NOTES FROM JIM DOUTT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
2005 has been a very productive and exciting year at MCEDC!  We continue to focus on a number of core economic development initiatives which are aimed at making Medina County more competitive.  These initiatives are efforts that will set us apart from the "crowd".   There is a great deal of work left to do, but I am pleased to report substantial progress has been made. 

In 2005: the Medina County Port Authority, created just two years ago,  financed its first project;  an application for Foreign Trade Zones, to be placed in four different areas of the county, was submitted to the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. and approval is expected by third quarter of 2006;  Medina County joined TeamNEO, a regional collaboration to market northeast Ohio;  the Medina County University Center and Business Technology Park celebrated a ceremonial groundbreaking with the building to start soon; and, importantly, MCEDC continued to pursue the creation of of a Fiber Optic Ring which will bring access to significant broadband connectivity to the county and will position Medina County to compete more effectively on a  global basis.

GROUNDBREAKING NEWS!
MEDINA COUNTY UNIVERSITY CENTER AND BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY PARK
In spite of the rain, spirits were high as over 200 people gathered on October 24, 2005 to witness and commemorate the first step toward the construction of an academic center that will serve the residents and businesses of Medina County for generations to come.  Click here to read full article.
 
SAVE THE DATE:
Mark your calendar and plan to attend MCEDC's Annual Meeting which is scheduled for 6:00 P.M., Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at The Blair Center, Westfield Center, Ohio.  There will be an abbreviated business meeting, and a report from our Executive Director followed by remarks by the keynote speaker, Richard R. Grigg, Executive VP and COO of FirstEnergy Corp.  Invitations and more details are forthcoming. 

COMMISSIONERS CHARITY BALL:
Medina County Commissioners will host the Seventh Annual Commissioners' Charity Ball on Saturday, January 21, 2006 at The Country Clubs of Fox Meadows - Weymouth Course, Medina, Ohio.  Click here for details.

MEDINA COUNTY EVENTS.COM
For your future reference, MCEDC is posting monthly meetings and special events on MedinaCountyEvents.com.

MedinaCountyEvents.com is a centralized website for the residents of Medina County to learn about upcoming community events.  Residents will have the opportunity to view a wide variety of upcoming events via the online calendar. 

MEDINA COUNTY WORKFORCE PREPARES FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE NEEDS
Jim Doutt, who serves as Vice Chair of the Summit/Medina Workforce Investment Board, participated in the Summit/Medina Workforce Development Seminar on September 28, 2005 held at Blair Center, Westfield Center.  The seminar was well attended and it introduced a proactive approach to providing Medina County with a current skilled workforce while preparing for future needs as well.

Bill Hanigan, Director, Medina County Workforce Development states, "Medina County has provided the business community with a unique approach to workforce development.  Unlike most Ohio One Stop Centers, Medina County Workforce Development has an independent structure with close ties to economic development.  The result is a more flexible cadre of services to the business community and potential employees".  Click here to read the full article.


2005 MEDINA COUNTY BUSINESS AWARDS
MCEDC is pleased to announce the winners of the 2005 Medina County Business Awards (MCBA).

The gala event, sponsored by Westfield Bank,took place on October 27, 2005 in conjunction with MCEDC Autumn Speaker Series with over 150 people in attendance.  The MCBA are designed to recognize businesses located in Medina County that have achieved significant and positive results in terms of innovation, capital investment, small business enterprise or community involvement.

All the nominees were deserving; however, the field was narrowed and a panel of three judges chose the winners.  The 2005  MCBA judges were Ralph Berry and Charles Hawley, both former Medina County Commissioners, and Brian Tucker, Publisher of Crain's Cleveland Business Magazine and a resident of Medina County.

Category...Finalists...Winners...

	Entrepreneur of the Year:  Finalists  were Clinical Research Management, Inc.; Fechko Excavating; and Griffith Holdings, Inc.  The winner was Clinical Research Management, which is located in Hinckley Township; Vicki Tifft, President and Quinten Tifft, Vice President of CRM accepted the award.
	Capital Investment: Finalists were Liquid Resources of Ohio, LLC and Stop'nGo of Medina, Inc.  The winner was Liquid Resources of Ohio, LLC, which is located in Medina; Tim Curtiss, CEO of Liquid Resources accepted the award.
	Small Business Enterprise:  Finalists were Chad Allan Consulting, LLC; Gateway Records Management, Inc.; and Griffith Holdings, Inc.  The winner was Griffith Holdings, Inc, which is located in Medina Township; Frank Griffith, CEO of Griffith Holdings accepted the award
	Corporate Citizen of the Year:  Finalists were FirstMerit Bank, N.A; James Gerspacher Real Estate/James Gerspacher; and Stop'nGo of Medina, Inc.  The judges selected two winners in this category:  Corporate recipient: FirstMerit Bank, which has several locations throughout Medina County, Ron Paydo, Regional President accepted the award on behalf of his company;
	and Individual recipient: Jim Gerspacher, owner of James Gerspacher Real Estate, which is located in Medina City, was given the Corporate Citizen Award for his work as an individual resident and businessman in Medina County.

All awards were presented to the winners by Jim Doutt, Executive Director of MCEDC, and Jon Park, President of Westfield Bank.


2005 MEDINA, WAYNE & ASHLAND COUNTY WAGE & BENEFIT SURVEY
Information we need, but do not have.
This collaborative effort between the economic development organizations of Medina, Wayne and Ashland counties is being done in cooperation with Dorman-Farrell, Inc.

As our region competes for jobs nationally and internationally, it is important for employers to have access to current data on wage and benefit trends.  The data will be very useful  to existing companies as they work with their current and prospective employee base.  This survey will also provide the local economic development organizations with an important tool to promote their area. 

The survey is now open and available on line and takes just 30-45 minutes to complete.  CLICK HERE to begin.  All data that is collected will be treated confidentially and reported in an aggregate format.

If you would like more information regarding this survey, or to participate via US MAIL or face to face, please send your request to Ed Farrell at efarrell@dormanfarrell.com or call 330-725-0501.

Survey results are expected to be available in Spring 2006 and will be provided free to all survey participants. 


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