Cincinnati Ohio Economic Development

Partnership Launches GrowthForce to Accelerate Business Expansion and Retention Efforts

Contact:
Chris Kemper
Public Relations Director
513.579.3194
CKemper@cincinnatichamber.com

CINCINNATI—May 13, 2011 – The Cincinnati USA Partnership announced today the
launch of GrowthForce, a reengineered business expansion and retention initiative
designed to cultivate and accelerate the growth of regional businesses.

“The key to economic development will always be the vibrancy of our diverse, existing
business base,” said David Dougherty, the interim executive director of the Cincinnati
USA Partnership. “We work tirelessly to attract new businesses to the area, and now
GrowthForce will nurture the success and expansion of companies that already employ
people and make our community a great place to live and work.”

GrowthForce is led by the Partnership, the economic development initiative directed by
the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.

Through GrowthForce, the Partnership will provide businesses with information about
common needs such as identifying sources of capital, assistance in recruiting and
training a talented workforce, potential tax incentives and abatements and networking
and marketing opportunities that will lead to new customers. GrowthForce also aligns
with the Chamber’s goal of advocating for pro-business government policies and
regulations.

GrowthForce is built on the twenty-year success of the Partnership’s Regional Business
Retention Committee (RBRC), a volunteer group of 30 business leaders that proactively
meets with business owners to confidentially discuss their growth plans, opportunities
and challenges.

The initiative is a collaborative effort that builds upon the existing volunteer network and
adds the strength of resources from partners such as the private sector, local
communities, economic development organizations, and regional workforce investment
boards across the three-state, 15-county Cincinnati USA region.

The Partnership’s goal is to increase GrowthForce’s impact by reaching more local
companies – first, by expanding the committee of volunteers and economic development
professionals who conduct outreach to businesses by 25 percent. The Partnership then
plans to meet with 450 businesses this year, a 10 percent increase over 2010, and,
more importantly, harvest more in-depth information about the needs of each
organization.

GrowthForce will publish the Cincinnati USA Regional Business Resource Guide, a
compilation of services and support available to businesses, as well as provide training,
orientation and other necessary materials to partners. The Resource Guide, along with
other materials, will be available at a new website, cincinnatiusa.org/growthforce.

The expansion of GrowthForce has been funded in large part by a $250,000 grant from
the Ohio Department of Development to enhance retention efforts in Southwest Ohio. The
grant was awarded to the Partnership last December.

“We built upon our existing platform and added elements from other successful
initiatives around the country to make GrowthForce benefit as many local companies as
possible,” said Julia Muntel, the Cincinnati USA Partnership’s director of investor
relations and business retention. “Expanding GrowthForce and providing the necessary
tools and training to local communities and volunteers is a giant step that could result in
exponential business growth. It is something that we wanted to do but did not previously
have the resources to accomplish. And with the continued economic challenges we all
face, this expansion of our efforts could not be better timed.”

Local experts echo the Partnership’s outlook for GrowthForce’s economic impact.

“In 2010, of the $2.4 billion in total investment made in the Cincinnati USA region, 74
percent came from existing businesses,” said Richard Stevie, chief economist with Duke
Energy and chair of the Regional Economic Advisory Committee. “If we can effectively
support the expansion and retention of existing businesses, it could significantly impact
the trajectory of our regional economy.”

GrowthForce is part of a new Cincinnati USA Partnership strategy to fuel job growth in the
region. Further details of the new strategy will be announced later this year.

About The Cincinnati USA Partnership:
The Cincinnati USA Partnership, directed by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, has been the
region’s leading economic development initiative for the past 25 years. The Partnership is
responsible for attracting new business, jobs and investment in the three-state, 15-county region
known as Cincinnati USA. In 2007, 2008 and 2010, the Partnership was recognized by Site
Selection Magazine as one of the Top 10 Development Organizations in the nation. The
Partnership is supported through a five-year campaign with investment from nearly 120 companies
and public economic development organizations. For more information, visit
www.cincinnatiusa.org.

About the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber:
The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber is the nation’s fifth largest chamber, representing the
interests of more than 5,000 member businesses. Its mission is to capture Cincinnati USA as one
of the world’s favorite American business centers. The chamber serves its membership and the
Cincinnati USA community through economic development, government advocacy, festivals and
events, regional vision and collaboration, money-saving benefit programs, leadership and
networking opportunities and educational programs. For more information, visit
CincinnatiChamber.com.

The Cincinnati USA Partnership press release is available here.