Working and Living in Ohio

Big business doesn't always have to mean life in the big city. Some of Ohio's fastest-growing companies are proving that, becoming leaders in high-tech and service fields far from the outer-belts of Ohio's urban centers.  A few of Ohio's home-grown entrepreneurs  shared with hiVelocity about why they like where they live and why they plan to stay:

• Steve Spoonamore, ABS Materials (Wooster, Ohio)
• John Fusco, National Patent Analytical Systems, Inc. (Mansfield, Ohio)
• Bill Whittenberger, Catacel Corp. (Garrettsville, Ohio)
• Michael Mark, Ed Map (Nelsonville, Ohio)
• Larry Triplett, Resource Systems (New Concord, Ohio)

Executives are realizing, in Ohio, they can find the perfect balance to successfully growing a business without sacrificing their life. Business owners profit from the bottom-line benefits of better work-life balance for their employees. Ohio’s low-cost, low-stress communities and combination of micropolitan and metropolitan cities provides executives and employees the resources and time to make any ambition achievable. Ohio truly is the State of Perfect Balance.

Click here to read the full story with hiVelocity.

Ohio Physicians and Biomedical Students Discuss Collaboration with NASA

According to Crain’s Cleveland Business, doctors at Summa Health System, one of the largest networks of hospitals and health centers in Ohio, and senior biomedical engineering students from the University of Akron in northeast Ohio recently met with representatives of NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston to discuss a potential education partnership. Dr. J.D. Polk, chief of space medicine at NASA Johnson, spoke with the physicians and students about NASA's programs and needs for the future.

With NASA's hopes of sending astronauts to Mars, the organization is looking for people to help them anticipate the medical problems they might encounter during long periods in space and to find solutions for them. He believes Summa and biomedical students at the University of Akron could help in this endeavor by using their expertise in areas such as minimally invasive therapies and robotic surgery. Dr. Polk remarked, “We want to leverage cooperation with folks so we're not sitting in our own little vacuum.”

Click here to read the Crain’s Cleveland Business article on Ohio’s medical community collaborating with NASA.

Agribusiness Companies Choose Ohio As Unbeatable Location

By: Matt McQuade, Ohio Business Development Coalition

Ohio is at the center of the U.S. agribusiness industry - literally. Located at the crossroads of the nation’s Grain Belt region and eastern markets, Ohio offers agribusiness companies everything necessary for a successful operation. The state’s convergence of key assets equates to 1,106 processing and production plants, food industry exports of over $25 billion annually, and headquarters for renowned companies such as Kroger, Chiquita, J.M. Smucker and Bob Evans.

In Ohio, agribusiness companies are able to bring in bulk raw materials and ship out finished goods at low cost.  Ohio is located within a one day trucking distance of 60 percent of both the U.S. and Canadian populations with multi-modal transportation options to receive and ship goods.  Access to the Great Lakes, rivers and vast aquifers further separates Ohio from other states, providing agribusiness companies with some of the nation’s largest and most productive sources of potable water.

Ohio’s competitiveness in agribusiness is strengthened by the lowest taxes in the Midwest and public-private research support to accelerate business growth. The state’s tax structure reduces operating costs by not assessing a tax on corporate income, tangible personal property or in-state sales, allowing companies to boost return on investment and maximize profits. In addition, Ohio’s state-supported research assets allow companies to research, develop and commercialize breakthrough innovations. The Edison Center for Innovative Food Technology helps companies improve their competitive position in the agribusiness industry through the development and adaption of emerging technologies.

Click here to learn more about why Ohio is an unbeatable location for agribusiness companies.

An Ohio Story – Advanced Energy Company Finds the Perfect Balance in Ohio

Jim Garrett is chief executive officer of Vadxx Energy, a privately owned company that produces oil and gas from petroleum-based liquid and solid wastes. Vadxx has offices in Bedford Heights and Akron, Ohio.

Jim recently spoke to me about why he chose to start his advanced energy business in Ohio. He cites both professional – and personal reasons that led to his decision. With 25 years experience in the energy industry, Jim has worked in the oil, gas and utilities fields. During this time, he lived in a number of different cities – both small and large – across the country. He believes Ohio offers “a balanced blend of business opportunity with a very diverse, comfortable and affordable personal lifestyle” – the perfect work-life balance.

He also started Vadxx in Ohio because the state offers an exceptional pool of technically trained labor in advanced energy, as well as a number of regional economic development arms that help grow small companies like his own.

Jim’s story exemplifies the authenticity of the Ohio Promise – the promise you can achieve professional success within the context of a fulfilling life. Click here to read more about Jim’s story and how he achieves the perfect work-life balance in Ohio.

Three Ohio Franchises Rank Among Top 100 Global Franchises

Franchising plays a major role in the global economy and international development. Ohio franchises include major companies such as Charley’s Grilled Subs and others.

Elimination of taxes on capital investment, inventory, sales of goods and services to customers outside of Ohio, as well as corporate income and franchise taxes, combine to help make Ohio the ideal location to build a global business. In addition, reducing personal income tax by 21 percent helps Ohio citizens afford an even more fulfilling life.

Franchise Direct, one of the world’s top franchise portals, recently released its first-annual list of the Top 100 Global Franchises. Three Ohio franchises were ranked alongside some of the biggest names in franchises such as McDonald’s, Subway and Pizza Hut. Rankings were determined after examining thousands of franchises worldwide.

• #48. Matco Tools is a manufacturer and distributor of professional quality tools, tool boxes, and service equipment.
• #80 Martinizing Dry Cleaning operates retail establishments known as Martinizing Dry Cleaning Stores and sells machinery, equipment, accessories, supplies, store area furnishings, merchandising material, promotional items and services in the establishment and operation of Martinizing Stores.
• #87. Proforma specializes in the sale and distribution of printed business products and services, including business forms, commercial printing, specialty advertising items and related business supplies.

Franchises will continue to play a greater role in the global economy. The Top 100 Global Franchises list shows that franchising continues to remain a vibrant economic force in Ohio and beyond.