WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) and the Ohio Congressional delegation in a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos urging the company to choose Columbus as the location of Amazon’s HQ2. The letter follows Amazon’s announcement of their top 20 finalists for its second headquarters, including Columbus. The letter invited Bezos to meet with the Ohio delegation to discuss how Columbus and central Ohio are best suited to meet the needs of the company.

“Amazon’s selection of Columbus as a finalist for its second headquarters is a testament to the strength of central Ohio’s workforce,” said Brown. “With highly-skilled workers, top-tier colleges and universities, and an innovative transportation infrastructure, Columbus has distinguished itself as a premier community for businesses and workers alike.” 

Brown also joined Portman and the Ohio delegation in a letter to Amazon urging the company to consider Ohio cities for its second headquarters.

Full text of today’s letter can be found below:

Dear Mr. Bezos,

We write to urge you to select Columbus, Ohio, for your new second headquarters. 

As you know, Columbus, Ohio, has much to offer.  Columbus is home to some of the top academic and research institutions in the world, including 56 college and university campuses with a total enrollment of more than 136,000 undergraduate and graduate students.  You may also be aware that nearly 50 percent of the U.S. population is within a 10-hour drive of the region from Columbus.  Moreover, our State’s capital is minutes away from a state-of-the-art intermodal facility located at Rickenbacker International Airport that integrates intermodal, carload, air cargo, and logistics capabilities from both East Coast and West Coast ports, further enhancing the region’s geographic advantage.

In Central Ohio, you will find a qualified workforce that is essential to sustaining and growing your business.  The Columbus region, in particular, boasts a diverse and superior talent pool as a result of several universities, community colleges, and technical schools located nearby.  These talented and hard-working Ohioans are more than capable of providing a strong workforce for technology-based employment.  This is one of the many reasons why the U.S. Department of Transportation selected Columbus as the sole winner for America’s Smart City Challenge in 2016, cementing the City’s position as a national leader in the technology sector.

The Ohio State University, our State’s flagship university and one of the largest in the United States, has more than 57,000 students at its main campus in Columbus.  But the region also is home to excellent community colleges and career-technical schools which have a proven record of collaboration with business to provide for critical workforce needs.  We are confident that Ohio’s educational and industry partners are eager to work with you to fill these potential jobs with world-class talent and to bolster the growing, business-friendly environment that will help Amazon’s investment to flourish. 

We are fully committed to facilitating job growth in the State and pleased to offer our support to this important project.  This potential multi-billion-dollar investment, which could lead to 50,000 direct employment jobs, will have a significant economic impact for Ohio.  

We urge you to select Columbus, Ohio, for this investment, and we would like to extend an invitation for you to meet with us at your convenience.

Thank you for your consideration.

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