Summit County Executive Russell M. Pry Receives Economic Development Impact Award


On Wednesday, June 4, 2008, Summit County Executive Russell M. Pry was honored as a co-recipient of the 2008 Deal of the Year Award during the Team NEO (Northeast Ohio) Economic Development Impact Award Ceremony that was held at the Embassy Suites, located on Rockside Woods Boulevard in Independence, Ohio.

Team NEO, a private sector-led regional economic development organization, annually hosts the award ceremony as a way to recognize organizations and companies who have made outstanding contributions in attracting, retaining and expanding businesses in Northeast Ohio.

Award categories include: Deal of the Year, New Job Creation, Job Retention, Public-Private Partnership, Foreign Investment, Minority Job Creation/Retention, Asset Creation, Fostering Entrepreneurship, Community Improvement and Marketing of the Cleveland Plus plan.

During the ceremony, Team NEO announced the Goodyear Riverwalk Project as the 2008 Deal of the Year. Goodyear Riverwalk Project collaborators include: the City of Akron, the County of Summit, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce, Industrial Realty Group, LLC, the State of Ohio and the Summit County Port Authority.

“The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company plays a major role in our community’s economy,” said Summit County Executive Russell M. Pry. “I take great pride in knowing that my administration

played a leading role in retaining their global headquarters in Summit County.”

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company currently employs 3,000 associates in Northeast Ohio. 1,790 of the workers live in Summit County, 742 reside in Stark County and 123 of the staff members are Cuyahoga County residents. In addition to the employment opportunities, Goodyear purchases over $370 million in goods/services from over 400 Summit County vendors each year.

The Goodyear Riverwalk Project also plans to add a significant amount of community improvements, such as: developing the area for modern industrial, office and retail use in a campus-like setting, reducing/eliminating blight structures in the area, recognizing and integrating the Little Cuyahoga River and Springfield Lake outlet as prominent natural features and providing adequate transportation infrastructure.

“We are extremely proud to receive such a distinguished honor,” added Pry. “I would like to thank Team NEO for recognizing the successful collaboration of our local economic development partnership.”

Team NEO was established in 2003 by the following community organizations: First Energy Corporation, Greater Akron Chamber, Stark Development Board, Lorain County Chamber of Commerce, Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber and the Greater Cleveland Partnership.

For more information on the Team NEO Economic Development Impact Awards, click on www.teamneo.org , or dial 1-216-363-5400.