Hamilton County, Ohio

Robert Bell, MBA, has served for the past eight years as Director of the Hamilton County, Ohio Department of Economic & Community Support. His leadership has fostered a more inclusive economic environment by strengthening procurement practices, expanding small-business development and vendor outreach and building strategic partnerships among government agencies, businesses, prime contractors, chambers of commerce and community organizations. These efforts have helped small and diverse businesses gain the knowledge, relationships and capacity needed to compete, grow and contribute to the regional economy.

In economic development, we often focus on the visible outcomes: contract dollars awarded, businesses assisted, jobs created and projects completed. Those measures matter. But in my experience, the work that produces them is less visible and more demanding. It requires building trust across institutions, translating procurement systems for entrepreneurs and creating meaningful opportunities for buyers and businesses to understand one another before a solicitation is on the table.

That is the central lesson I have learned through my work as Director of Hamilton County’s Department of Economic & Community Support: opportunity does not expand simply because a program exists. It expands when people can navigate the system, form credible relationships and demonstrate that they are prepared to deliver.

The numbers provide useful evidence. From 2019 through 2025, Hamilton County awarded more than $28.4 million in contracts and subcontracts to small and diverse businesses. An additional $22.3 million in spending and awards during the first two quarters of 2026 brought the total to $50.7 million. I view that progress not as a promotional milestone, but as proof that intentional practices can change who participates in the local economy.

One of the most important insights from this work is that access must be designed. Public procurement can be difficult to understand, even for experienced companies. Registration requirements, certifications, bid documents, insurance, bonding, pricing and subcontracting expectations can become barriers when information is fragmented or relationships begin too late. A business may be capable of performing the work and still miss the opportunity because it does not yet understand the process.

That is why I place a high value on practical tools and early engagement. The BOLD Contractors Directory, which includes nearly 900 registered businesses, gives purchasing professionals and regional partners a way to identify qualified vendors. Workshops on doing business with the County help companies understand requirements. Pre-bid and pre-proposal participation allows us to address questions when the information can still affect an outcome. Our “Getting to Know You” sessions create space for vendors and departmental representatives to discuss capabilities and future needs without the pressure of an active solicitation.

Individually, none of these activities is a complete solution. Together, they create what I think of as relationship infrastructure: a repeatable way for information, credibility and opportunity to move between small businesses and large institutions.

I have also learned that matchmaking works best when it is specific. At the Annual Small Business Day and Deal Zone, 77 small businesses participated in scheduled meetings with 16 prime contractors, buyers and public agencies. The value was not simply in putting people in the same room. The meetings were curated around actual capabilities and purchasing needs, which made the conversations more useful to both sides.

The results show why specificity matters. Purdie Cleaning, LLC connected with Messer Construction and secured opportunities to provide construction-cleaning services on Messer-led projects. DJX Construction, a minority-owned heavy civil contractor, worked on the Hamilton County 911/Emergency Management Center and Hillcrest Campus for Youth and later received a subcontract for the Paycor Stadium South Scoreboard Project. These examples reinforce a principle I have seen repeatedly: introductions create possibility, but preparation, performance and follow-through turn possibility into business growth.

“Strong partnerships are not an accessory to economic development; they are part of its operating system.”

Our Mentorship/Partnership Initiative grew from the same observation. In each session, we bring together a prime contractor and a carefully selected group of eight to 10 small and diverse contractors. The prime explains how the company operates and what it expects from subcontractors. The smaller firms describe their experience, operating approach, successes and the value they can bring to a project. Over the past year, five sessions have connected five prime contractors with more than 40 small and diverse businesses.

What makes these conversations effective is their candor. Small businesses need more than encouragement; they need to understand scheduling, safety, documentation, cash flow, quality control and communication expectations. Prime contractors, in turn, benefit from seeing capable firms beyond their established networks. My role is often to help both sides move from general interest to a clearer understanding of fit, readiness and next steps.

This experience has also shaped how I think about regional strategy. Hamilton County’s next Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy will guide investment in business development, workforce preparation, infrastructure, job creation and quality of life. For that strategy to be meaningful, inclusive economic development cannot be treated as a separate initiative. It must be embedded in how we define growth, select investments, develop talent and measure who benefits.

No department can do this work alone. Progress depends on purchasing professionals, County leadership, operating departments, prime contractors, chambers of commerce, municipalities, nonprofit organizations and community advocates. Strong partnerships are not an accessory to economic development; they are part of its operating system.

The most important measure, then, is not simply how many businesses attend an event or appear in a directory. It is whether more companies gain the knowledge, relationships and capacity to compete and whether institutions become better at recognizing and using that capacity. Contract dollars help us track progress. The deeper objective is a local economy in which opportunity is easier to find, systems are easier to navigate and more businesses are positioned to contribute to regional growth.

That is the work I believe deserves all of our sustained attention.