Firelands Partnership
Stakeholders dedicated to the advancement of the economic competitiveness and quality of life of the Firelands region.
Who We Are
The Firelands Partnership is comprised of business, education and government leaders throughout the Firelands area whose mission is to promote a regional approach to increasing economic development activity in Erie, Huron, Ottawa and Sandusky counties. The Partnership believes that regions are more powerful economic drivers and can flourish by combining the economic competitive advantages of each county. Working with a list of shared priorities, the voice of a regional business community strengthens the entire Firelands region.
The Partnership in 2019 identified workforce development as a critical opportunity to the success of the Firelands region and launched a comprehensive strategic planning process to better understand the labor market dynamics of Ottawa, Huron, and Erie counties. The findings of the plan led to the mobilization of Firelands Forward, now in its 2nd year of operations.
Our Top Priorities
The role of the Firelands Partnership in the community are to:
Advocate
for Regional Business Priorities
FACILITATE
communication amongst business leaders
Educate
the public of key business issues facing the region
Coordinate
assistance to agencies to facilitate & mobilize development efforts
Elevate
the role of Economic Development organizations across the region to function at the highest level.
The Jewels of the Firelands Region
Location
50% of Americans live within 500 miles.
Lake Erie Access
The Great Lakes holds one-fifth of the world’s fresh water.
Tourism
Nationally recognized as a top tourist destination, accounting for over $2 billion in sales, $384 million in wages and $257 million in tax revenues.(2013)
Transportation
Including international connectivity at the Erie Ottawa International Airport & Sandusky’s “Port of Entry.” Access to I-80/90, five national and 21 state highway routes, two deep water ports and the Bellevue Rail Yard which has undergone a $160 million expansion and is the largest classification yard in the Norfolk Southern system.
Aerospace
NASA Plum Brook is a world class space testing facility with 1,200 acres of developable property and access to 34 million gallons of raw water along three miles of highway frontage on US Route 250. It is a prime location for economic development.
Global Business
Home to 29 international companies and world-class facilities like the Firelands Medical Center, two universities and the David-Besse Nuclear Power Station.