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Amazon names 20 finalists for HQ2, Cincinnati/NKY, not on the list; Columbus, OH, Indianapolis are


NKyTribune staff

Amazon has announced 20 finalists to be the host region for its second world headquarters, HQ2 and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky was not among those chosen, but Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis did make the cut.

There was a strong presence of cities/regions in the Midwest and on the East Coast, with Denver and Los Angeles the only U.S. locations west of the Rockies named as finalists.

Amazon accepted proposals from applicants across North America, and Toronto, in Ontario, Canada also made the list of finalists.

Dan Tobergte, president, CEO of Northern Kentucky Tri-ED said, while there is disappointment that this region was not chosen as a finalist, it is proud of regional effort employed to submit a proposal.

“Though Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky were not chosen, we are proud of the collaboration that drove this project and the partnerships that have been strengthened through this proposal and our joint efforts with REDI Cincinnati and the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development,” Tobergte said.

Tobergte

“Our region continues to possess all the resources – a robust talent pipeline, ample real estate opportunities, and collaboration with world-class research institutions – that make us a strong and competitive choice for many industries. Northern Kentucky had a record-breaking year in 2017 and we have no doubt that we will see sustained and significant investment in our region.

“We very much appreciate Amazon’s significant investments in the Commonwealth and in Northern Kentucky via its Amazon Prime Air hub and distribution facilities and we will continue to work with the company to expand those opportunities.”

Amazon released the following statement regarding its decision:

“Amazon reviewed 238 proposals from across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to host HQ2, the company’s second headquarters in North America. Today, Amazon announced it has chosen the following 20 metropolitan areas to move to the next phase of the process (in alphabetical order):

– Atlanta, GA

– Austin, TX

– Boston, MA

– Chicago, IL

– Columbus, OH

– Dallas, TX

– Denver, CO

– Indianapolis, IN

– Los Angeles, CA

– Miami, FL

– Montgomery County, MD

– Nashville, TN

– Newark, NJ

– New York City, NY

– Northern Virginia, VA

– Philadelphia, PA

– Pittsburgh, PA

– Raleigh, NC

– Toronto, ON

– Washington D.C.

Cooper

‘Thank you to all 238 communities that submitted proposals. Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough – all the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity,” said Holly Sullivan, Amazon Public Policy. “Through this process we learned about many new communities across North America that we will consider as locations for future infrastructure investment and job creation.’

Amazon evaluated each of the proposals based on the criteria outlined in the RFP to create the list of 20 HQ2 candidates that will continue in the selection process. In the coming months, Amazon will work with each of the candidate locations to dive deeper into their proposals, request additional information, and evaluate the feasibility of a future partnership that can accommodate the company’s hiring plans as well as benefit its employees and the local community. Amazon expects to make a decision in 2018.

Amazon HQ2 will be a complete headquarters for Amazon, not a satellite office. The company plans to invest over $5 billion and grow this second headquarters to accommodate as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs. In addition to Amazon’s direct hiring and investment, construction and ongoing operation of Amazon HQ2 is expected to create tens of thousands of additional jobs and tens of billions of dollars in additional investment in the surrounding community.

With more than 540,000 employees worldwide, Amazon ranks #1 on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, #2 in Fortune’s World Most Admired Companies, #1 on The Harris Poll’s Corporate Reputation survey, and #2 on LinkedIn’s U.S. most desirable companies list. Amazonwas also recently included in the Military Times’ Best for Vets list of companies committed to providing opportunities for military veterans. Over the past five years, Amazon has invested more than $100 billion in the U.S., including corporate offices, development and research centers, fulfillment infrastructure, and compensation to its teams.

Amazon maintains a strong presence in Northern Kentucky, which includes a commitment to develop a $1.49 billion Amazon Prime Air hub at CVG.

To learn more about Amazon’s current Seattle headquarters and the latest about HQ2 click here.”

Brent Cooper, president, CEO of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, said Amazon remains a strong corporate partner, with a substantial investment in the region

“While we are disappointed that we are not on a finalist, it should not be overlooked that Amazon has already made a tremendous commitment to our region, ($1.6 Billion) and is an important part of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky economy,” Cooper said. “Working collaboratively, as a region, was a positive takeaway from this experience and I have no doubt that continued approach will lead to future successes, on both sides of the river. Our region experienced a banner year in 2017 for Economic Development, and 2018 has the potential to be even better.”


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