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Positive Change in Northeast Ohio - August 2008 Recap

NEOinc — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:00:46 +0000

Ah, early Fall in Northeast Ohio. The Tribe, after writing off their season mid-summer, has suddenly woke up and battled back to third place in their division just 10 or so games out. The Browns go 0-4 for the preseason but hopefully have got injuries out of their system early. Hang on, sports fans.

From a news perspective, August was a fairly slow month. We’ve recapped a nice selection of positive news from after the break.

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development. NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics. Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region. Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s August recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day, in our region.

August ‘08 Recap

ARCHAngels and LCCC form new fund
Lake Erie College gains $1M grant
A. Schulman to expand in Akron
CleveX secures $1.4M in funding
Lots of good results reported (Ferro, PolyOne, Hawk, JoAnn Stores, Preformed Line, Olympic Steel, McDermott)
Cleveland Professional Club 20/30 joins Advance Northeast Ohio partners (congrats Dan and Alex)
Ohio outshining Silicon Valley (no, we mean it!)
A. Schulman expanding
PartSource gets $50M in venture funding
NEOinc tenants in the news (Knotice, PolyFlow)
Primus raises $275M for sixth fund
Expedient continues Garfield Heights expansion
Diebold wins Brazilian contract

This list certainly isn’t meant to be exhaustive, merely a representative sample of some of the more positive articles we saw throughout the month. We want to hear from you too! Please use the comment box below to share your thoughts with us here at NEOinc and our other readers. Come on, you know you want to.

We’re also looking for other blogs to follow that report on positive entrepreneurship and economic development activities throughout Northeast Ohio. You can review the list below of the blogs we currently follow. Please post any additional recommendations via the comment box at the end of this post.

NEOinc’s blog reports regularly on entrepreneurial activities within the region, news and successes within the five incubators making up our collaborative, and resources available throughout Northeast Ohio. If you found this post useful, please consider subscribing to our blog. Our “Connect With Us” page will give you all the information you need to subscribe via your RSS reader or receive E-Mail updates.

Sources

NEOinc watches the following regional blogs. Please use our “Contact Us” page, or the comment box below, to recommend a blog not on the list.

Advance Northeast Ohio - the online home of our region’s economic action plan, which was inspired by Voices & Choices. Learn about the actions our region is taking to grow our economy and engage in conversations that shape the plan and evaluate our performance.
Brewed Fresh Daily- topical, wide-ranging, and sometimes irreverant, George Nemeth’s blog is a clearinghouse for the pulse of Northeast Ohio.
Cleveland Plain Dealer’s business blog
Crain’s Cleveland
NorTech - NorTech leads the region’s technology based economic development agenda. By supporting and nurturing Northeast Ohio’s most promising technology projects and initiatives, they help to create new technology industries and make the region ’s economy more globally-competitive.
Ohio Means Business - The OBDC blog is a chance for Ohio executives to share their perspective on how locating in Ohio has enabled them to achieve both their professional and personal aspirations without having to sacrifice one for the other.

Ohio releases Economic Development Strategic Plan

NEOinc — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:01:55 +0000

The State of Ohio Department of Development just released a new strategic plan for economic development within our State. Called “Ohio, Home of Innovation and Opportunity“, the plan is introduced on it’s own website by Lt. Governor Lee Fisher:

It is with great enthusiasm and a shared sense of optimism for our future that we present to the people of Ohio our economic development strategic plan. Ohio, Home of Innovation and Opportunity is a bold, practical, and forward-thinking plan to change the trajectory of Ohio’s economy by purposefully redesigning our business climate to increase the global competitiveness of Ohio’s employers.

The website makes the full plan available, including an executive summary and an area to “share your thoughts”.

ARCHAngels and LCCC form new fund

NEOinc — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:24:10 +0000

The ARCHAngel (Akron Regional CHange Angel) Network is a regional forum for introducing investors to market-driven, technology-based investment opportunities within Northeast Ohio and particularly within the greater Akron area. The Network, made possible through the sponsorship of the University of Akron Research Foundation (UARF), brings together promising technology companies and Angel investors with a particular focus on businesses that leverage the region’s strengths in health care, information technologies, polymers and other advanced materials.

Recently, the ARCHAngel network sent out a very big announcement.

“We wanted to share with you some exciting news………….. Thanks to our growing alliance with the Lorain County Community College (LCCC) and the hard work of the team lead by Tracy Green, we are happy to report that we have formed the Innovation Alliance Fund to provide very early stage technology and business gap funding.

The Innovation Alliance Fund has just received a Third Frontier Pre Seed Grant from the Ohio Department of Development of $500,000 which will be matched by an additional $500,000 from LCCC and UARF. Our alliance with LCCC will both increase deal flow and provide access to very early stage preseed funding for our ARCHAngel companies. A reminder that none of this goes to salaries and overhead but is all directed to where it will do the most good - the entrepreneur.

The ARCHAngels were also highlighted in today’s Akron Beacon Journal Business Section, with some very kind words from Exacter’s CEO John Luletta. Thanks to all of you who continue to provide their unique skills and resources to high potential companies like Exacter. See these two articles by Paula Schleis in today’s Akron Beacon Journal: Investors network making impact and $7.5 million will provide startup help.

We appreciate all of the ARCHAngel efforts which have brought us to this next step on our ARCHAngel growth curve. We will have lots to discuss on Wednesday September 10th and hope that you can join us for our quarterly meeting.”

Are you an Entrepreneur with an innovative business that needs the right resources and financing, or an Investor looking for a well developed ideas to invest in that will grow and provide you a competitive return in 3-5 years? If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, and don’t know about the Akron ARCHAngels, then head over to their website, do your homework and contact them as appropriate. Barry and Gordon are making great things happen in Akron - don’t miss out!

Positive Change in Northeast Ohio - July 2008 Recap

NEOinc — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:00:37 +0000

The dog days of summer finally hit us (maybe that’s what the Tribe’s bats needed to wake up). Hopefully, everyone is enjoying their summer vacations. This issue of positive change comes at a welcome time. With recent developments in the region, Cuyahoga County in particular, we could all use some better news to focus on.

We’ve recapped a nice selection of positive news from July after the break.

Here is NEOinc’s July recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day, in our region.

July ‘08 Recap

Sources

NEOinc watches the following regional blogs. Please use our “Contact Us” page, or the comment box below, to recommend a blog not on the list.

Advance Northeast Ohio - the online home of our region’s economic action plan, which was inspired by Voices & Choices. Learn about the actions our region is taking to grow our economy and engage in conversations that shape the plan and evaluate our performance.
Brewed Fresh Daily- topical, wide-ranging, and sometimes irreverant, George Nemeth’s blog is a clearinghouse for the pulse of Northeast Ohio.
Cleveland Plain Dealer’s business blog
Crain’s Cleveland
NorTech - NorTech leads the region’s technology based economic development agenda. By supporting and nurturing Northeast Ohio’s most promising technology projects and initiatives, they help to create new technology industries and make the region ’s economy more globally-competitive.
Ohio Means Business - The OBDC blog is a chance for Ohio executives to share their perspective on how locating in Ohio has enabled them to achieve both their professional and personal aspirations without having to sacrifice one for the other.

First RFP round for new Government TIP program announced

NEOinc — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:57:21 +0000

I was just getting ready to do the research on this topic, but Dorothy Baunach beat me to the details with a very informative E-Mail sent out yesterday. This won’t apply to many of you, but for those it does, this could be a source of significant funding for your venture. Thanks Dororthy, I’m copying your E-Mail details after the break. We’re assuming you’re okay with that! ;-) (Note the emphasis is ours in an effort to point out the critical aspects of the announcement that should help you decide if your venture is a fit).

Briefly, if you are a small- or medium-sized business involved in sensor technology for inspecting, monitoring and evaluating critical components of the nation’s roadways, bridges, and drinking and waste water systems, you should read the rest of this post.

Thanks again to Dorothy B. and NorTech for pulling this information together and getting the word out.

In March, the Greater Cleveland Partnership and NorTech hosted a City Club discussion by Marc Stanely, Director of the Technology Innovation Program (TIP) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Many of you will recall that Northeast Ohio was the first stop on Mr. Stanley’s tour to discuss the federal government’s new program to support innovation.

As a follow up to the March meeting, I wanted to let you know the Technology Innovation Program (TIP) announced its first call for proposals yesterday. Complete details are pasted below. You may also visit the TIP website at http://www.nist.gov/tip/

I’m not certain how many of you have technologies or business interests that are aligned, but wanted to be certain you all had a chance to take a look and determine whether or not you could apply. Good luck!

The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today that it is seeking proposals for high-risk research projects to develop innovative technologies for inspecting, monitoring and evaluating critical components of the nation’s roadways, bridges, and drinking and wastewater systems. The competition for cost-shared research and development (R&D) support is the first to be announced by NIST’s newly established Technology Innovation Program (TIP) in an effort to address critical societal challenges.

NIST announced that, based on FY2008 funds, it expects to award approximately $9 million in first-year funding for R&D projects focused on new, efficient, accurate, low-cost and reliable sensors and related technologies that provide quantitative assessments of the structural integrity or degree of deterioration of bridges, roads, water mains and wastewater collection systems. The competition, program managers said, addresses a critical national need for improved sensing technologies to help local, state and national authorities more cost-effectively monitor and maintain the Nation’s vast public infrastructure, some portions of which have been in place for many years and are rapidly and dangerously aging.

“As a society we stand atop what most authorities believe is an increasingly shaky platform of aging transportation and public utility systems, including roadways, bridges, and water and wastewater pipelines,” said TIP Director Marc Stanley. “It’s estimated, for example, that nationwide we lose about 15 percent of our treated drinking water to leaky pipelines, and a major bridge collapse in Minneapolis last year that took 13 lives is a sobering reminder that infrastructure failures can cost far more than just money. With this first TIP competition we hope to foster significant technology innovations to assist our Nation’s engineers in monitoring and maintaining these critical systems.”

TIP was established by the 2007 America COMPETES Act to support, promote and accelerate innovation in the United States through high-risk, high-reward research in areas of critical national need.

The merit-based competitive program can fund cost-shared R&D projects by single small-sized or medium-sized businesses or by joint ventures. Small-sized and medium-sized businesses, institutions of higher education, non-profit research organizations, and national laboratories are eligible for TIP support, with some restrictions on the size of companies, ownership and the types of research that are eligible. TIP awards are limited to no more than $3 million total over three years for a single company project and no more than $9 million total over five years for a joint venture.

Proposals for the current TIP competition must be received by NIST by 3 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008. Proposers may submit proposals by paper or electronically through the Grants.gov Web site. Review, selection, and award processing is expected to be completed by the end of November 2008.

Additional information on the TIP competition includes:

* The Federal Register notice of the competition, which is available from the TIP Web site at http://www.nist.gov/tip/helpful.html

* Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) posted on Grants.gov, which also is available from the TIP Web site at http://www.nist.gov/tip/helpful.html

* The TIP White Paper “Advanced Sensing Technologies for the Infrastructure: Roads, Highways, Bridges and Water Systems,” which outlines the civil infrastructure inspection and monitoring elements of this competition, available from the TIP Web site at http://www.nist.gov/tip/helpful.html

* The June 2008 Technology Innovation Program Proposal Preparation Kit, which must be used to prepare a TIP proposal, available from the TIP Web site at http://www.nist.gov/tip/helpful.html

TIP is holding public meetings (Proposers’ Conferences) at several locations around the country to provide general information regarding TIP, guidance on preparing proposals, and the opportunity for questions and answers. These conferences are being held at the following dates, times, and locations:

* July 16, 2008, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. CDT: St. Louis Airport Marriott, 10700 Pear Tree Lane, St. Louis, Mo. (314-253-5121)

* July 16, 2008, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. CDT: Renaissance Houston, 6 Greenway Plaza, East Houston, Texas (713-850-2310)

* July 17, 2008, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. EDT: Holiday Inn Atlanta Airport North, 1380 Virginia Avenue, Atlanta, Ga. (404-838-0029)

* July 17, 2008, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. PDT: Holiday Inn Portland Airport, 8439 North East Columbia Boulevard, Portland, Ore. (503-914-5253)

* July 18, 2008, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. PDT: Doubletree San Jose, 2050 Gateway Place, San Jose, Calif. (408-437-2124)

* July 21, 2008, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. EDT: Boston Courtyard Downtown, 275 Tremont Street, Boston, Mass. (781-537-5594)

* July 22, 2008, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. EDT: NIST Red Auditorium, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Md. (301-975-8910)

Those wishing to attend the July 22 Proposers’ Conference at NIST’s Gaithersburg, Md. facility must pre-register by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on July 16, 2008, by going to the Web page http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/confpage/080722.htm. No on-site registrations will be accepted. Photo identification must be presented at the NIST main gate to be admitted to the July 22, 2008 conference. Same day registration will be allowed at the other locations.

No registration fee will be charged for any of the Proposers’ Conferences. Presentation materials from Proposers’ Conferences will be made available on the TIP Web site.

Positive change in Northeast Ohio - June 2008 Recap

NEOinc — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:50:01 +0000

Well, welcome to the halfway point of 2008. That went quick, didn’t it? What started out as a slow month, ended on a high note with lots of positive announcements throughout the region. We’ve summarized a nice selection after the break.

June also saw one of the blogs we follow “going dark”, as they say. Chris Varley’s Tech Futures blog, which grew out of a NorTech study around technology-based economic development, signed off this month with the following note:

The TechFutures site will remain up for some time to come, but this will be the last blog post in this forum. As NorTech adapts to the changes around it, new priorities are emerging and new initiatives are being launched. We invite you to revisit the stories and history of this project here on this site, but even more than that we encourage you to get and stay involved in the new projects NorTech and other economic development groups in the region pursue in the months and years to come.

Here is NEOinc’s June recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day, in our region.

June ‘08 Recap

Sources

NEOinc watches the following regional blogs. Please use our “Contact Us” page, or the comment box below, to recommend a blog not on the list.

Advance Northeast Ohio - the online home of our region’s economic action plan, which was inspired by Voices & Choices. Learn about the actions our region is taking to grow our economy and engage in conversations that shape the plan and evaluate our performance.
Brewed Fresh Daily- topical, wide-ranging, and sometimes irreverant, George Nemeth’s blog is a clearinghouse for the pulse of Northeast Ohio.
Cleveland Plain Dealer’s business blog
Crain’s Cleveland
NorTech - NorTech leads the region’s technology based economic development agenda. By supporting and nurturing Northeast Ohio’s most promising technology projects and initiatives, they help to create new technology industries and make the region ’s economy more globally-competitive.
Ohio Means Business - The OBDC blog is a chance for Ohio executives to share their perspective on how locating in Ohio has enabled them to achieve both their professional and personal aspirations without having to sacrifice one for the other.

Positive Change in Northeast Ohio - May 2008 Recap

NEOinc — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:00:04 +0000

With nighttime lows that have dipped into the 30’s recently, it’s hard to believe we are making the turn into Summer, but here we are in June already. The temperatures are quickly on the rise (if only the Indian’s bats were heating up as well), and the Summer Solstice is only a couple weeks away.

Lot’s of good economic development news hit in May. Selfishly, we here at NEOinc are most proud of Mike LeHere’s award by the National Business Incubation Association as the top incubator innovator of 2008. Mike is the CEO of the Akron Global Business Accelerator (AGBA) and the innovation was the Global Technology Commercialization Initiative in conjunction with the City of Akron. Three links to separate articles are in the list below, but since we write this blog, we’re linking here too. Follow this link to read our original article on Mike.

Here is NEOinc’s May recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day, in our region.

May ‘08 Recap

Sources

NEOinc watches the following regional blogs. Please use our “Contact Us” page to recommend a blog not on the list.

Advance Northeast Ohio - the online home of our region’s economic action plan, which was inspired by Voices & Choices. Learn about the actions our region is taking to grow our economy and engage in conversations that shape the plan and evaluate our performance.
Brewed Fresh Daily- topical, wide-ranging, and sometimes irreverant, George Nemeth’s blog is a clearinghouse for the pulse of Northeast Ohio.
Cleveland Plain Dealer’s business blog
Crain’s Cleveland
NorTech - NorTech leads the region’s technology based economic development agenda. By supporting and nurturing Northeast Ohio’s most promising technology projects and initiatives, they help to create new technology industries and make the region ’s economy more globally-competitive.
Ohio Means Business - The OBDC blog is a chance for Ohio executives to share their perspective on how locating in Ohio has enabled them to achieve both their professional and personal aspirations without having to sacrifice one for the other.
Tech Futures - This site grew out of a five month process that began in February 2005 when NorTech engaged Global Business Network (GBN), one of the world’s premiere scenario planning consultancies, to help evaluate the region’s strategic options and the role technology-based economic development could play in revitalizing our economy.

One of NEOINC’s own honored nationally

NEOinc — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:54:21 +0000

What were you doing 25 years ago? Our guess is probably not what you are doing now. There might even be some people reading this post that weren’t even born yet.

The year was 1983 and the Akron-Summit Industrial Incubator, now known as the Akron Global Business Accelerator (AGBA), was created. Created to be a safe haven for entrepreneurs, it was the first of it’s kind in Ohio and one of only a handful in the entire country.

Mike LeHere was employee #1, hired to manage the incubator. It is a position he holds to this day.

After 25 years of pioneering work helping countless entrepreneurs, Mike and the AGBA is receiving some extremely notable recognition for their high quality program.

First, the incubator has been highlighted in a number of articles over the past few months concerning it’s expanding global reach, it’s participation in the emerging Akron bio corridor, and it’s contribution to the Akron economy.

More recently, Mike, the accelerator, and one of it’s tenants were finalists for two awards at the recent National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) Spring Conference:

ABGA was one of two finalists for the Incubator Innovation Award, for their Global Technology Commercialization Initiative in conjunction with the City of Akron.
Summit Data Communications, a tenant in the AGBA, was one of two finalists in the NBIA Incubator Client, Technology category. SDC produces digital radios for use in harsh environments, such as inventory control, warehouses. SDC grew from $1.5M in 2006 to $7M sales in 2007.

We are pleased to report that Mike’s ABGA took the award for the top Incubator Innovation for 2008. This is quite an honor for Mike and the AGBA. NBIA is a highly respected organization representing incubators from all over the world. With this nomination, Mike was competing against other high-quality incubation programs in 45+ states and over 50 countries.

We realize this isn’t exactly breaking news as several blogs and media outlets throughout the region have already reported on this. We are pleased to see our region exhibit the same amount of enthusiasm and pride over this award as we are within NEOinc (AGBA is a member of NEOinc, the Northeast Ohio Incubator Collaborative). For a very nice writeup about Mike and the ABGA, read this Akron Beacon Journal article.

We at NEOinc wanted to share some personal congratulatory messages to Mike on his recognition:

“Mike’s long-term dedication to entrepreneurship has made the accelerator a significant component in the economic development effort of Akron, Northeast Ohio, and now the nation.”

Bob Cohen
CEO, Director of Business Assistance
BrainTree Partners

”Our most sincere congratulations go out to our colleagues at the Akron Global Business Accelerator on being awarded the 2008 Incubator Innovation Award by the National Business Incubator Association. A well deserved honor for a highly respected program. And we send a particularly special “shout out” to Mike LeHere, its Executive Director. Mike has been a leading force in business incubation throughout his storied and successful career. His very early stage consulting work in Youngstown was the launching point for the Youngstown Business Incubator and the basis for the success and recognition we enjoy today.”

Jim Cossler
Chief Evangelist
The Youngstown Business Incubator

“Congratulations Mike! Pioneers and innovators go through many hard and troubling times. You not only survived, but prospered. Many thanks for leading the way in Northeast Ohio.”

Don Knechtges
Senior Advisor
GLIDE

“Mike Lehere was my mentor, when I started my first business endeavor 25 years ago in the original industrial incubator. No one is more deserving of this prestigious award than Mike.”

Terry Martell
Director, Operations & Business Development
The Akron Global Business Accelerator

“This is a long-overdue recognition of the outstanding work Mike and his staff have been doing at the AGBA for the last 25 years. Not only is Mike’s program achieving notoriety, but this award also recognizes Mike’s personal strong position influence on, and dedication to, entrepreneurial support locally, regionally, state-wide, nationally, and now even internationally. Congratulations and keep up the great work!”

Wayne Zeman, Chair of NEOinc
VP of Venture Development
MAGNET

Positive Change in Northeast Ohio - April 2008 Recap

NEOinc — Mon, 05 May 2008 08:41:58 +0000

Much of NEOinc’s management is in San Antonio this week at the National Business Incubation Association’s Spring conference. In our absence, we leave you with April’s recap of positive regional change, and look forward to publishing next week.

Here is NEOinc’s April recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day, in our region.

April ‘08 Recap

Sources

NEOinc watches the following regional blogs. Please use our “Contact Us” page to recommend a blog not on the list.

Advance Northeast Ohio - the online home of our region’s economic action plan, which was inspired by Voices & Choices. Learn about the actions our region is taking to grow our economy and engage in conversations that shape the plan and evaluate our performance.
Brewed Fresh Daily- topical, wide-ranging, and sometimes irreverant, George Nemeth’s blog is a clearinghouse for the pulse of Northeast Ohio.
Cleveland Plain Dealer’s business blog
Crain’s Cleveland
NorTech - NorTech leads the region’s technology based economic development agenda. By supporting and nurturing Northeast Ohio’s most promising technology projects and initiatives, they help to create new technology industries and make the region ’s economy more globally-competitive.
Ohio Means Business - The OBDC blog is a chance for Ohio executives to share their perspective on how locating in Ohio has enabled them to achieve both their professional and personal aspirations without having to sacrifice one for the other.
Tech Futures - This site grew out of a five month process that began in February 2005 when NorTech engaged Global Business Network (GBN), one of the world’s premiere scenario planning consultancies, to help evaluate the region’s strategic options and the role technology-based economic development could play in revitalizing our economy.

Our Akron incubator gets new tenants

NEOinc — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:16:13 +0000

The Akron Global Business Incubator (AGBA) recently acquired two new tenants:

MAR Systems has a proprietary process using recycled materials to remove heavy metals from water and gas
InSeT Systems uses inertial guidance technology to track personnel in underground mines - a mandate now required by federal law

AGBA is also playing a key role in the City of Akron competing as a finalist in the All American City competition. The city of Akron selected three of its programs as the basis for its application, and the Technology Initiative of the Akron Global Business Accelerator was one of those elements. Mike LeHere, AGBA CEO, will be representing the Accelerator in early June when the City makes its formal presentation to the review committee. NEOinc wishes Mike and The City of Akron the best of luck!