Top headlines of the week, Dec. 12 2025
Here are some stories you may have missed this week in central Ohio.
Ohio’s economic development board will consider proposals from two major international companies that hope to invest in the state at an upcoming meeting in Columbus.
The Ohio Tax Credit Authority is a five-member, independent board of taxation and economic development experts who’ve been appointed to review applications for tax credit assistance that aims to spur investment and job creation across the state. The board will gather Dec. 15 in Columbus’ Riffe Center to hear a long list of new projects as part of its monthly meeting.
At the top of that list are two proposals for the greater central Ohio economic region.
Net World Sports Ltd., a sports and leisure equipment retailer based in the United Kingdom, is looking to invest in Madison County’s city of London. Founded in 2009, the company designs and sells over 15,000 products, including equipment for football, baseball, tennis and other sports, in its over 400,000-square-foot warehouse, according to its website.
The company operates U.S. offices under its Vermont Sports brand in states including Missouri and California. The proposed Madison County project could mark the company’s first major expansion in the United States under the Net World Sports name.
Details surrounding the project, like how much Net World Sports intends to invest in Ohio and how many jobs it could create, remain unclear. Columbus’ Department of Development and JobsOhio declined to comment on specifics.
Whirlpool Corporation, meanwhile, is no stranger to the Buckeye State. The Michigan-based appliance manufacturer runs the world’s largest washing machine plant in Sandusky County’s city of Clyde, plus a major dryer facility in Marion.
In October, the company announced a $300 million expansion across these two Ohio facilities that’s projected to create between 400 and 600 new jobs, roughly two-thirds of which will go to the Clyde plant.
In 2024, Whirlpool reported roughly $17 billion in annual sales, 44,000 employees and 40 manufacturing and technology research centers.
More information surrounding each proposal should be available following the Ohio Tax Credit Authority’s Dec. 15 meeting.
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter.