February 20th, 2008, 1 Comment
The process of bringing food to the table comprises many areas of agribusiness - farming, seed supply, agrichemicals, farm machinery, wholesale and distribution, processing, marketing and retail sales. Ohio’s agribusiness industry represents each of these elements of the food production chain.
Gary Cooper, vice president and chief operating officer of Cooper Farms, told me about how Ohio’s strengths in agribusiness help his family’s company continue to succeed.
Q: How do your employees exemplify Ohio's Midwest values? Please share your thoughts.
February 13th, 2008, No Comments
Public and private sector collaboration is becoming increasingly important in creating an environment where companies can succeed in the global market. In Ohio, this relationship is strong. For example, public and private sectors came together to create Ohio's recent tax reform. The tax reform includes provisions that encourage companies to conduct business globally.
I recently spoke with Eric Boltz, president of Marathon Sensors Inc., about how Ohio's business climate has helped his company compete worldwide.
Q: What role do you think Ohio's tax structure will play in helping your company become a strong global competitor? Please share your thoughts.
February 8th, 2008, No Comments
Ohio's strong background in the development and manufacturing of polymers and advanced materials has paved the way for start-up companies. Availability of state programs, access to a highly skilled workforce and collaboration among government, industry and academia make Ohio a hot market for success in the polymer industry.
One example of a successful new company is Akron Polymer Systems Inc. (APS). Founded in 2002, APS is a spin-off from the University of Akron founded in 2002. APS makes high-performance polymers and advanced materials commonly used in liquid crystal display (LCD) technologies. In the five years since its launch, APS has grown to a nationally recognized and respected business impacting the way global corporations are using polymers and advanced materials. Just one of the commercial products developed by APS generated more than $100 million in sales in 2006.
Bill Fuller, vice president of business development for APS, attributes the company’s success to Ohio's strong history in polymers and access to the industry's top minds.
Q: Do you think Ohio's strength in the polymer industry is an important site selection factor? Please share your thoughts.
