The Blade was founded in 1835 and is the oldest continuing business in Toledo. In fact, The Blade is older than the City of Toledo itself, which was not incorporated until 1837.

While The Blade is proud of our long history – including three Pulitzer nominations, topped by a win in 2004 – we are not content to be merely a journal of events. We want to be an active partner in the communities we serve.

The Blade sponsors very popular community events and organizations, from support of the Toledo Symphony and Opera to events at the Toledo Museum of Art, the Valentine Theatre, the Toledo Zoo, and more.

Each year, The Blade presents the local events, including the Memorial Day parade and the celebration of our nation’s birthday with Red, White, Kaboom! In August, The Blade presents the Annual Rib-Off at the Lucas County Fairgrounds in Maumee, and in November, The Blade Holiday Parade takes place in downtown Toledo.  More than 100 units provide entertainment for the crowd, which has grown every year since the parade’s inception.

As the area’s Number One provider of news and information, we are also the area’s Number One media Web site, according to The Media Audit, an independent research agency. In fact, when you combine The Blade in print and online, we reach 80 percent of local adults!

We look forward to serving you, now and into the future.  The Blade has a long history – and a bright tomorrow.

The Blade is active in the Toledo area community

• Red, White, KaBOOM (4th of July Celebration)
• 
• Jefferson Awards (February)
• Northwest Ohio Rib-Off (August)
• Memorial Day Parade (May)Jefferson Awards (February)
• Innovation & Excellence Awards
• The Blade Northwest Ohio Championship Spelling Bee
• The Blade Corporate & Community Spelling Bee (October)
• The Holiday Parade
• The Blade in Education – Reuse the News (April)
• The Blade in Education Stock Contest (February, May)
• The Blade in Education Law Day (January – March)
• Community Salutes

The Toledo Region is a diverse one.

Location

The Toledo area is in northwest Ohio, nestled against the western edge of Lake Erie and the southeastern edge of the Michigan border. If Michigan is a right-hand, palm-up mitten, we are on the cuff.
 Major interstates that pass through the region include I-75 and I-80/90. The region has become an intermodal transportation hub, incorporating rail, air, marine and trucking.

Population

The population of Toledo is 65 percent white, 27 percent black, and seven percent Hispanic. In the City of Toledo, 55 percent of housing is owner-occupied; 44 percent is rented. Average income in the Toledo Metropolitan Statistical Area is $38,240, and in the 17-county northwest Ohio region, it is $35,744. In the Toledo MSA, 34 percent of adults are high school graduates, another 22 percent have attended college, and 32 percent have an associate’s degree or higher.
In the 17-county northwest Ohio region, our workforce is 635,057 strong!*

Industry

“It Matters Where You Make It” is a motto adopted by area leaders, and reflects Toledo’s position as the heart of the New Manufacturing Economy.
The Toledo region is taking its place at the forefront of this new economy because it has manufacturing in its DNA. We’re making smart things like energy and glass; big things like SUVs and appliances; shared spaces like parks and cultural venues; important things like full, enriching lives for ourselves and our families.
We have gained an international reputation in solar and other alternative energy technologies,
Five Fortune 500 companies are located within the region, as well as an additional three Fortune 1000 companies.

Healthcare

The network of health and social service organizations is strong here. The Toledo Region benefits from a high ratio of primary care providers to the overall population. The region’s hospitals include some that rank as the nation’s very best in key areas of care. The region also boasts doctors, nurses, specialists, and technicians who are among the most experienced and well-trained in the nation.

Education

In the Toledo Region, the commitment to education is deeply rooted and strong. Building on an extensive public school system supplemented by many private choices, the region provides a rich array of post-secondary educational opportunities, including nationally-recognized schools of engineering, pharmacy, education, business, medicine and law.

Sources: US Census, 2012; Regional Growth Partnership