.

Established in November 2003, Team Northeast Ohio (NEO) was founded by FirstEnergy Corporation, the Greater Akron Chamber, the Stark Development Board, the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce, the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber, and the Greater Cleveland Partnership to align the region’s economic development efforts.

In January, 2007, Team NEO focused its mission on business attraction, realizing that with Northeast Ohio’s tremendous assets and communities, marketing the collective region would exponentially increase business opportunities. Since targeting its focus, Team NEO has helped attract 20 new companies to Northeast Ohio, bringing more than 2500 new jobs worth $75 million in new annual payroll and nearly $150 million in incremental economic benefit to the 16-county region of Northeast Ohio.

Team NEO is a founder of the Cleveland Plus Marketing Alliance, with the Greater Cleveland Partnership and Positively Cleveland. The Alliance was formed in 2006 to develop collaborative travel and business strategic long-term regional branding and marketing for Northeast Ohio. For more information, visit