Notes from Jim Doutt, Executive Director
Congressman Ralph Regula was the guest speaker at the MCEDC Board of Trustees Meeting, on Thursday, December 21, 2006.  This is the third consecutive year that Congressman Regula has given our Board a year-end update and a look forward regarding legislation in Washington, DC.   It is always a special occasion to hear from Mr. Regula.  Medina County is very fortunate to be represented by an individual of the caliber and background of Congressman Regula. 

It is my privilege to be serving as President of the Ohio Economic Development Association (OEDA) this year...read press release here... OEDA is a organization with over 430 members from throughout the state.  Most of our members are local, county or regional  officials who work on the "front lines" of economic development every day.  As we begin this year of change in Ohio, OEDA has formulated a Legislative Advocacy agenda which was formally presented to the 127th General Assembly on March 7, 2007 at OEDA's Legislative Day.  This is a day that we set aside to honor top Legislators who have contributed to the improvement of Ohio's economic outlook. The event was very well attended and one of the many highlights was an appearance and remarks by Lt. Governor Lee Fisher. 

OEDA has also established a  dialogue with the Strickland/Fisher Administration.  Already this year, I have had several oppportunites to meet with Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, who is also serving as Director of the Departmant of Development.  These discussions have been very encouraging  and I am looking forward to ongoing communication with the new Administration.This dialogue will serve to convey the needs and priorities of our state and regions from an OEDA perspective and of Medina County from an MCEDC perspective.  To ensure that these priorities are consistent with the local needs, I encourage you to communicate your thoughts on local priorities to MCEDC. Visit the OEDA monthly newsletter here.

Ohio Leads US In New Plants and Expansions: the Ohio Department of Development released the 2006 national rankings of new capital investment in the United States based on the annual analysis by Site Selection Magazine. The report shows that there were 431 new investment projects by national and international companies in Ohio in 2006 and the total capital investment in Ohio last year is estimated at over $4 billion.  Read the March 2, 2007 Press Release here>>>


State Representative Chuck Calvert, 69th District - Serving Medina County  
MCEDC would like to thank Representative Chuck Calvert for his tenure in the Ohio House of Representtives.  Mr. Calvert's legacy of leadership and service to Medina County and the State of Ohio has provided significant, long term benefit to our area. 

State Representative Bill Bathchelder 
Bill Batchelder was once again elected to serve as State Representative for 69th District in November, 2006.  Previously, Mr. Batchelder  served in the Ohio House of Representatives for over thirty years. He was the guest speaker at the February 15, 2007 MCEDC Board of Trustees' Meeting.  We look forward to working with Bill.

MCEDC News:

Welcome New Members:
Rico Equipment, Inc. located at 691 W. Liberty Street, Medina, provides innovative solutions for material handling, material handling equipment and lift trucks.

Beacon Marshall Companies located at 4646 West Streetsboro, Richfield, is a design and build industrial contractor as well as industrial land development and sales.

Healthcare Innovative Solutions located at 5045 Park Avenue West, Seville, is an Information Technology company consulting in healthcare information.

Discount Drug Mart located at 211 Commerce Drive, Medina, is the headquarters for retail drugstores.

Save the Date -November 15, 2007
The 2007 Medina County Business Awards presented in conjunction with the MCEDC Speaker's Series program will once again be sponsored by Westfield Bank.  The event will be held at the Blair Center, Westfield Center from 4-7 p.m.  Nomination forms are forthcoming; please nominate the qualified business of your choice.

MCEDC Annual Meeting
Approximately 120 attended the MCEDC Annual Meeting on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 at the Blair Center in Westfield Center.  Keynote speaker was J.C. Wallace, Executive Director of the Ohio Economic Development Association.  Mr. Wallace focused his remarks on a historical perspective of Ohio's economy and made some prognostications about our state's future.

Jim Doutt's remarks centered around a Yogi Berra quote, better known as a "yogi-ism":
"The future ain't what it used to be".  Mr. Doutt used the Yogi Berra quote to empahasize the point that the outlook for Medina County's future is  very bright. MCEDC has led the way by being a catalyst for change to make Medina County more competitive.  View Jim's presentation here.

The Medina County Fiber Network
The Medina County Port Authority (MCPA) released a Request For Proposal (RFP) for a design/build of the Medina County Fiber Network (MCFN) on November 17, 2006. The RFP to develop the fiber network was drafted by NGT Partners, LLC who guided the MCPA through the RFP process. A Respondents' Conference was held November 28th for potential bidders and the deadline for submission of proposals was January 12, 2007. 

Three bids were submitted to the MCPA: City of Wadsworth, First Energy Telecom (FET)& Time Warner/Armstrong Cable (TWA)

The MCFN Review Team met to review its inital findings on January 24th and invited both TWA and FET to give oral presentations on February 7th. A draft report on the findings was compiled along with five recommendations which was presented to the MCPA Board on March 7, 2007... More on the RFP >>>.

Medina County University Center

Again, "The future ain't what it used to be."

Construction progress continues at MCUC. In January 2007 the MCUC foundation is laid...


 ..... March 2007 the building begins to rise out of the ground! ...More on MCUC>>>

Medina County Innovation Park
Medina County Port Authority collaborating with the Medina County Board of Commissioners and consulting with the marketing team of CB Richard Ellis have officially  renamed the 54 acreas of land that is adjacent to the MCUC campus.  The new name is "Medina County Innovation Park". 

Medina County Prescription Help Program
The Board of Medina County Commissioners has announced the creation of the Medina County Prescription Help Program.  Medina County residents who qualify can receive free prescription durgs using a new countywide database program...More>> 

Griffith Holdings, Inc. Receives the 2007 Team NEO Success Award
Congratulaions to Frank Griffith and Griffith Holdings, Inc.!  On January 17, 2007, Griffith Holdings, Inc., a global communications firm helping more than 5,000 clients and partners connect smarter™ with their markets through a customized combination of internet, telecom, and marketing services, was recognized for the third consecutive year as one of Northeast Ohio's top-performing companies, receiving the 2007 Team NEO Success Award...Read story>>

Cleveland State adds MBA program in Brunswick
The Nance College of Business Administration at Cleveland State University is partnering with Brunswick City to offer a complete MBA program beginning in August 2007. This brings an accredited, high-quality and convenient program to residents and working people in the area....More>>

Regional News:

Site Selection ranks Ohio near top for business climate ... More>>>
Cincinnati Business Courier - December 20, 2006