Dec.11, 2025, 6:00 a.m. ET
Akron has always been a city that knows how to build. For generations,we’ve produced the rubber,polymers and advanced materials that helped power America’s economic growth. Today, a different kind of building boom is quietly taking shape across Akron and Northeast Ohio – one that’s creating jobs, attracting investment and positioning our region for the future.
I’m talking about Ohio’s rise as a national technology and innovation hub. And while the U.S. is locked in an artificial intelligence race with China, most people don’t realize that many of the technologies fueling our country’s competitiveness are increasingly being powered right here in the Buckeye state.
Digital infrastructure projects like data centers may not resemble the factories we grew up with, but their economic impact is very real. In my work advising technology and energy-focused companies – and as a former member of the University of Akron Board of Trustees – I’ve seen how these projects create meaningful opportunity for manufacturers, trades and service providers throughout ohio’s data center supply chain.
Every data center built in Ohio means contracts for steel fabricators, electricians, concrete suppliers, trucking companies and local service businesses. It means steady, good-paying jobs for construction workers, tradespeople, and manufacturing employees. And it means new demand for the kinds of products and expertise that Akron companies have been producing for decades.