Ohio is at the Heart of America’s Polymer Industry

By: Kristi Tanner, Brand Manager, Ohio Business Development Coalition

The polymer industry is no stranger to the state of Ohio. From its early roots in tire production and the auto industry, Ohio has always been at the heart of America's polymer industry. And today, polymers is one of the state's largest industries.

Ohio leads the nation in the production of polymer products, machinery for the polymer industry, motor vehicle components, and more than 100 other industrial products. Employing more than 140,000 workers, the Ohio’s polymer industry generates nearly $50 billion in annual sales revenue and pays its workers $5.6 billion in wages.

More than 200 Ohio companies produce equipment for the polymer industry, including many world leaders, ranging from the global plastics equipment supplier, Milacron, to the specialty inspection equipment manufacturer, Pressco Technology. Another 200 materials suppliers also include many world leaders. Their proximity saves Ohio businesses time and money in the manufacturing process.

And this is just the beginning. The Ohio Third Frontier is catalyzing innovation to transform Ohio’s economy for future generations. The Ohio Third Frontier is a $1.6 billion investment in targeted industries and technologies to help create new technology-based products, companies, industries and jobs. Investments in the polymer industry alone are well over $100 million.

One example of a polymer start-up success supported by the Ohio Third Frontier is Akron Polymer Systems Inc. (APS), a spin-off from the University of Akron, founded in 2002 by two professors, Frank Harris and Stephen Cheng. APS is focused on developing high-performance polymers and advanced materials commonly used in liquid crystal display (LCD) technologies, as well as in aerospace, medical, and fuel cell applications.

Ohio's large concentration of polymer companies has resulted in a number of essential assets already in place for companies joining Ohio's polymer community, including a highly skilled, quality workforce and rapid development of new technologies, as well as valuable industry relationships that promote collaboration in business development.

Ohio polymer companies also benefit from PolymerOhio, an Ohio Edison Technology Center that is focused on enhancing the industry in Ohio one company and one connection at a time. The PolymerOhio team has deep industry expertise across the industry supply chain and a firm grasp of available resources. They provide industry leaders with valuable business connections and industry know-how.

In addition, seven of Ohio's universities have polymer research programs, placing best-of-class research at these emerging businesses’ fingertips. The state also is home to federal research and several private research organizations, including Battelle.

As Ohio continues its focus building up 21st-century industries, the visionary leaders of polymer-related businesses are not only reaping the benefits of the state’s business-friendly environment so that they can achieve business and professional success, but also the ability to achieve their personal aspirations as well.

Ohio: National Leader in Aerospace

By: Marlon Cheatham, Brand Manager, Ohio Business Development Coalition

It all started with the engineering and creative energy of the Wright Brothers in Dayton, Ohio. From the birthplace of aviation, Ohio is now a national leader in aerospace. No state can match Ohio’s capabilities in aerospace propulsion and power – from basic and advanced research, to technology development, to systems development, to sourcing of component suppliers, and final product testing – all critical phases of aerospace propulsion and power development take place in Ohio. The industry has at least a $4.5 billion economic impact on the state of Ohio.

Ohio's aerospace economy is leading the way for the advancement of new aerospace technologies in a wide variety of applications in aviation, space, near-space, lighter-than-air, hypersonics, propulsion, sensors, instrumentation, communications, advanced materials, human effectiveness and others.

Only Ohio boasts two federal laboratories, ten leading universities with dedicated doctoral level research and education programs in aerospace-related disciplines, more than 450 aerospace manufacturers and suppliers, and the Ohio Aerospace Institute all working in collaboration to develop innovative solutions for the nation’s aerospace needs.

These entities, along with Ohio’s internationally renowned federal aerospace research centers, attract the industry’s top talent to provide limitless opportunities in aeropropulsion and power research and development, manufacturing innovation and commercialization of aerospace components and products.

Statewide, Ohio has more than 100,000 employees at nearly 1,200 companies in the aerospace and defense industry. That’s more than double the national average!

What state?

• Has the 2nd largest FAA control center workforce in nation, plus 172 airports spread across the state, and over 80 flight schools?
• Is the home of Wright Patterson Air Force Base and the Air Force Research Laboratory, a national leader in development of new aerospace technology?
• Is the home of the NASA Glenn Research Center, a national leader in aerospace technology and the only NASA Center in the Northern U.S.?
• Has an extensive integrated aerospace supply chain, with major suppliers such as GE Aviation, Goodrich Corporation, Parker Hannifin, Aircraft Braking Systems Corporation, The Boeing Company, Delphi Automotive Systems, GrafTech International Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., Orbital Research, Inc, The Timken Company, and over 600 others?
• Offers ten university PhD degrees in aerospace-related engineering and research?

Ohio. This all adds up to an unbeatable location for companies within the aerospace industry to call home. And, it just so happens that Ohio is an unbeatable place to live as well.

Why Ohio? Aerospace, Bioscience, Polymers

Over the next three posts you’re going to hear from two members of the Ohio Business Development team about the aerospace, bioscience and polymers industries in Ohio – Marlon Cheatham and Kristi Tanner.

A Cincinnati native, Marlon has held brand management positions at Abbott Nutrition in Columbus, Ohio, and Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati. As brand manager for the Ohio Business Development Coalition, Marlon works with the advanced energy, aerospace, automotive, financial & insurance services, logistics and professional services.

Raised in Portsmouth, Ohio, Kristi was the assistant deputy director of the Economic Development Division within the Ohio Department of Development prior to joining the Ohio Business Development Coalition. She works with the agribusiness, bioscience, manufacturing and polymers industries.

Their posts will explore what Ohio has to offer in the aerospace, bioscience and polymers industries. And how, in Ohio, industry leaders are not only reaping professional success, but also experiencing the one-of-a-kind work:life balance that only Ohio can provide.

Thoughts from an Ohio Executive

I recently spoke with John R. Nottingham, the co-founder and co-president of Nottingham-Spirk Design Associates, Inc., one of the leading new product and package innovation groups in the US with over 500 commercialized patents to date. Nottingham-Spirk product innovations have helped to create jobs and growth for Ohio companies and throughout the US for over 35 years. Notable design support projects include Crest SpinBrush®, Swiffer SweeperVac®, and Sherwin-Williams Twist & Pour® paint container.

John shared with me how his company benefits from the state's talented labor pool in the fields of product design, engineering and marketing. In addition, Nottingham-Spirk Design Associates offers an internship program for college students and new graduates.

The state of Ohio is committed to building, maintaining and retaining a talented labor pool that meets demands for Ohio businesses. From K-12 schools that challenge and inspire students to be both imaginative and analytical in their thinking, to postsecondary institutions that promote the development of moral character and produce highly skilled graduates, every level of Ohio's education and workforce development system is designed to create an educated, innovative and reliable workforce.

Click here to read more about my interview with John.

Ohio’s Commitment to Entrepreneurs

In my previous post, I briefly mentioned that Ohio has many innovative programs and services to help Ohio entrepreneurs and small business owners encourage sustainable growth. One program is the Ohio Department of Development's Ohio Edison Technology Incubator Program, which assists technology-oriented start-ups during their concept definition and development stages. A professional management team from each Edison Incubator provides expert business advice to their clients. These management teams can assist Incubator clients in areas such as concept evaluation, business plan development, capital acquisition, strategic business and financial planning, and access to technology and technical support. I recently spoke with Ray Leach, chief executive officer of JumpStart, Inc., a member of the Ohio Edison Technology Incubator Program.

JumpStart is a nationally recognized venture development organization that helps Northeast Ohio's entrepreneurs succeed in rapidly growing their early-stage companies into large ventures. As part of its robust public-private partnership model, JumpStart recognizes the integral support of the Ohio Third Frontier program, the state's largest-ever commitment to expanding Ohio's high tech research, innovation, commercialization and company formation activities, which are increasing opportunities for all Ohioans.

Ray's career began at IBM and has been principally focused on information technology companies previous to creating and leading JumpStart in 2003. He is a Sloan Fellow and earned an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He also earned a BA in Finance from the University of Akron. Ray serves on the boards of the Council of Competitiveness in Washington DC, the Red Cross Blood Services of Northern Ohio, and is the Chairman of the Invent Now Kids board of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum.

Ray brings energy and leadership experiences over the last twenty years to JumpStart and is passionate about all that Ohio has to offer.

Click here to read more about my interview with Ray.