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© 2007 The
Ohio Secretary of State & The
Ohio Public Library Information Network
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Ohio’s diverse geography has
given generations of farmers the ability to successfully grow many
different crops and raise a variety of livestock. While the number
of farms has decreased since Ohio’s early years, technology and
specialization have allowed the decreased number of farms to maintain
output that is among the best in the nation.
In 2001, Ohio ranked in the top ten in the country
for growing corn, oats, winter wheat, soybeans, sweet corn, tomatoes,
cucumbers, grapes, strawberries; raising chickens, hogs and pigs; and
producing maple syrup and many dairy products. In fact, Ohio is the number
one state for production of Swiss cheese.
About 80,000 farms dotted
the Ohio landscape in 2001. Darke County contained the most farms of
all Ohio counties (1,960); Cuyahoga County contained the least (170).
While Ohio’s geographic makeup
and economy are much different than they were 200 years ago, agriculture
has always, and will continue to be, an important part of what defines
Ohio both socially and economically.
General Motors is
the world’s largest vehicle
manufacturer. Six locations in Ohio employ 21,900 full-time employees.
In 2000, nearly 641,000 light vehicles were produced by GM in Ohio.
The first Kroger Company grocery
store opened in 1883 in Cincinnati and the city has been home to the
Kroger headquarters ever since. In 2001, Kroger employed 32,700 full-time
employees in Ohio. That same year, Kroger was named one of America’s
“100 Best Corporate Citizens” by the national publication
Business Ethics.
Delphi Automotive employs
nearly 11,800 full-time employees in Ohio at 10 locations: four in
Dayton, two in Vandalia, and one each in Columbus, Warren, Sandusky,
and Moraine. Delphi is the world’s
leader in electronic automotive parts and systems technology.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is one of the largest
bases in the Air Force (employing approximately 21,000 people) and
is home to the headquarters for Air Force Materiel Command and the Aeronautical
Systems Center. For fiscal year 2001, Wright-Pat had an economic impact
of more than $2.4 billion on the Dayton metropolitan area.
Cleveland Clinic Health System employs just over
28,950 full-time employees and includes nine community hospitals. The
system is highly respected, both in Ohio and throughout the nation,
and was the 2001 winner of the Codman Award, which recognizes excellence
in the use of outcomes measurement to achieve health care quality improvement.
Wal-Mart Stores have a presence of 150 retail operations
and multiple distribution centers employing approximately 42,800 Ohioans.
During the fiscal year ending Jan. 1, 2002, Wal-Mart spent $6.1 million
through community involvement in Ohio and paid $40 million in taxes in
our state.
There are 14 General Electric Company locations
in Ohio that collectively employ nearly 20,000 full-time workers. At
General Electric’s Ohio locations, some of the activities conducted
are related to fuel exhaust systems; aircraft, marine and industrial
engines; and fluorescent, photo and holiday lamps.
The first Meijer, Inc. stores in Ohio opened in 1981
in Newark and Findlay. There are at least 36 Meijer stores in Ohio today
that collectively employ about 20,000 team members.
Proctor & Gamble,
headquartered in Cincinnati, is now one of Ohio’s largest and most profitable
companies. P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world – with
employees in almost 80 counties and consumers in more than 160 countries.
In Ohio, P&G employs approximately 14,500 people at its world headquarters,
six technical centers, Iams headquarters and manufacturing locations.
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1971
- State income tax is adopted.
1973
- Ohio State Lottery approved by Ohio voters.
1974
- Xenia tornado kills 34 people.
1976
- Ohio's last commuter train is shut down.
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