London Stock Exchange Group: ELITE and JobsOhio partner to accelerate growth of midmarket companies in Ohio

• ELITE USA launches today; State of Ohio is first state in the United States to offer ELITE programme
• ELITE and JobsOhio sign a collaboration agreement to accelerate growth of midmarket companies in Ohio, supported by local network of partners
• Business support and capital raising programme to support job creation and economic development in the state
• Demonstrates LSEG’s commitment to strengthening ties with the U.S. capital markets
• More than 900 companies have joined ELITE from 32 countries across 34 sectors

LONDON, 02-Oct-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — ELITE, London Stock Exchange Group’s (LSEG) international business support and capital raising programme, today announces that it has signed an agreement with JobsOhio, the privately funded non-profit corporation that promotes job creation and economic development for the State of Ohio. The collaboration will provide ambitious midmarket companies in Ohio with access to ELITE’s unique training programme to support their growth. This collaboration launches ELITE USA and signifies the first entrance of the ELITE platform into the U.S. market.

Designed to help businesses prepare and structure for their next stage of growth, ELITE provides training and mentoring to support management best practice and entrepreneurship; promotes relationships and opportunities with potential investors; and facilitates access to the full range of funding options. Today, more than 900 companies, advisors and investors from across 34 sectors and 32 countries make up the growing ELITE community. Our research shows that ELITE companies exhibit up to seven times the revenue growth and four times the job creation compared to industry peers.

The State of Ohio is the first state in the United States where the ELITE programme is offered. The choice to launch in Ohio reflects the state’s strong business climate and diverse economy. With over 900,000 small and medium sized businesses, Ohio has one of the largest concentrations of SMEs in the United States.

JobsOhio supports economic growth in Ohio through its innovative and agile approach. Together, ELITE and JobsOhio will work with select companies from Ohio, through a year-long programme, to provide their management teams with a unique network of support to help them scale up. ELITE works in close coordination with regional business, academic and financial communities across the markets in which it operates to enhance its local programmes.

To implement the initiative, ELITE will work closely with JobsOhio’s regional partner, the Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth (APEG), as well as professional services firms BDO, law firm Bricker and Eckler, Huntington Bank, law firm Kegler Brown Hill + Ritter, Ohio University, Ohio Valley Bank and Peoples Bank.

The initiative was launched today by Luca Peyrano, CEO, ELITE, Thomas Tyler, Global Head of Sales, ELITE, and Valentina Isakina, Managing Director Financial Institutions, JobsOhio at the first annual International ELITE Day, held in Milan. They were joined by Seth Stockmeister and Larry Kidd of new US ELITE companies Stockmeister Enterprises and Reliable Staffing Solutions respectively, and over 450 ELITE companies.

Luca Peyrano, CEO, ELITE:
“Today’s collaboration with JobsOhio is a milestone for the State of Ohio and ELITE, representing the first state in the United States where we’ve launched the programme. There is an indisputable shift in momentum in Ohio’s economy. The state is now the seventh largest economy in the U.S., the twenty first globally. We welcome the Ohio companies joining ELITE’s international network of over 900 businesses.

“We are delighted to collaborate with JobsOhio to support the state’s ambitious companies with access to international best practice and vital sources of growth capital, creating new jobs and ultimately driving economic prosperity. As we celebrate this milestone for ELITE today we look forward to working with partners across Ohio and to the launch of ELITE in other U.S. states.”

John Minor, President, JobsOhio:
“London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) has a long history of supporting the U.S.’s market growth. We are proud to be a part of this unprecedented collaboration to create a spotlight on Ohio’s assets. By working with ELITE, we aim to provide our midmarket companies with an opportunity to tap into the best global expertise to grow their businesses and create jobs.

“In addition, this collaboration opens the door for the ambitious ELITE companies around the world to discover Ohio as an excellent place to do business. With the east coast time zone location, plentiful tech-savvy workforce, and a significant cost advantage, we welcome ELITE businesses to Ohio to find business partners and a soft landing for their U.S. home.”

The programme is currently onboarding companies and will announce the first cohort in the coming months.

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For more information:
Media
Christopher Loscher / Alex Ritterman
+44 (0)20 7797 1222
newsroom@lseg.com

About ELITE

ELITE is a platform and ecosystem that helps private, ambitious companies grow, offering them access to education, business support and direct contact with the international financial and advisory community. Management teams are guided on how best to fast-track their development, how to access the most suitable funding for their needs, whether private equity, venture capital or the bond or equity markets, and given advice on building their profile and reach. ELITE also operates its own funding platform to enable efficient access to capital from private, professional investors.

ELITE facilitates its vibrant international advisor and investor community the opportunity to engage with a pool of high quality, dynamic companies and entrepreneurs, all of whom are open to the advice, opportunities and connections that the programme offers.

There are over 900 businesses from across 32 countries in the ELITE community. They are generating over £50 billion in combined revenues and employ approximately 400,000 people across Europe and internationally.

For further information on the programme, companies and the full list of partners, please go to: www.elite-network.com

SOURCE: London Stock Exchange Group plc.