Ohio Governor Mike DeWine made a stop in Niles Wednesday afternoon to make a major economic development announcement.

DeWine paid a visit to the Eastwood Event Center in the Eastwood Mall to announce a new economic development district for all three Valley counties plus Ashtabula County and Mercer County.

"This region of Ohio is experiencing new growth and is ready for even more prosperity,” DeWine said in a news release.

DeWine announced that "Lake to River" will be the seventh economic development agency for Jobs Ohio joining names such as the Dayton Development Coalition, Team NEO in Cleveland and One Columbus.

"We all wanted to build on the uniqueness of this area and the assets of this area," DeWine added during the event.

Lake to River is dedicated to transforming Eastern Ohio's economic landscape by fostering growth, innovation, and community development. Alexa Sweeney Blackman will lead this organization as interim CEO, according to a news release from DeWine's office.

The four Ohio counties, plus Mercer County in Pennsylvania, form a separate Combined Statistical Area with a unique workforce commute pattern and logistics corridors.

“The creation of the Lake to River region focused on Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning, and Columbiana counties is a strategic move that will strengthen economic development across Ohio," said Bill Koehler, CEO of Team NEO. 

DeWine says the Valley is the only media market in Ohio that did not have its own economic development agency and with assets such as Youngstown State University, the low cost of living and manufacturers such as Ultium Cells in Lordstown creating jobs in the area, it would make sense to establish one here.

"I think it's going to enable each of the four counties to be stronger than they've ever been before. ... And I think it's going to give the people who are thinking about investing into this area more confidence as well," DeWine said.