The idea is to provide special support to regions well-situated to become centers for manufacturing.
Eleven different federal agencies are distributing more than $1 billion to the 12 communities chosen. The areas will also get a federal liaison to help them think strategically about promoting themselves as manufacturing hubs.
The Ohio-Kentucky region is led by Cincinnati, and includes Dayton, Springfield and Middletown; Lawrenceburg, Indiana and Covington and Newport, Kentucky.
Ohio and Kentucky were in the running against 70 applicants. Some of the other areas picked as “Manufacturing Communities” are southwest Alabama, southern California, Chicago, and the Tennessee Valley.