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Several new industrial investments across the United States are promising hundreds of jobs for local communities. Fit Precast, an industrial concrete manufacturer, is investing $102 million in a new facility in Gastonia, North Carolina, expected to create 125 jobs. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical company Becton Dickinson is spending $110 million to expand manufacturing operations in Columbus, Ohio, adding about 120 positions. An automotive project in Orangeburg, South Carolina, will invest $120 million and bring nearly 400 jobs to the region.
In contrast, a new project in Ohio highlights a different trend in economic development.
Ark Data Centers, an Iowa-based company, is investing $136 million in a campus expansion in northeastern Ohio. Despite being the largest investment among a group of recently approved projects, the facility is expected to create just 10 permanent jobs.
The project received the largest tax incentive among eight developments approved by the Ohio Tax Credit Authority, following a recommendation from the state’s economic development organization, JobsOhio. According to reporting by Cleveland.com, the incentive includes a 10-year, 50% sales-tax exemption, primarily covering newly purchased equipment. The benefit is estimated to total about $4.5 million in state tax savings.
Ohio already hosts around 200 data centers, reflecting the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure driven by cloud computing and artificial intelligence. However, the growth has sparked debate among policymakers and residents about the balance between economic incentives and public benefits.
Critics argue that data centers often create relatively few long-term jobs compared with traditional manufacturing investments while requiring large amounts of electricity and infrastructure. Labor researcher Greg LeRoy has noted that in some cases, public subsidies for data center projects can exceed $1 million per permanent job created.
Studies have also pointed to the high capital cost associated with these facilities. For example, an analysis by the nonprofit Food & Water Watch found that in Virginia, the investment required to generate a single full-time data center job was far higher than in most other industries.
Supporters of data center development, however, argue that the projects bring other economic benefits, including construction work, local tax revenue, and the expansion of digital infrastructure needed for modern technology services.
As states compete to attract technology investment, projects like the Ark Data Centers expansion illustrate the ongoing debate over how economic incentives should be structured — and what communities ultimately gain from them.