Advanced Brand Design
A wealth of creative talent puts a face on leading consumer brands such as Folger’s, Reese’s and AT&T. With companies like Brandstorm, a division of Cincinnati’s largest advertising agency, Northlich, LPK and Lipson Alport Glass, Cincinnati provides the creative force behind many well-known consumer products.
Aerospace
Greater Cincinnati is a critical part of the aerospace industry, as the region is home to the nation’s largest jet engine maker and serves as a hub for domestic and international air traffic. GE Aviation, headquartered here, designs and manufactures engines for some of the most popular passenger and military jets worldwide, while Delta Air Lines maintains its second-largest hub here, flying daily nonstop routes overseas as well as to more than a hundred destinations inside the U.S.
Architecture
Cincinnati is not only home to the works of world-renowned architects such as Zaha Hadid (the Contemporary Arts Center) and Daniel Libeskind (the Ascent at Roebling’s Bridge), but also to dozens of architectural firms that are designing landmarks around the city and elsewhere. Firms such as FRCH Design Worldwide, GBBN Architects and KZF Design are leaving their marks on corporate headquarters, school and universities, retail centers and public spaces.
Automotive
The automotive industry in Greater Cincinnati is no Rust Belt vestige. It is alive and well, providing the world's automakers with everything from brain power to horsepower. Toyota runs its North American manufacturing operations from here, while Ford builds transmissions for many of its cars and trucks. Germany’s ZF supplies several major automakers with parts and many smaller manufacturers, such as Mubai and Toyota Boshoku produce everything from shocks to seats to brake components.
Chemical and Plastics
From the jug that holds your milk to the refrigerator you keep it in, from the car you drive to work to the fragrance you splash on for an evening out, there’s a good chance Cincinnati had something to do with it. The chemical and plastics industries have historic roots here and the businesses have adapted to today’s needs. Sun Chemical manufactures pigments used in automotive paints, inks and cosmetics. Cognis Corp. is breaking new ground in using renewable raw materials for the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Swiss giant Givaudan operates a major research base, seeking new ways to deliver flavors and fragrances to consumers. And the machines made and sold by Milacron are used in the making of that milk jug in the fridge and even the fridge itself.
Consumer Research
No one knows more about what consumers want than Procter & Gamble, as it sells more than 300 brands in markets around the globe. P&G’s world-renowned savvy for deciphering the needs of consumers has helped give rise to many other companies that delve into why shoppers make the choices they do. They include Burke Inc., Hill Top Research and an office of Paris-based Ipsos.
Emerging Technology
There’s a current of start-up energy around the region, as entrepreneurs look for ways to apply new technologies to our lives and work. They are companies like iStatus.com, creating virtual storefronts for business-to-business customers; ThinkVine, which develops software for the consumer industry, and ClicShare, which has created online communications platforms for the mobile and broadband markets. Incubators such as the Madison E-Zone and the Hamilton County Development Center provide start-up assistance, office space and access to funding.
Entrepreneurship
If you’re interested in doing your own thing, there’s plenty of organizations here ready to help you get off the ground. University of Cincinnati, Xavier University and Northern Kentucky University all have small-business development centers that offer a range of assistance. Incubators such as the Hamilton County Development Center and the Madison E-Zone can provide office space and business assistance to fledgling companies, and organizations such as CincyTech are devoted to fostering the growth of new technology ventures.
Financial Services
We all know money talks and the range of financial services represented in Cincinnati is making a big noise. From banks to brokerages to insurance, it’s here, including Fifth Third Bancorp, a homegrown bank that evolved into a large regional financial services company; Fortune 500 giant American Financial Group, and major operations of two of the nation’s top financial powerhouses, Fidelity Investments and Citigroup.
Green Building
The green building movement is gaining momentum in Cincinnati: the architectural and construction community began a chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and City Hall recently launched the City Green Initiative. Examples of green construction are found in banks, schools and even Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds.
Higher Education
The area’s colleges and universities are growing and adapting to meet the needs of tomorrow’s students. The University of Cincinnati attracts students for it programs in medicine, music, design, art, architecture and planning, engineering, law and more. Xavier University maintains a commitment to liberal arts while offering undergraduate and graduate programs in business, and Northern Kentucky University is a rapidly growing campus that recently began, among other programs, a College of Informatics, where aspiring artists, doctors, entrepreneurs and scientists can learn how technology is taking their fields to the next level.
Lifescience / Medical Research Innovation
University of Cincinnati Medical Center and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center are two of the nation’s leading institutions for research into the life sciences, as their physicians and researchers seek new, promising ways to diagnose and treat cancer, stroke and heart disease, as well as break new ground in the understanding of more exotic diseases. Entrepreneurs are pushing the medical boundaries at BIO/Start, a life sciences startup center that has helped launch 85 companies, producing nearly 200 high-paying jobs.
Sustainability
From hybrid buses to designing buildings with geothermal heating, sustainable design and construction is a growing practice in Cincinnati, as architecture firms such as McGill Smith and Punshon and developers such as Miller-Valentine promote the concept to reduce the depletion of natural resources, help offset rising energy prices and improve the quality of life in communities and workplaces.
Venture Capital
New ideas and new businesses need funding to get their ideas into the marketplace and Cincinnati has a variety of venture capital firms looking to fund the next big thing. Blue Chip Venture Co. has funded firms in software, media, health care and other industries; while CincyTech USA is committed to fostering the growth of new technology ventures. There’s even a fund devoted to entrepreneurial ventures led by women.