Happy St. Patrick's Day



Notes from Jim Doutt, Executive Director 

MCEDC Strategic Plan
I speak often of the MCEDC's core initiatives.  The Medina County University Center is a reality; the Medina County Port Authority is actively financing local projects throughout the county; Foreign Trade Zone status has been established at four different locations within the county; and the Medina County Fiber Network evaluation team is currently considering submitted Request For Proposals to build out access to significant broadband connectivity in Medina County.  These initiatives have all added to Medina County's list of available economic development tools.  With this vital foundation for economic development now in place it is time to develop an updated strategic plan that will best utilize these tools to move Medina County forward.

Business Retention & Expansion Survey
The summary results of the 2007 Medina County Business Retention and Expansion(BRE) Survey, that was conducuted last fall, have been presented.   A special BRE Presentation, sponsored by Westfield Bank and Dorman-Farrell, LLC, was hosted by the Medina County University Center on Wednesday, March 5, 2008.  This event was very well attended by not only the companies that participated and the volunteers conducting the interviews, but by various community elected officals and local business decision makers.  Realizing that a key element of economic development is the retention and expansion of the existing buisness base, MCEDC partnered with the economic development directors from the cities of Brunswick, Medina, and Wadsworth to conduct the BRE survey of Medina County's industrial sector. 70 companies throughout Medina County have been interviewed utilizing Synchronist, a survey tool that uses software to assemble, organize and analyze information. Over 40 individuals from throughout the county volunteered and were trained on the survey tool and the proper methodology to use during the interviews. Problem areas identified by the companies are being addressed.  Included among the issues of concern that the survey clearly pointed out is the need for more "skilled workers".  Also cited, was the general availability of entry level workers.  These matters are being addressed through MedinaWorks, our workforce development department, and educational institutions such the Medina County Career Center and the University Center. 

This effort was supported by the Medina County Commissioners and the elected leaders of our cities and villages. Mr. Don Simmons, CEO of Simmons Brothers Construction served as the Chairman of the BRE. Thank you to all who made this survey successful.

Ohio Wins Site Selection Magazine's Coveted Govenor's Cup
Ohio's second consecutive Governor's Cup is proof positive that manufacturing-intensive states can diversify their economies and retool their labor supplies enough to win Site Selection's prestigious annual corporate-facilities race.  The Governor's Cup goes to the state with the most new or expanded capital projects the previous year as tracked by Site Selection publisher Conway Data Inc.'s New Plant database...MORE>>>

Ohio Economic Development Association 
I continue to wear my Medina County hat along with my regional hat as I serve as the immediate Past President of the Ohio Economic Development Association.  This unique positon allows me to continue to interact frequently with the current administration and to solidify working relationships with the new employees at the Department of Development.  The 400+ members of OEDA led an advocacy effort last year with the Ohio Legislaure that emphasised the importance of fully funding key economic development elements in the State Budget.  The success of this effort may prove to be very important to Ohio, tough times dictate that we be aggressive on the economic development front.

Ohio STEM Learning Network
I would like to extend a sincere thank you to former Representative Chuck Calvert as well as Speaker of the House Jon Husted for their early and sustained leadership in securing a $11.75 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for STEM - science, technology, engineering and math - school start ups and the creation of a new business-led Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN).  OSLN will be the "R&D and knowledge-capture/dissemination" appartatus for Ohio's emerging STEM initiatives.  The Gates grant will, in turn, leverage millions more from the private sector and philanthropy - for example, in Cleveland, the Cleveland Clinic and other private interests are poised to join with the OLSN in supporting a new STEM high school in downtown.  Other communities and regions across Ohio are beginning to follow suit.  In total, some $200 million was appropriated in House Bill 119 for STEM initiatives...MORE>>>

Ohio Department of Development
Martin Irvine, formerly with Team Lorain County in Elyria, Ohio has been hired as the Manager of the Office of Business Development in the Economic Development Division of the Ohio Department of Development. Congratulations to Martin and to the Department or its' wise choice of a skilled Ohio economic development professional! 

Also, the Ohio Department of Development will make available $48.5 million through the combined Fiscal Year 2008 & Fiscal Year 2009 Job Ready Sites Program.  Wadsworth City and Medina City have submitted pre-applications to request funds for development of their local sites.  The City of Wadsworth has been awarded a $900,000 Federal transportation grant for the expansion of Quadral Drive.

MCEDC News:

Welcome New Members: 
EBO Group Inc. located at 1441 Wolf Creek Trail, Sharon Center.  EBO's latest venture is working to develop hybrid electric drive trains for the shuttle bus/van market.

VEXOR Technology Inc., located at 955 West Smith Road, Medina, processes and recycles industrial by products and produces VEXOR Engineeed Fuel which is an alternate energy source.

Congratulation Rob Peters!
On January 23, 2008, Rob Peters, Assistant Director of Public Service for the City of Wadsworth, received certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) from the National Development Council (NDC)...MORE>>

MCEDC Annual Meeting
MCEDC's Annual Meeting was held on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at the Blair Center in Westfield Center with more than 130 in attendance. The keynote speaker was Dr. Luis Proenza, President, University of Akron. Dr. Proenza spoke eloquently about the need for higher education and need to develop a highly skilled workforce in Northeast Ohio. 

Save the Date - Thursday, October 30, 2008
The Medina County Economic Development Corporation will hold its Autumn Speaker Series/2008 Medina County Business Awards at 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at the Blair Center in Westfield Center. The 2008 Medina County Business Awards will once again be sponsored by Westfield Bank. Medina County will honor the companies and individuals who have made an impact on the business commmunity for work completed in the 2007 calendar year. Nomination forms will be available by May, 2008.

Medina County Port Authority - Medina County Fiber Network
The Medina County Port Authority (MCPA) recieved four responses to the November 5, 2007 request for proposals (RFP) for the development and operation of the Medina County Fiber Network (MCFN). The RFP Evalution Team is actively reviewing the submitted proposals, but has not yet made a recommendation to the MCPA. 

Since the creation of MCPA, the County and MCPA have worked cooperatively, utilizing the services of MCEDC, to develop a plan to implement a regional Medina County Fiber Network (MCFN). In 2006, the Commissioners announced their intent to make significant fiber broadband access more widely available throughout the County in support of governmental use (including to serve the County’s needs as well as those of other governmental users, including municipalities, school districts, libraries and others), access for governmental and non-governmental providers of public services in the County (including educational, healthcare, research, cultural and other community institutions) and economic development (including retention and expansion of existing businesses, attraction of new businesses, facilitating job training and education). The MCFN is intended to provide a platform to promote all of those purposes at a cost that is acceptable to the County and the MCPA, effectively creating an e-Corridor linking the participants not only to one another, but also to carrier facilities and carriers throughout the region and serving as a gateway to alternative networks and services. 

University of Akron/Medina County University Center (MCUC) 

What began as an idea over a cup of coffee has evolved in a place of learning and technology. The Medina County University Center opened its doors on January 14, 2008 to more than one hundred students.

MCUC is the result of successful collaboration of government and private sector working together. The 44 acres for the university were donated to the University of Akron by the Medina County Commissioners. The 33,000 square foot, $9.5 million facility was constructed with federal and state grants and private donations from individuals, corporations, organizations and foundations. The adjoining 64 acres of Innovation Park is now actively marketing hoping to attract business that will benefit from the university's presence.


Lafayette Township Trustees Support Marketing of Innovation Park
Lafayette Township Resolution #09-08 supports the attraction of targeted businesses to Medina County Innovation Park to create employment opportunities and enhance the tax base for the Township, School District, and county.  Lafayette Township will dedicate appropriate support and resources in collaboration with the Medina County Port Authority (MCPA), to support the marketing effort of the Medina County Innovation Park.  MCPA is marketing the approximate 54 acres of shovel-ready land in Innovation Park that is adjacent to the University of Akron/Medina County University Center.  The township has previously enacted specific zoning permitting and encouraging development of the remaining land for the purpose of research and development, professional offices, light assembly and other uses.

Medina County High School Intern Program
Medina County Workforce Development, in concert with the local Medina County Schools and Chambers of Commerce, are offering  a high school intern program.  The vision of the Medina/Summit Workforce Development is to have all of the Medina County high schools participating in the program.  This program is a great benefit to both the high school strudents and the local business.  The program has three main goals: 
     •  To familiarize the local employers with the bright young talent coming out of our high schools
     •  To allow our youth the opportunities to test drive a career path
     •  Retain our local talent here in Medina County
We need to retain the brightest minds from our high schools today, to fill the leadership positions of Medina County tomorrow....More>>> 

Collegiate Basketball Invitational in Wadsworth 2008-2010
The Collegiate Basketball Invitational will be back in Wadsworth, Ohio, from 2008 through 2010.  Wadsworth City Council and McCarthy Sports, Inc. have agreed to terms on a three-year proposal that will once again put the city of Wadsworth in the center of the basketball world for several days each April.  "In addition to the direct benefits of hosting the event in our community, we see a real value in being able to market the City of Wadsworth nationally on ESPNU." stated Rob Peters, Assistant Director of Public Service.  All games will be played at Wadsworth High School...More>>>

Regional News: 

NEOTEC’s Ron DeBarr Named Chair of NAFTZ Grantee Committee
Ron DeBarr, president and CEO of the Northeast Ohio Trade & Economic Consortium (NEOTEC), was recently named chairman of the Grantee Committee of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ). NEOTEC, an economic development partnership of 10 Northeast Ohio counties, is the grantee of Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 181 in Northeast Ohio, which covers multiple locations throughout the region...MORE>>

Ohio Leads Nation in 16 Industries
The Buckeye State dominates 42 industry groups when measured by total sales, and Ohio tops 16 industry groups by per capita sales, according to the most recent Economic Census from the U.S. Census Bureau. Leading the list: Ohio is number one in Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing. Ohio also dominates in several steel categories...MORE>>

Manufacturers Predict Modest Growth in '08
The National Association of Manufacturers thinks the economy will grow by 2.1 percent in 2008...MORE>>

Goodyear Stays, Bridgestone Shops
Less than two months after Akron celebrated Goodyear's decision to build a new $900 million headquarters, another tire maker, Bridgestone Firestone, is talking about a possible relocation of its technical center. Bridgestone Firestone wants to upgrade from its current 1911-era facility. In addition to looking at Akron, the company is reported to be shopping for real estate in the Nashville, Tennessee, area...MORE>>

Team NEO 2008 Northeast Ohio Starting Wage and Benefits Survey
MCEDC is once again partnering with Team NEO and several other economic development groups in the region to conduct the 2008 Northeast Ohio Starting Wage and Benefits survey.  The purpose of this survey is to develop data not available such as the mean/median wage at the county level, not just the starting wages.  The survey results will allow comparisons among similar companies throughout the region for establishing a competitive wage/benefits setting.  The confidential responses, reported only in aggregate, will allow for accurate wage estimates for companies already operating in or interested in moving to Northeast Ohio.

Team NEO Ohio Economic Review for 2007
Northeast Ohio continues to experience moderate growth.  2007 is the sixth consecutive year of growth in regional output.  View the 2007 Team NEO Economic Report. 


It all adds up...read more about the Cleveland+ efforts here.