COLUMBUS, Ohio — Forgent Power Solutions will expand its corporate office in Columbus’s Arena District, creating 85 jobs and $12 million in new annual payroll as part of a package of state tax credits approved Monday, Oct. 26, by the Ohio Tax Credit Authority.
The Minnesota-based company, which specializes in data centers, power grid equipment and electrical distribution, will invest $3 million to build out its new office at 10 W. Nationwide Blvd. downtown. Forgent’s existing Ohio team, including Ohio-based CEO Gary Niederpruem, will occupy 90,000 square feet under a 10-year lease in the building owned by Nationwide Realty Investors.
The Columbus project was one of 10 approved statewide during the authority’s monthly meeting, reviewed with JobsOhio and its regional partners. Together, the 10 projects are expected to create 1,359 new jobs, retain 1,824 existing jobs, and drive more than $2.2 billion in investment and more than $142 million in new payroll across Ohio. Three of the projects are located in Central Ohio, including an orthopedics products company planned in Westerville.
“Forgent is scaling rapidly to meet growing demand for power infrastructure,” Niederpruem said in prepared remarks. “Columbus offers exceptional talent and proximity to key customers, making it an ideal location for our continued growth. As an Ohio native, I’m proud to invest in a city that will play an important role powering the future.”
The Arena District office will serve as a hub for customer support and handle project management and supply chain functions, including finance, human resources and corporate strategy. The expansion ties Columbus directly to the surge in data center and grid construction that has made reliable electrical equipment one of the state’s fastest-growing industrial needs.
For downtown, the deal adds a growing corporate tenant to the Arena District, a neighborhood built around Nationwide Arena that has steadily filled with offices, housing and entertainment. The 90,000-square-foot commitment ranks among the larger office leases announced in the central business district this year.
State officials said the tax credit assistance was decisive in landing the expansion in Ohio rather than elsewhere. With the build-out and hiring ahead, Forgent’s Columbus workforce is expected to grow as the company staffs the new hub over the coming years.