JobsOhio now giving loans, grants to companies

JobsOhio has moved beyond solely brokering state tax credits and is now also giving direct financial aid to companies seeking to expand or locate in Ohio. Of the five companies JobsOhio identified yesterday that have been approved for $1.275 million in aid, none is currently getting a state-approved tax credit. Those credits are still the state’s most-used tool for economic development, and it is still JobsOhio’s function to represent the state in deals involving them. But the amount of cash that Gov. John Kasich’s privatized development agency gives to companies is expected to grow, as is the number of JobsOhio projects without tax credits.