Team NEO Opens Satellite Office in Akron Chamber Offices; Team NEO Staff Co-Locates.

AKRON, Ohio & CLEVELAND -- Team NEO and the Greater Akron Chamber today announced that Team NEO, the catalyst for regional economic development, will open a satellite office and co-locate Technology/Marketing Manager, Steve Fritsch, within the Greater Akron Chamber offices to enhance Team NEO's service level throughout the region.

The co-location of Fritsch enhances the relationship between the organizations, and further demonstrates the firms' dedication to a regional approach to economic development. Servicing the region from offices in both major municipalities within the region will allow Team NEO to efficiently work with chamber partners, economic development organizations, municipalities and companies located in the center of the Northeast Ohio 13 county region.

"It builds a stronger partnership," said Daniel Colantone, President & CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber. "We're engaged with Team NEO on a daily basis and specifically work closely with Steve Fritsch on the Business Development Planning Committee." The Business Development Planning Committee - comprised of members from Team NEO, the Greater Akron Chamber, the Stark Development Board, the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce, the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber, Greater Cleveland Partnership, FirstEnergy Corp., and the Medina County Economic Development Corporation - works together to market the region at business development events and trade shows that target industries and companies that offer prospective growth to Northeast Ohio. In 2006, Team NEO and the committee partners will attend more than ten targeted events, presenting the region to more than 50,000 industry representatives and targeting more than 1,000 qualified leads for Northeast Ohio regional economic development.

In addition to working on the Business Development Committee, Fritsch manages Team NEO's online activity, including development and promotion of REDIS, the Geographic Information System (GIS) tool that combines economic and real estate data about Northeast Ohio. A free tool to the region's real estate brokers, REDIS provides detailed information about Northeast Ohio municipalities, available properties, workforce & demographic information and incentive information to economic development consultants and site selectors looking to locate business in Northeast Ohio. The tool attracts more than 1,000 targeted visitors weekly and features more than 2,000 Northeast Ohio properties across Team NEO's 13 county region.

Since Team NEO's creation in 2003, the organization has had a presence throughout the region, with initial offices located in Brecksville, Fairlawn and current offices co-located in the Charter One Global Enterprise Center in Cleveland.

Team NEO is a private-sector-led regional economic development organization formed through the collaboration of many of the region's leading business organizations to support and stimulate higher levels of targeted business attraction, retention and expansion in Northeast Ohio. Team NEO chamber partners include Greater Cleveland Partnership, Greater Akron Chamber, Lorain County Chamber of Commerce, Medina County Economic Development Corporation, Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and Stark Development Board. Team NEO represents the Northeast Ohio region covering 13 counties: Ashtabula, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne.