Buzz

Details set for annual sustainable energy forum

Youngstown Vindicator Thursday, May 16, 2013

The fifth annual Youngstown State University Sustainable Energy Forum, featuring more than 200 academicians, energy-industry leaders, government officials and entrepreneurs, will take place June 3 and 4 at Youngstown State University.

Read the full story here.

Canton-based Timken acquires Standard Machine

Canada Newswire Thursday, May 16, 2013

The Timken Company announced the continued expansion of its industrial services capabilities with the acquisition of the Standard Machine business based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Read the full story here.

NASA partners with Ohio non-profit on unmanned air challenge

Wall Street Journal Thursday, May 16, 2013

NASA has selected Development Projects Inc. of Dayton, Ohio, to manage a new Centennial Challenge prize competition involving unmanned aircraft systems in 2014.

Read the full story here.

University of Dayton announces $30 million in new construction

Dayton Daily News Thursday, May 16, 2013

The University of Dayton’s Science Center, library and other buildings are the target of nearly $30 million in work being done this summer.The work is part of UD’s investment of approximately $155 million in its campus in recent years. The private Catholic school has doubled its land footprint in the last 10 years.

Read the whole story here.

Summit County paging all good hackers for National Day of Civic Hacking

HackNEO Thursday, May 16, 2013

On June 1 and 2, Summit County will join the White House and dozens of governments across the country in sponsoring the National Day of Civic Hacking with HackNEO. The event is an opportunity for government agencies, businesses, nonprofits and engaged citizens to collaborate on using technology to help address shared civic challenges. The event will take place at Summit Artspace.

Details available here.

IBM acquires UrbanCode to help businesses rapidly deliver mobile, cloud, big data and social softwar

PR Newswire Thursday, April 25, 2013

IBM announced it has acquired UrbanCode Inc. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, UrbanCode automates the delivery of software, helping businesses quickly release and update mobile, social, big data, cloud applications.

Read the full story here.

Queen City Angels hosts two-day entrepreneur boot camp june 3-4

CincyTech Thursday, April 25, 2013

For more information, click here.

HealthSpot raises $10.4m from investors, secures $1.5m state loan

Columbus Business First Thursday, April 25, 2013

HealthSpot Inc., the Dublin company seeking to bust open the telemedicine market with its big blue booths, has raised another $10.4 million in a private investment round that included Cardinal Health Inc. and has secured a $1.5 million state loan.

Read the full story here.

GE Aviation to spend $200 million in Ohio

Dayton Daily News Thursday, April 25, 2013

GE Aviation said Friday it is investing $200 million over the next three years in its Ohio operations, including Evendale, Peebles and the Dayton area.

Read the full story here.

Ohio's Scripps Innovation Challenge Winners Announced

Ohio University Thursday, April 18, 2013

ATHENS, Ohio (April 11, 2013)—Six Ohio University students shared the $10,000 grand prize of the inaugural Scripps Innovation Challenge on April 11 after presenting their idea for a mobile alarm clock app designed to encourage young people to consume news.

Broadcast journalism seniors Devin Bartolotta, Matt Digby, Glenn Janos, Leah Petrovich, Sarah Tranelli and management information systems junior Ryan Vibbert collaborated to design an app that would allow users to receive targeted news on their mobile devices at their desired time of day. Their challenge – to Craft a Strategy to Get More Young People to Consume News – was submitted by Ogden Newspapers.

“It started out as a class project and, as the idea developed, we realized it could be so much more,” said Tranelli. “We felt really confident about our idea and hoped we could come in here and get the judges to believe in it. Our professor, Mary Rogus, was behind us every step of the way, and we thank her.”

The Scripps Innovation Challenge, a campus-wide contest sponsored by the Scripps College of Communication, provided the opportunity for students to innovate creative solutions to actual challenges from the media industry.

Read the full story here.

Middle-market companies from Ohio choose open innovation to achieve competitive advantage

Nine Sigma, Inc. Thursday, April 18, 2013

NineSigma, Inc., of Cleveland, the leading innovation partner to organizations worldwide, today announced several new clients they will work with under the Ohio Third Frontier Open Innovation Incentive (OII) Program. As part of the program, NineSigma received a grant from the State of Ohio to help middle market companies, with revenues between $10 million and $1 billion, leverage Open Innovation strategies.

Read the full story here.

Columbus ranked among most intelligent cities by Intelligent Communities Forum

The National League of Cities Thursday, April 18, 2013

Consider Columbus, Ohio, one of this nation’s “legacy cities” in the industrial heartland. In a review of the city’s accomplishments toward earning the Most Intelligent title, Robert Bell, founder of the Intelligent Community Forum, cites assets including Ohio State University, the Columbus Metropolitan Library and the innovation incubator TechColumbus as significant advances in smart technology application and education. The city is further lauded for its multi-sector partnerships, inclusion of citizens in visioning and transparency of process in decision making.

Read the full story here.

Ohio declares STEM education, entrepreneurship economic cornerstones

Black Innovation and Competitiveness Initiative Thursday, April 18, 2013

Johnathan M. Holifield, NorTech’s Vice President of Inclusive Competitiveness affirmed, “This potential game-changer for Ohio is an economic competitiveness imperative. Ohio must cultivate a larger, more diverse and inclusive STEM pipeline to produce more job-creating entrepreneurs. This program will accelerate those efforts.”

Read the full story here.

Cincinnati ranks among '10 most unexpected cities for high tech innovation'

Techie.com Thursday, April 11, 2013

Today's emerging high-tech hubs are not where you think they are, according to techie.com, a destination site for disruptive technology and emerging trends. The online publication today released its "Ten Most Unexpected Cities for High Tech Innovation" list, highlighting ten unexpected locales that are expected to replace Silicon Valley.

"Silicon Valley has rendered itself obsolete," says techie.com editor-in-chief Dan Blacharski. "With the emergence of cheap, reliable, and available cloud-based infrastructure and services, the tech industry is moving towards the industrial Midwest."

Read the full story here.

Akron fund awards money to startups, including company that moved from Finland

Akron Beacon Journal Thursday, April 11, 2013

About two years ago, a tiny Finnish startup landed in Akron, hoping to tap the U.S. market.

Now, the wireless technology venture 7signal has eight employees, a growing customer base and recently received money from the new Akron BioInvestment Funds, designed to boost the city’s tech industry.

Read the full story here.

Ohio State wins sustainability championship

The Lantern Thursday, April 11, 2013

While the Ohio State men’s basketball team was competing in the NCAA Tournament, other members of the university community were working toward a different championship title.

OSU was crowned the winner of the second annual Environmental March Madness Tournament early Tuesday, defeating other schools in the “Sustainable 16” after filing out initial surveys.

The tournament pitted universities against one another based on each college’s environmental curriculum and sustainability efforts and was organized by Enviance, an environmental software company.

As the 2013 national champion, OSU will be awarded a $5,000 grant for its Environment, Economy, Development and Sustainability (EEDS) program. Its director will also get an all-expense paid trip to San Diego to attend the 2013 Enviance User Conference and be a part of a discussion panel in April.

Read the full story here.

Ohio ranked second in auto parts jobs

Dayton Daily News Thursday, April 11, 2013

Motor vehicle parts manufacturing is the largest source of manufacturing jobs in the United States, according to a study released Monday by the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association.

The industry directly employs more than 734,000 American workers and generates nearly $355 billion toward the gross domestic product, 2.3 percent of total U.S. GDP, the report said. The study was conducted with IHS Inc., a provider of analytics.

In Ohio, 89,423 workers are employed in making auto parts, making the state second to only Michigan, which has 102,624 workers directly employed in the industry, according to the association. Indiana was third with nearly 80,000 workers.

“With a presence in all 50 states, this industry is important to the health and success of American manufacturing and to the future of this country,” Bob McKenna, the association’s president and chief executive, said in a press release on the study.

In the Dayton area, companies like DMAX in Moraine, Tenneco in Kettering, Behr Thermal Products in Dayton, Ahresty in Wilmington and many others work for the auto industry, supplying General Motors nationwide or Honda in Ohio, among other original equipment manufacturers.

Read the story here.

Ohio State startups expected to double this year

WOSU 89.7 NPR News Thursday, March 28, 2013

Some of us may have thought about an invention that could help make life a little easier. But without the resources or connections to make it happen, the bright idea goes dark and it’s left for someone else to create.

At Ohio State University, the Technology and Commercialization Office helps students and faculty turn their idea into reality. This year, the TCO expects to double the number of start-up businesses fostered by the office. WOSU’s reports on a couple of OSU innovators whose ideas are well on their way to success.

Read the full story here.

Ohio science, tech groups target youth innovation

Canton Repository Thursday, March 28, 2013

A new scholarship program is being launched to encourage Ohio students to become high-tech inventors and entrepreneurs.

Believe in Ohio will be a youth commercialization and entrepreneurship program offering incentives for achievements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Read the full story here.

DecisionDesk nets $1.7m to help colleges and companies pick the best people

VentureBeat Thursday, March 28, 2013

Ever had to collect thousands of applications and whittle them down to find the best hundred candidates? Universities and businesses do it all the time, and it’s not an easy task.

New York and Cleveland-based DecisionDesk wants to change that. The company takes the application and selection process into the cloud, promising to make the lives of administrators a lot less stressful. And it just raised $1.75 million in new funding to keep innovating.

Read the full story here.

3-D printing institute awards $4.5m to six projects

Crain's Cleveland Business Thursday, March 28, 2013

The new 3-D printing institute in Youngstown has awarded $4.5 million to six research projects designed to help turn the process into a more mainstream manufacturing technique.

The research teams will be adding $5 million of their own money to fund the projects, according to a news release from the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, which was created with a $30 million federal grant awarded in August.

Three of the six teams will include local researchers, according to the release from NAMII, which was mentioned by President Barack Obama during his State of the Union speech in February.

Read the full story here.

Clay Marsh to lead new innovation studio at Ohio State

Ohio State University College of Medicine Thursday, March 21, 2013

Through the convergence of technology development and design thinking, the IDEA Studio will focus on identifying important gaps or critical problems needing addressed and create technologies and solutions to solve these vexing problems.

Read the full story here.

Third Sun Solar featured in Solar Builder Magazine

Solar Builder Magazine Thursday, March 21, 2013

In 1804, Ohio University became the first university established in Ohio. The ninth oldest public university in the United States, OU set up camp in Athens, Ohio, and the 20,000 students who call it home each year swell the population of the city only to leave once summer arrives.

But not Geoff and Michelle Greenfield. After completing their master’s degrees at OU, the couple decided to make Athens their home. They installed some solar systems on their off-the-grid home in 1997, and the community took notice. People started inquiring about how they did it and if they would help on new projects. What started out as a hobby job grew organically into a small solar business for the Greenfields.

Read the full story here.

How SXSW enhanced Lisnr

Cincinnati.com Thursday, March 21, 2013

Read the full story here.

Innovation Engine Accelerator seeks applicants for 2013 digital media program

Ohio University Thursday, March 21, 2013

Read the full story here.

Ernst & Young accepting nominations for 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year awards

Ernst & Young Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards recognize the men and women who put everything on the line in order to translate an idea into a viable, sustainable enterprise. A nominee can be the founder, president or chief executive officer of a private or public company who is primarily responsible for the recent performance of the company and an active member of top management. A nominee can't be a past Winner within the same company but can participate again as the leader of a new company - the recognition goes to the person, not the company. Finally, the nominee's company must be at least three years old.

The deadline for South Central Ohio is March 8th. Click here for more information and to nominate someone.

Number of new businesses filing with state hits record

The Columbus Dispatch Thursday, February 28, 2013

A record number of companies and organizations filed to do business in the state of Ohio last year, Secretary of State Jon Husted’s office said.

In all, 88,068 new entities filed to do business last year.

Click here to read the full story.

The power of fuel cell technology in Northeast Ohio

Crain's Cleveland Business Thursday, February 28, 2013

Ohio is making history as a leader in the fuel cell industry from the perspective of technology development and manufacturing, including both system integration and supply chain.

To read the full story click here.

Obama cites Youngstown, NAMII in State of Union

The Business Journal Thursday, February 28, 2013

President Obama touched on a number of policy initiatives during last night's State of the Union Address ranging from job creation and clean energy to troop drawdowns and gun violence, but it was his shoutout to the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute that caught the attention of the Mahoning Valley and lawmakers who represent the region.

To read the full story click here.

OSU students develop alternative to Facebook with more privacy

Columbus Dispatch Thursday, February 14, 2013

On Facebook, Allan Karl has 642 friends, 128 likes and 405 photos. But you wouldn’t know this if you searched for him by his actual name: Allan Smith.

Smith, a sophomore at Ohio University, switched to using his first and middle name on Facebook to carve out more privacy and make himself harder to find, especially for employers.

As more people like Smith seek more privacy, two Ohio State students have created a new social media site that revolves around providing it.

Dustin Studer, a junior in biomedical engineering, and Suprasanna Mishra, a junior in neuroscience, launched Capstory.com on Oct. 1.

“We wanted to give complete control to the user so they can do whatever they want with their content and not have to worry,” Studer said.

Read the full story here.

Impulcity nightlife app goes live on iTunes as a Cincinnati startup

Insider Louisville Thursday, February 14, 2013

We told you about Impulcity lo’ these many months ago, way back in May 2012, under the unapologetically hyperbolic headline, “Impulcity the next Facebook?”

Today, the Louisville-born app went live on the iTunes app store about noon, Louisville time.

Read the full story here.

Batterii closes $2.5m seed round, led by CincyTech

Techcrunch Thursday, February 14, 2013

Cincinnati-based enterprise social network startup Batterii, which describes itself as a co-creation software platform, has closed a $2.5 million seed round let by public-private seed stage investor CincyTech – which contributed $500,000 to the round. Other investors include Batterii CEO Kevin C. Cummins, Los Angeles-based investor Ken Salkin, and undisclosed individuals.

As well as offering enterprise collaboration tools such as real-time chat, activity tracking, tagging search and so on — it describes one of its software tools as “like Pinterest with a purpose” – Batterii also offers in-person brainstorming sessions as a service to clients.

Read the full story here.

Cities' hearts beating strong in Ohio's 3 C's

Columbus Dispatch Thursday, February 14, 2013

Euclid Avenue was the spark in Cleveland, as a bus rapid-transit system ignited development along the important Downtown artery once lined with so many mansions it was known as Millionaires’ Row.

The rebirth of downtown Cincinnati started with Fountain Square and in Over-the-Rhine, a historic neighborhood filled with stately but crumbling homes.

In Columbus, the Arena District rose on the blighted site of a long-closed prison. This started a wave of development that has spread south, to the river and the land formerly occupied by the failed City Center mall.

Now, after many years and a combined investment of about $10 billion, Ohio’s three largest cities are enjoying downtown booms that have added residents, jobs, economic impact and vibrancy.

Read the full story here.

Ohio University student media innovation contest offers $20k in prizes

Ohio University Thursday, January 31, 2013

Ohio University students will compete for $20,000 in cash prizes with the mid-January kick off of the Scripps Innovation Challenge, one of the nation's most unique contests to come up with creative solutions to problems posed by media companies. Click here for more information.

Tech Columbus announces semi-finalists for 2012 innovation awards

TechColumbus Thursday, January 31, 2013

For more information on the TechColumbus innovation awards, click here.

Additive manufacturing center receives boost to its credibility

The Vindicator Thursday, January 31, 2013

Its name doesn’t roll off the tongue as easily as GM Lordstown, V&M Star or Utica shale exploration, but it is no less important to the Mahoning Valley’s future as any of the other pillars of the economy.

Although still in its infancy, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) in downtown Youngstown has brought national and international attention to the region. If the announcement in August of the institute’s establishment was a crowning achievement for the Valley, the recent recognition by the Brookings Institution and the Rockefeller Foundation opened the door to instant credibility.

Brookings and Rockefeller included the NAMII in its Top 10 list of the most innovative economic development initiatives across the country.

Click here to read the full story.

Obama backs 'tech visas' for foreign-born entrepreneurs

Huffington Post Thursday, January 31, 2013

President Obama on Tuesday called on Congress to create a special visa category that allows foreign-born entrepreneurs who launch successful startups to remain in the country.

Read the full story here.

Studies show Youngstown Business Incubator is having a far-reaching impact

The Vindicator Thursday, January 17, 2013

Two studies released Thursday show the Youngstown Business Incubator has a far-reaching economic impact, which it believes will bolster an already strong reputation and attract more startup companies.

Read the full story here.

The crowdfunding crowd is anxious

The New York Times Thursday, January 17, 2013

To its advocates, crowdfunding is a way for capital-starved entrepreneurs to receive financing that neither big investors nor lenders are willing or able to provide. To others, it represents a potential minefield that could help bad businesses get off the ground before they eventually fail, and in some cases could even ensnare unsophisticated investors in outright fraud.

Those fears are partly why the Securities and Exchange Commission has delayed rules allowing crowdfunding that were supposed to take effect this month as part of the JOBS Act (Jump-Start Our Business Start-Ups), signed by President Obama last April. The S.E.C. is wary of loosening investor protections that have been in place since the 1930s.

Read the full story here.

dayton in top half of U.S. for pace of economic recovery

Dayton Business Journal Thursday, January 03, 2013

An improving jobs picture and surge in overall economic output is driving Dayton's economic recovery, overcoming sluggishness in housing prices, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution.

Read the full story here.

michigan model inspires cintrifuse in cincinnati

Cincinnati Enquirer Thursday, January 03, 2013

Chris Rizik isn’t just an investor; he’s a connector.

Rizik runs Michigan’s Renaissance Venture Capital Fund, which served as the model for Cintrifuse’s fund of funds, which is seeking to raise $50 million to $100 million.

Cintrifuse is the regional innovation effort created by the Cincinnati Business Committee to successfully launch high-growth startups.

So far, Renaissance Venture Capital Fund has raised $110 million through investments by Michigan’s major corporations.

Instead of investing directly in startups, Rizik invests that money into other venture capital funds. The idea is to maximize the amount of venture capital for Michigan startups.

Choosing funds is only part of Rizik’s job as CEO and fund manager. He’s also helping connect venture capital firms, startups, entrepreneurs and big Michigan companies looking for new technologies and solutions.

It’s a job description that Tim Schigel, Cintrifuse’s fund manager, says he plans to emulate.

Rizik recently spoke to The Enquirer about how the Renaissance Venture Capital Fund works, why it’s been successful, and why he’s so excited about Cintrifuse.

Read the full story here.

moms are making their own way as entrepreneurs

Crain's Cleveland Business Thursday, January 03, 2013

A 2011 scare with melanoma convinced Cindy Perry to finally turn a hobby into a career.

Ms. Perry, an Avon Lake mother of two, last January launched a business from her home selling “pellos” — baby floor pillows she initially designed for her own children. The pellos essentially are 33-inch round pillows with depressed centers that can be used for newborns lying down or for babies learning to sit or crawl.

Now, nearly a year after its debut, Ms. Perry contracts with a local manufacturer — Western Reserve Sewing Co. in Cleveland — to make the pellos, and she said her product is sold at 37 boutiques in 17 states. She already has an intern and is about to take on her first employee.

Ms. Perry is among a growing number of mom entrepreneurs, or “mompreneurs,” who are starting their own business while running a family. These are women who cradle a phone in one hand, a baby in another and make sales calls while packing lunches.

Read the full story here.

youngstown business incubator shows off its role in city's resurgence

The Business Journal Thursday, January 03, 2013

Those who relocated from the Mahoning Valley years ago and returned for the holidays might not recognize the city they left.

Today Youngstown is in the midst of an economic renaissance, officials boast, and the Youngstown Business Incubator, Youngstown State University and the Oh Wow! Roger and Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science and Technology demonstrate why.

“We want to introduce people who have left Youngstown to the New Youngstown, the new high-tech Youngstown," said Mike Hripko, director of technology-based economic development at the YSU College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, as he welcomed visitors to the YBI.

Read the full story here.

Ohio advances on Forbes list of 'Best States for Business'

The Toledo Blade Thursday, December 20, 2012

Ohio rose to 33rd from 38th and Michigan remained at No. 47 in Forbes’ new list of “Best States for Business.” The rankings, at forbes.com/best-states-for-business, compare the states in six categories.

Read the full story here.

What it really takes to foster an entrepreneurial ecosystem

The Atlantic Cities Thursday, December 20, 2012

Innovation and entrepreneurship are the engines of economic growth. For decades now, cities and communities across the United States have tried to infuse themselves with those two properties by emulating Silicon Valley, a never-ending quest to become the next Silicon Somewhere.

Brad Feld’s terrific new book, Startup Communities, takes us inside the real ecologies of innovation and entrepreneurship. Feld, co-founder of venture capital firm Foundry Group, serves on the boards of numerous high-tech companies. He recently chatted with Cities about his new book.

Read the full story here.

Ohio among top states for tech growth

The Business Journal Thursday, December 13, 2012

A national study on high-tech jobs released Thursday shows that Ohio is quickly establishing itself as a hub of high-tech job activity. The Buckeye State is home to three of the top 25 cities for tech job growth -- more than any other state.

Read the full story here.

The Midwest is becoming a hotspot for entrepreneurs

Huffington Post Thursday, December 13, 2012

This fall, entrepreneurs and investors from all over the country gathered in downtown Cleveland for the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds (NASVF) annual conference. During a "fireside chat," AOL founder and Startup America Chair Steve Case touched on his belief that a "broader entrepreneurial ecosystem" with many hubs of innovation is possible. "Many years ago, you couldn't launch a startup in some areas, and now you can," he said. "Costs are down, and the ability to get talent is up."

The Midwest is working hard to make Case's vision a reality sooner rather than later.

Read the full story here.

queen city angels survive recessions to invest $33 million in startups

Cincinnati Enquirer Thursday, November 29, 2012

Twelve years ago, the Queen City Angels were five guys who would meet at restaurants to talk about investing in local startups and who, group chairman Tony Shipley jokes, hadn’t gotten the memo that the dot-com bubble was about to burst.

Now three funds and 54 diverse companies later, the validation-stage and seed-stage investing group – the first of its kind in Ohio – has survived the dot-com bust and two recessions. Its 49 members have invested $33 million of their own money into regional startups, which has been leveraged into additional capital in excess of $200 million from other investors, and created 254 jobs.

Read the full story here.

dayton-area information technology firms quietly expanding

Dayton Business Journal Thursday, November 29, 2012

Information technology is perhaps one of the most under appreciated fields in the Dayton region, at least by the public.

IT companies in the Dayton region seem to be booming, as seen by increases in salaries, hiring and new investments.

Read the full story here.

ohio should stay the course on energy efficiency, says expert

Crain's Cleveland Business Thursday, November 29, 2012

Recently, FirstEnergy Corp. of Akron recommended to the Ohio Legislature changes to Ohio's energy efficiency portfolio that would essentially freeze the energy efficiency mandate found in Senate Bill 221 at current levels. As currently written, Senate Bill 221 calls for Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs) to undertake energy efficiency improvements by 2025 equal to 22% of 2008's energy consumption. FirstEnergy's proposed changes would end the mandate at the less than 3% cumulative reduction required to date.

Ohio's Legislature should consider carefully any request to alter Ohio's course on energy efficiency. For many reasons, a reduction in the energy efficiency goal does not appear to be a good idea at this time.

Read the full story here.

U.S. must work to prevent chronic diseases, says cleveland clinic ceo

Bloomberg Businessweek Thursday, November 29, 2012

President Barack Obama's re-election means the Affordable Care Act is here to stay, and Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove has a clear view of the next steps for health systems, employers and citizens.

Read the full story here.

cincinnati economy bouncing back from recession faster than others

Cincinnati.com Thursday, November 15, 2012

The Cincinnati region likely has another year of slow growth ahead in 2013, but the local economy appears to be recovering from the Great Recession more quickly than other parts of the U.S., according to a report out today.

Read the full story here.

jobsohio tops 5,700 job commitments in third quarter

Dayton Business Journal Thursday, November 15, 2012

A new report from JobsOhio shows the state’s economic development efforts continue to help spur job creation and capital investments by businesses.

Read the full story here.

ohio is the envy of the nation -- at least when it comes to jobs

Bloomberg Businessweek Thursday, November 01, 2012

Chrysler Group LLC is hiring more than 1,100 new workers at its sprawling Toledo, Ohio, manufacturing complex. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) is looking for hundreds of bankers in Columbus. And the Cleveland Clinic has been adding registered nurses at such a clip that it rented out the Cleveland Browns football stadium for a job fair.

Long an emblem of rust belt decay and despair, Ohio is now outpacing the national economy.

Read the full story here.

cubicles are being made from the detritus of cle's demolished buildings

Fast Company Thursday, November 01, 2012

It’s a shame. Amidst the financiapocalypse, Cleveland, Ohio, has 13,000 homes and other structures in such disrepair that they need to be torn down. It’s a $4 billion job. And at least one designer is trying to find the bright side.

Daniel Cuffaro, department chair at the Cleveland Institute of Art and founder of Abeo Design, has created a modular workspace called the Hive Workstation. It’s similar to the premium corporate furnishings offered by companies like Steelcase, but there’s a key difference: Hive is built from the failed housing projects of Cleveland itself. Every piece has a secondary purpose, to “literally create value from the rubble of economic collapse.”

Read the full story here.

manufacturers turn to new technologies, equipment to address skilled worker shortages

Crain's Cleveland Business Thursday, November 01, 2012

Automation, long a way for manufacturers to cut costs and improve efficiency, now is becoming a solution to the problem created by an ever-growing shortage of skilled workers.

Read the full story here.

startups are shifting to clean-tech services

The Wall Street Journal Thursday, November 01, 2012

Many entrepreneurs who once envisioned their fledgling clean-tech start-ups becoming the next big thing are now downsizing their dreams.

Newer start-ups attracting investor interest have more modest aims than their clean-tech peers of a decade ago. The new batch expect to generate revenue more quickly and cheaply, and are focusing on making existing industries more efficient and sustainable, building upon the clean-tech infrastructure such as smart meters that have become widespread.

Read the full story here.

women help startups succeed. when will vc's notice?

Bloomberg Businessweek Thursday, October 18, 2012

Successful startups have more women in senior positions than unsuccessful ones, according to a new analysis by Dow Jones (NWSA) VentureSource of more than 20,000 venture-backed companies in the U.S. between 1997 and 2011. They had more than twice as many women in top jobs like C-level managers, vice presidents, and board members than their unsuccessful counterparts did.

Read the full article here.

the do's and don'ts of disruption

Time Magazine Thursday, October 18, 2012

TIME's Rick Stengel talks to successful entrepreneurs about upending the status quo to create truly groundbreaking innovations

Read the full article here.

ohio state commits to getting 25 percent of campus power from ohio wind farm

Columbus Business First Thursday, October 04, 2012

Ohio State University has agreed to buy 50 megawatts of wind energy – equivalent to 26 percent of power consumption on the Columbus main campus – from the Blue Creek Wind Farm in northwest Ohio.

The agreement is one of the largest purchases of wind power by a North American entity that is not a utility, the school said.

Click here to read the full story.

entrepreneurs must lead the startup community, tech leader says

The Washington Post Thursday, October 04, 2012

"Boulder wasn’t the result of a government effort," writes columnist Vivek Wadhwa. "Rather, it grew organically and resulted from the efforts of a handful of entrepreneurs who got together and decided to foster entrepreneurship in the region."

Read the full story here.

advanced energy conference set for columbus

Akron Beacon Journal Thursday, October 04, 2012

environmental group says wind energy is blowing more jobs into ohio

Statehouse News Bureau Thursday, October 04, 2012

The nation’s wind energy industry is growing, and that’s helping Ohio, according to a new report by an environmental group. The Natural Resources Defense Council says its new study finds that a wind farm, consisting of something like 10 wind turbines, creates a lot of jobs.

Read the full story here.

fierce healthcare q & a with cleveland clinic's michael roizen

Fierce Healthcare Thursday, September 20, 2012

FierceHealthcare, the leading source of healthcare management news for healthcare industry executives, recently published a Q and A with Cleveland Clinic Chief Wellness Officer Michael Roizen.

"As Cleveland Clinic's wellness program hits its five-year anniversary, Chief Wellness Officer Michael Roizen says the program is showing real results and returns. FierceHealthcare spoke with Roizen about how the program has affected the patients, the community and employees -- plus previews a patient wellness widget that's in the works."

"Our goal is to help our employees be as healthy as they can be, which obviously will drive down our costs, which drive down the community's costs, which make our communities competitive for jobs," says Roizen.

Read the rest here.

silicon valley's hardware renaissance

The New York Times Thursday, September 20, 2012

Click here to read the article.

greater cincinnati energy alliance improves 1,000 homes, driving energy efficiency and development

Marketwire Thursday, September 20, 2012

Read the full story here.

a cincinnati park shifts the paradigm

Next American City Thursday, September 20, 2012

Over-The-Rhine’s tipping point wasn’t in the form of an eco-friendly general store or gourmet popsicle shop (it now has both), but rather the renovation of the neighborhood’s cultural heart, Washington Park.

Read the full story here.

bloomberg businessweek highlights the brandery's role in luring startups

Bloomberg Businessweek Thursday, August 23, 2012

Read the full story here.

cleveland needs solar power, says plain dealer guest columnist

The Plain Dealer Thursday, August 23, 2012

Read the full story here.

short north arts belt in columbus is thriving, says new york times

The New York Times Thursday, August 23, 2012

Read the full story here.

ohio looks to turn $2b college research into profit

Dayton Daily News Thursday, August 23, 2012

Read the full story here.

national association of seed and venture funds opens conference registration in cleveland

NASVF Thursday, August 09, 2012

Join other industry experts at the 2012 19th Annual NASVF Conference "Advancing Innovation: Seeding Tomorrow’s Opportunities” which will take place in Cleveland, Ohio October 15th -17th. Register here.

great lakes venture fair will showcase venture-backable ohio companies

Great Lakes Venture Fair Thursday, August 09, 2012

The Ohio Capital Fund, Ohio Venture Association, JumpStart, TechColumbus and CincyTech are working to plan the Great Lakes Venture Fair for October 17-18th in downtown Cleveland.

This day-and-a-half event will be a fast-paced gathering for investors and entrepreneurs, featuring the highest potential entrepreneurs and their venture-backable companies from Ohio and the Midwest.

Starting Wednesday afternoon immediately following the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds meeting, the Venture Fair will feature early stage opportunities and a reception in the evening. The following day, the program will include presentations showcasing the best of the region's vigorous startup and investment activity and driving the conversation around building future growth.

The GLVF builds upon momentum driven by seven successful years of The Ohio Capital Fund's Early Stage Summit programs.

Click here for complete conference information and registration.

venturebeat suggests investing venture capital in ohio

Venturebeat Thursday, July 26, 2012

"For investors looking to go off the beaten track to find quality deals, Ohio might be the answer," Mitchell Rosich, partner at Athenian Venture Partners, writes in VentureBeat.

"According to the most recent Ohio Venture Capital Report, venture capital activity in Ohio was up more than 80 percent in 2010, surpassing the national average, which was up only 20 percent."

Read the rest here.

cwru prof urges vietnamese entrepreneurs to dream

VietNamNet Bridge Thursday, July 26, 2012

Michael Goldberg, a professor at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and a managing partner of a venture capital fund that invests in early stage medical device companies, certainly has a bevy of knowledge and experience to share with others. He is currently taking some time off teaching in Cleveland to focus his attention on a different part of the world.

In this article, published in Vietnam, he urges Vietnamese entrepreneurs to dream and take risks.

the atlantic cities celebrates park at the forefront of cincinnati's revitalization

The Atlantic Cities Thursday, July 26, 2012

Last week, Cincinnati mayor Mark Mallory and a bevy of festive accomplices re-opened beautiful, 150-year-old Washington Park, in the heart of the city’s revitalizing Over-the-Rhine district. It had been closed for 20 months’ worth of renovations and, judging by the spectacular photos, it has been worth the wait. Wow.

Read the full story here.

the brandery works to keep startups in cincinnati

Bloomberg Businessweek Thursday, July 26, 2012

A few years ago, when Bryan Jowers and Justin Stanislaw were dreaming up an app to help friends pool money to give gifts, they felt they needed to leave Houston to improve their chances of finding investors and forging connections. Instead of relocating to a Silicon Valley hotspot, they moved to Cincinnati, lured by a startup accelerator called The Brandery. As one of six startups participating in the summer of 2010, they got 12 weeks of intensive help building their product, called Giftiki.

Read the full story here.

fast company calls out cleveland's growing tech scene

Fast Company Thursday, July 12, 2012

Fast Company calls out Cleveland in its article on 15 Tech Scenes in Places You'd Never Think to Look.

how tech startups are driving urban revitalization

Business Insider Thursday, July 12, 2012

The young leaders behind startup companies want to live in cities, argues venture capitalist Mark Suster in this insightful article in Business Insider.

abs materials receives grant to advance absorbent glass materials to recycle produced water

New Technology Magazine Thursday, July 12, 2012

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a 2012 SBIR IIB Grant of $497,404 to ABSMaterials, Inc., parent company of PWAbsorbents, Inc., to accelerate the commercial capacity to manufacture advanced materials for recycling produced, frac and flowback waters. Read the article here.

crammed into cheap bunks, hackers dream of future digital glory

The New York Times Thursday, July 12, 2012

moving home is the new key to success, says slate

slate.com Thursday, June 28, 2012

The economy has young people boomeranging back to flyover country cities to live cheap and chase their dreams. Read the full article here.

crowdfunding brings venture capital to the masses

Agence France Press Thursday, June 28, 2012

Nearly $1.5 billion was raised for over a million different campaigns around the world last year by 452 different crowdfunding sites, according to a recent industry report from research firm Massolution.

That number is expected to grow exponentially once US regulators approve a recently-passed law that allows regular people to buy stock in a startup company using crowdfunding.

Read the full story here.

starbucks turns to ohio, not china, for coffee mugs

The New York Times Thursday, June 28, 2012

For Ohio pottery, a small revival. Read the full story here.

advice from cleveland's top vc exec: hire older workers

Fast Company Thursday, June 28, 2012

You don’t need to put down roots in New York or Silicon Valley to thrive in business today. John Dearborn, president of the nonprofit VC JumpStart Inc., offers three tips for maximizing resources in a mid-sized city. Read the full story here.

startup investments at 10-year high in ohio

Dayton Daily News Thursday, June 14, 2012

cleveland company to help bring ultrahigh-speed internet to six communities

New York Times Thursday, June 14, 2012

college grads flock to some cities, foregoing others

The New York Times Friday, June 01, 2012

There is a growing disparity among cities that have a surfeit of college graduates, like Washington, and those, like Dayton, Ohio, that are trying to attract more grads, an analysis by the Brookings Institution indicated. College graduates are increasingly important economic drivers, particularly in cities that have largely lost their manufacturing sectors and the accessible jobs they provide.

Read the story here.

now coveted: a walkable, convenient place

The New York Times Friday, June 01, 2012

WALKING isn’t just good for you. It has become an indicator of your socioeconomic status. Read the full story here.

UT center for materials and sensor characterization works with BioOhio to advance research

University of Toledo Thursday, May 31, 2012

For the past five years, UT has been an active member of BioOhio, a nonprofit bioscience membership and development organization committed to connecting demand for biological products and services with Ohio entities that can fill those needs.

The UT Technology Transfer Office, BioOhio and other organizations play a critical role in connecting the University’s research initiatives to companies with the knowledge, experience and financial stability to bring the fruits of that research to the marketplace.

Read the full story here.

innovation showcase highlights Athens area's leadership

The Athens News Thursday, May 31, 2012

To hear it from venture capitalist David Wilhelm, Athens is an emerging bell cow in Appalachia for entrepreneurship and technology investment.

Wilhelm, an Ohio University grad who served as chair of the Democratic National Committee in 1993-94, has managed campaigns for Bill Clinton, Paul Simon, Joe Biden and Richard M. Daley, and who now runs a venture capital firm, keynoted the BioVenture & Innovation Showcase at OU on Thursday.

Read the full article here.

leaders explore potential of health research as key economic driver for columbus and state of ohio

TechColumbus Thursday, May 17, 2012

Last year, more than $710 million in federal funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) flowed into Ohio by way of its major research institutes including the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State, Battelle, OhioHealth and the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s. The state ranked 10th in the nation in NIH funding, which is a closely watched metric in academic, business and political circles. Now civic, business and economic development leaders are focusing their attentions on how to translate these research dollars into jobs and revenue. Click here to read the full article.

columbus leads state in concentration of young professionals

TechColumbus Thursday, May 17, 2012

techcolumbus commits $500,000 to fund osu spinoff nanofiber solutions

TechColumbus Thursday, May 03, 2012

TechColumbus announced this week its commitment to invest $500,000 from its Pre-Seed Fund in Nanofiber Solutions LLC to advance innovations in cell culture technologies and regenerative medicine. Click here to read the full article.

innovation engine accelerator at ohio university now accepting applications

Ohio University Thursday, May 03, 2012

The Innovation Engine Accelerator is a digital media business accelerator located in Ohio University's business incubator, the award-winning Innovation Center. Made possible by public and private support, the Innovation Engine Accelerator is launching its inaugural 10-week boot camp class providing seed funding of up to $20,000 each for five teams this summer. Applications are available now. Click here to read the full article.

crowdfunding leaders unite to advocate for regulatory framework and industry support

crowdsourcing.org Thursday, May 03, 2012

On Wednesday, April 18, the crowdfunding industry’s 13 top debt and equity crowdfunding platforms and industry experts met to create a Statement of Intent for a lasting organization that will champion, advocate for, and represent the global crowdfunding industry. Two days later, this group—the Crowdfund Intermediary Regulatory Association, or CFIRA—presented its Statement of Intent to the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). CFIRA’s complete Statement of Intent can be found on www .Crowdsourcing .org .

minority biomedical entrepreneurship conference takes place may 21-22 in cleveland

BioEnterprise Corporation Thursday, May 03, 2012

The America21 Project and BioEnterprise are hosts of a groundbreaking national conference dedicated to promoting and accelerating underrepresented minority healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship.

The First Annual Minority Biomedical Entrepreneurship Conference will be held on May 21 – 22 at the Cleveland Marriott, overlooking the construction of the Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center. View event information here.

new albany plans business accelerator to complement incubator

TechColumbus Thursday, April 19, 2012

A new accelerator program for startups in New Albany will help them continue to grow. At the March 20 meeting of New Albany City Council funding was approved for creation of a new 7,100-square-foot "business accelerator" space. Read the full story here.

manta secures $44 million equity investment from norwest venture partners

Manta Thursday, April 19, 2012

Manta, the largest online community dedicated entirely to small business, announced that it has received a $44 million minority equity investment from Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), a leading global investment firm. Read the full story here.

ohio state, ohio university pool resources to address startup funding

MICROHSCOPE Thursday, April 19, 2012

The Ohio State University and Ohio University are partnering to create a new commercialization and funding model. They have committed $35 million in total to the formation of a venture capital fund designed to meet early-stage funding needs of innovative technology ventures. Read the full story here.

annual report showcases strength of central ohio's entrepreneurial ecosystem

TechColumbus Thursday, April 19, 2012

TechColumbus’ fifth annual report to the community highlights the progress Central Ohio has made in cultivating talent, catalyzing new businesses and creating the type of entrepreneurial ecosystem that is driving the region’s success in the 21st century global economy. Read the full story here.

obama launches ev-everywhere challenge to create affordable electric vehicles

White House Thursday, April 05, 2012

President Obama launched EV-Everywhere, the second in a series of Energy Department “Clean Energy Grand Challenges” aimed at addressing the most pressing energy challenges of our time. The EV Everywhere Challenge will bring together America’s best and brightest scientists, engineers, and businesses to work collaboratively to make electric vehicles more affordable and convenient to own and drive than today’s gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 10 years. Click here to read the article.

cleveland-based energy focus inc. receives $4.9 million investment

Thursday, April 05, 2012

university of akron research team gets national award for breast cancer research

Thursday, April 05, 2012

A research team from the University of Akron is one of five national recipients of a $100,000 grant from General Electric, which last fall launched a program to identify and bring to market innovations created to diagnose and treat breast cancer. Read the article here.

clay marsh of osu is an innovator in preventative health care, says md4 utah

Thursday, April 05, 2012

Physician-scientist Clay Marsh is one of the indisputable rising stars in the constellation of personalized health care (a term he doesn’t fancy), and a genuine innovator in devising preventative health care as opposed to “sick care,” and in pursuing novel translational research and pilot projects that find new ways to engage patients in the nation’s largest academic health care system. Read the article here.

ernst & young entrepreneur of the year award deadline extended

Ernst & Young Thursday, March 22, 2012

The deadline for nominations for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award has been extended to March 23rd. For more info, click here.

kauffman study reveals success of end-user entrepreneurs

Kauffman Foundation Thursday, March 22, 2012

A recent Kauffman Foundation study reports that "user entrepreneurs" – those who have created innovative products or services for their own use then subsequently launched companies to commercialize them – have founded more than 46 percent of the U.S. innovative startups that have lasted five years or more.

ohio tech angels founder honored by national group

TechColumbus Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Angel Capital Association (ACA) and Angel Resource Institute (ARI) have named John Huston as the recipient of the 2012 Hans Severiens Award. For more info, click here.

how young entrepreneurs are reviving the rust belt

MSNBC Thursday, March 22, 2012

Details Magazine's Jesse Ashlock joins MSNBC's Morning Joe to discuss a Rust Belt renaissance currently happening in the country. Ashlock cites young entrepreneurs who are helping to revive towns like Pittsburgh, Detroit and Cleveland.

cleveland advanced manufacturing leader reflects on attending state of the union address

whitehouse.gov Thursday, March 08, 2012

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita is Founder, President, and CEO of Quality Electrodynamics in Cleveland, Ohio, and last on January 24th, 2012 he was a guest in the First Lady's box at the 2012 State of the Union. He reflects on the experience here.

nortech ceo touts hidden investment gems in the heartland

forbes.com Thursday, March 08, 2012

In this post on forbes.com, Nortech CEO Rebecca Bagley touts Ohio as a "compelling region for potential investors." Read the article here.

cincytech helps to vet startups' minimum viable concept

inc.com Thursday, March 08, 2012

According to this Inc.com article, Cincytech wants to help startups identify their 'minimum viable concept.' Read it here.

venture for america brings college grads to cincy to help young companies

forbes.com Thursday, March 08, 2012

In June, 50 recent college graduates from some of the best schools in the U.S. will join startups in struggling cities as part of Venture for America, a new program designed to help young companies, promote entrepreneurship and generate job growth. Read about it here.

my million dollar idea: blackbook app helps new cincinnati residents

WKRC Cincinnati Thursday, February 23, 2012

The new Blackbook app helps Cincinnati residents and new hires create a customized guide to their city based on their preferences. Check out the story here.

university of dayton will collaborate in research and development program with airbus

UDRI Thursday, February 23, 2012

The University of Dayton Research Institute will participate in a research and development consortium of six Ohio companies and organizations who will provide new composite materials, products and technologies to Airbus. Read the story here.

purdue wins foundation grant to expand ohio internship program

Purdue University Thursday, February 23, 2012

Purdue University's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship and the Discovery Learning Research Center are expanding their Interns for Entrepreneurship program to place more students in high-tech startup companies in Northeast Ohio. Read the story here.

UT recognized for number of new inventions from federally funded research

University of Toledo Thursday, February 23, 2012

The University of Toledo has earned recognition as one of the best schools for innovation transfer in fiscal year 2011. Read the story here.

cincinnati makes list of top 10 u.s. travel destinations

Lonely Planet Thursday, February 09, 2012

Cincinnati outranks Puerto Rico, Chicago and five other areas on Lonely Planet's 'Top 10 U.S. Travel Destinations for 2012' list. Click here to check out the full story.

BGSU business school among top in nation

The Princeton Review Thursday, February 09, 2012

The Princeton Review has named Bowling Green State University one of the country's best business schools. Check out the full story here.

chrysler turnaround good sign for ohio auto industry

Ohio News Network Thursday, February 09, 2012

Chrysler's recent turnaround signals good things for Ohio's auto industry. Check out the full story here.

trio of cleveland bars make draft mag's 100 best beer bars list

Draft Magazine Thursday, February 09, 2012

Cleveland bars scored a hat trick on DRAFT magazine’s "100 Best Beer Bars" list for 2012. Check out the full story here.

Google to merge user data

CNN, 1/24/12 Thursday, January 26, 2012

(CNN) -- Google plans to start combining information the company collects about each user of its various websites and services into a single profile, the company announced on Tuesday.

Previously, Google said it did not create comprehensive profiles across its various properties, including its leading search engine, Android smartphone operating system and YouTube video site.

Read more here.

You get Facebook timeline whether you like it or not

CNN, 1/24/12 Thursday, January 26, 2012

(Mashable) -- Facebook announced in a blog post Tuesday that Timeline will be coming to all users in the next few weeks.

According to a Facebook blog post Tuesday -- or rather, an update to the post published when Timeline became available to all users -- you will have seven days to preview your Timeline and hide content you don't want out in the open.

Read more here.

You can be forced to decrypt your laptop

CNET, 1/24/12 Thursday, January 26, 2012

American citizens can be ordered to decrypt their PGP-scrambled hard drives for police to peruse for incriminating files, a federal judge in Colorado ruled today in what could become a precedent-setting case.

Judge Robert Blackburn ordered a Peyton, Colo., woman to decrypt the hard drive of a Toshiba laptop computer no later than February 21--or face the consequences including contempt of court.

Read more here.

Magnetic soap for oil spills

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Scientists have created the world's first soap that can be controlled by magnets.

That's right: magnetic suds.

The breakthrough may revolutionize industrial cleaning products and the response to environmental disasters such as oil spills, reports the research team from Bristol University in England.

Read more here.

Google says Murdoch talking nonsense

CNET, 1/15/12 Sunday, January 15, 2012

Murdoch, a Twitter user for only the past several weeks, used the service to fire a barrage of accusations Saturday night against President Obama and Google.

He accused the White House of being in the employ of "Silicon Valley paymasters." Murdoch claimed Google was profiting from advertisements sold against pirated materials. He also called the search company a "piracy leader." (Read more about Murdoch's Twitter tirade here).

In an e-mail sent to CNET on Sunday afternoon, Google responded to Murdoch's statements.

Read more here.

Google ditching search

CNET, 1/13/12 Sunday, January 15, 2012

Twitter and others are complaining that Google is throwing its massive 65 percent plus market share weight around and quashing smaller competitors. The reason Twitter and others are so threatened is that the pattern of shared links within Google+ provides a decent enough indicator as to what links are interesting. What's important is what's trending, and algorithms can get a sense of that with just a subset of everything that's getting shared on the Web.

The most interesting aspect of Google's move, however, is its tacit acknowledgement that its stalwart search links are largely irrelevant and might as well be replaced with social results. Google search results are essentially gamed results produced by search optimizers.

Read more here.

New breed of 4G phones

CNN, 1/13.12 Sunday, January 15, 2012

Las Vegas (CNN) -- The International Consumer Electronics Show, the giant gadget convention that wrapped up on Friday, has brought some frustrating news for AT&T or Sprint customers who bought a cutting-edge 4G smartphone last year.
That phone will soon be outdated.

AT&T Mobility and Sprint Nextel unveiled some of the first smartphones that will tap into their new, even faster fourth-generation networks.

But wait, Sprint has been talking about its 4G network since launching one in 2008 followed by its premier phone, HTC's Evo 4G, in 2010. And AT&T began adding "4G" to the names of many of its smartphones early last year.

Read more here.

Mercedes shows off future of driving

CNN, 1/13/12 Sunday, January 15, 2012

Las Vegas (CNN) -- Imagine a future in which icons flash on your car windshield, hologram style, as your car approaches restaurants, stores, historic landmarks or the homes of friends.

Simply point your hand at them, and the icons open to show real-time information: when that bridge over there was built, what band is playing at that nightclub on the left, whether that new café up the street has any tables available. Wave your hand again, and you've made a restaurant reservation.

Mercedes-Benz showed off this vision of the future of driving -- complete with augmented-reality and gesture-controlled features -- this week at the International Consumer Electronics Show.

Read more here.

Weird and whacky apps for your iPad

MSNBC, 1/13/12 Sunday, January 15, 2012

Yes, the iPad has over 140,000 apps. But did you know you can put it on a leash? Put it on your leg? Wear it like a purse? Give it balls (to protect it from short drops)? Attach a bicycle-like horn as a speaker?

These and other crazy-but-useful iPad accessories were shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas:

A leg up
Sometimes you might find yourself out and about with your iPad, and even though you have a case for for it, you have no way to hold it — your arms are full of other goodies or a baby or a small doggie whose canine Martha Stewart tote bag you left at home.

Read about here.

Casinos sprouting up as states look for money

MSNBC, 1/15/12 Sunday, January 15, 2012

NEW YORK — A Malaysian company's plan to build a $4 billion convention center and big-time casino on the outskirts of New York City could be the biggest shot fired yet in a tourism arms race that has seen a growing number of Eastern states embrace gambling as a way to lure visitors and drum up revenue.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week that he would work with the Genting Group, one of the world's largest and most successful gambling companies, to transform the storied, but sleepy, Aqueduct horse track into a megaplex that would eventually include the nation's largest convention center, 3,000 hotel rooms, and a major expansion of a casino that began operating at the site in October.

Read more here.

Photo posting etiquette in the New Year

CNN, 12/29/2011 Thursday, December 29, 2011

Your photo-happy friends may be capturing posed group shots and crazy candids at New Year's Eve parties this weekend, but sometimes you just don't want to be photographed.

Maybe you're having a bad hair day, an "I feel fat day" or you'd simply prefer that the whole world (including your boss) not see any racy details.

But now, almost everyone, it seems, has a camera and video recorder in their pocket, thanks to smartphones. We've created a society of constant shutterbugs who love to immediately share those pics on social media for all to see.

Read more here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/29/living/deal-with-facebook-photos/index.html?eref=rss_tech&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_tech+%28RSS%3A+Technology%29

Twitter case may set new precedent

CNN, 12/28/2011 Thursday, December 29, 2011

Who, exactly, owns your Twitter account? It's a potentially complicated question when an account is used both professionally and personally. Now a case regarding whether a Twitter account belongs to a company or its former employee has raised questions about the use of the social media phenomenon.

PhoneDog, a website devoted to all things mobile products and services, sued former employee Noah Kravitz for $340,000, according to the complaint filed in US District Court in the Northern District of California.

The lawsuit, which was filed in July, alleges that Kravitz' continued use of a Twitter account he was "given use of" while employed with PhoneDog was a misappropriation of trade secrets and damaged the company's business, goodwill, and reputation.

Read more here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/27/tech/lawsuit-who-owns-twitter-account/index.html?eref=rss_tech&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_tech+%28RSS%3A+Technology%29

Get more computer memory without touching BIOS

EXAMINER, 12/01/11 Thursday, December 15, 2011

Corsair, a top manufacturer of PC gaming components, have announced a new line of Vengeance laptop memory kits for laptops equipped with 2nd-gen Intel i5 and i7 processors.

The new memory does not require any BIOS adjustments to take advantage of the quicker speeds and are designed to work with any PC or notebook that takes DDR3 SODIMMs.

Read the rest of the story here.

New technology makes mobile shopping faster

FRESH NEWS, 12/13/11 Thursday, December 15, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- TapBuy, a new quick-checkout technology that developers, shopping aggregators and retailers can imbed in their own mobile apps, is now available. TapBuy dramatically increases conversion rates because it stores shoppers’ billing and shipping preferences, which then allows consumers to check out from any supported app from any supported merchant with just a few taps. TheFind has already licensed TapBuy and launched it in the company’s iPhone comparison shopping app.

In early trials, TapBuy increased sales conversion for retailers up to 15 times. A Software Developer’s Kit (SDK) is available for licensees.

Read more here.

Intel opportunity in drive shortage

NEW YORK TIMES, 12/12/11 Thursday, December 15, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO — Intel will not let a good crisis go to waste.

The company, the world’s largest maker of semiconductors, announced on Monday that its revenue this quarter would fall to $13.7 billion, from $14.7 billion, because floods in Thailand had sharply cut the world’s supply of disk drives. Without the drives, manufacturers will make fewer personal computers and computer servers, which means fewer semiconductors will be needed.

While clearly bad news for Intel in the short run, the shortage of both components and finished personal computers could prove an opportunity for Intel as it tries to fight the onslaught of tablet computers, particularly Apple’s.

Read more about it here.

Apple rumored to be buying Anobit

TECHCRUNCH, 12/12/11 Thursday, December 15, 2011

Apple is reportedly going to use part of its enormous pile of cash to buy an Israeli fabless semiconductor company that specializes in flash storage solutions. Calcalist reports – in Hebrew – that the world’s most valuable company is in talks to buy Herzliya Pituach, Israel-based Anobit for $400 million to $500 million.

If the report checks out, this would mark Apple’s first acquisition in Israel (and the first with Tim Cookat the helm as CEO), and also a rare occasion because the consumer electronics giant doesn’t usually buy non-software companies. The only hardware companies Apple is known to have acquired in the past two decades were Steve Jobs-founded NeXT, Raycer Graphics, Intrinsity and P.A. Semi.

Anobit provides flash storage solutions for enterprise and mobile markets, based on its proprietaryMSP (which stands for ‘Memory Signal Processing’) technology. Its solutions are designed to improve the speed, endurance and performance of flash storage systems while driving down the cost.

Read more about it here.

Billionaire commercializes space travel

LOS ANGELES TIMES, 12/13/11 Thursday, December 15, 2011

Seattle billionaire and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen is launching a new commercial space travel company that would carry tourists into orbit with the help of Southern California aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan.

The Huntsville, Ala., company, named Stratolaunch Systems, promises to bring “airport-like operations to the launch of commercial and government payloads and, eventually, human missions.” The company plans for a first flight within five years.

In a news conference Tuesday, Rutan and former NASA chief Mike Griffin said they joined Stratolaunch as board members. Along with Allen, the trio introduced the company’s novel idea of launching payloads into orbit aboard what would be the largest aircraft ever flown.

Read more about it here.

Chicago developer gets through economic downswing and energizes builders

CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/28/11 Thursday, December 15, 2011

Driving around Chicago's West Loop, developer Steve Fifield rarely has a chance to keep two hands on the steering wheel as he points out all the residential and office projects he's been involved in during more than 30 years in Chicago development.

At 63, back in Chicago after a seven-year absence and with his wife, Randy, increasingly involved in his business, Fifield Cos., he clearly isn't ready to slow down or call it quits.

Read more here.

Dayton group gets $10 million to help Ohio get aerospace gigs

DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 11/27/11 Thursday, December 01, 2011

The Dayton Development Coalition has been commissioned by the state of Ohio to help develop an industry for unmanned aerial vehicles and their electronic equipment, in addition to devising a strategy to protect and retain jobs at Ohio’s military facilities.

Ohio will be up against competitors in California, New Mexico, Florida, Texas and other states with Air Force bases and aerospace development. See full story here.

Southwestern Ohio newest hot spot for drone jobs

YELLOW SPRINGS NEWS, 11/24/11 Thursday, December 01, 2011

Southwestern Ohio is the newest breeding ground for the United States military high-tech defense mechanism--the drone. At the Springfield Air National Guard base, they're working on becoming ground control operations for the MQ-1 Predator after being awarded a new mission from the Department of Defense and Air Force.

Drones, or pilotless jets, are the newest weapon of choice for the U.S. Read more here.

New start-up focuses on social media connections between small businesses

TECHCOLUMBUS, 11/18/11 Thursday, December 01, 2011

A Central Ohio business is creating a niche market in the world of social media by offering small businesses a chance to connect with each other and then track that interaction. By measuring how a small business interacts with other small businesses, it can create a more powerful connection. Read more here.

Study shows Great Lakes shipping industry supports 28,000 Ohio jobs

WTOL, 10/18/11 Thursday, October 20, 2011

A new study by shippers and U.S./Canadian government agencies reveals the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway shipping industry supports 227,000 jobs in U.S. and Canada, including 28,000 jobs in Ohio, reports WTOL.

Those Ohio jobs generate $2 billion in personal income.

Read the full story here.

Coal out, natural gas facility in at Baard

THE EAST LIVERPOOL REVIEW, 10/19/11 Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Baard Energy project is being resurrected, with natural gas replacing coal as the energy source used to produce synthetic diesel and jet fuel, reports the East Liverpool Review.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the environmental groups fighting construction of Baard's Ohio River Clean Fuels plant, announced Friday the coal-based project as originally constituted has been scrapped as part of an agreement reached with the groups.

Read the full story here.

Abbott Labs to split into two companies

MEDCITY NEWS, 10/19/11 Thursday, October 20, 2011

Abbott Laboratories will divide the company into two separate business — one for its medical products and another for research-based medicines, including its pharmaceuticals and biologics, reports MedCity News.

Both companies will be publicly traded, and the medical products business will retain the Abbott name, with the research-based company still to be named.

Read the full story here.

New process "electroports" gene therapy agents into living cells

GIZMAG, 10/18/11 Thursday, October 20, 2011

One of the key processes in gene therapy involves taking cells from the patient, injecting a therapeutic genetic material into them, then reintroducing them to the patient's body and letting them go to work. Unfortunately, getting that material into the cells can be tricky, reports Gizmag.

Now, however, scientists at Ohio State University are reporting success with a process known as "nanochannel electroporation" in which therapeutic biomolecules are electrically shot into cells.

Read the full story here.

VC association move to Ohio expected to boost state profile

COLUMBUS BIZ INSIDER, 10/17/11 Thursday, October 20, 2011

JobsOhio's Mark Kvamme thinks the decision by the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds to move to Ohio will lift the state's profile in the venture capital world.

The Columbus Biz Insider reports that the group will move its offices from Philadelphia to Lorain in northeast Ohio and hold its annual conference in Cleveland next year.

Read the full story here.

BioOhio Annual Conference looks ahead to 2020

MICHROHSCOPE, 10/17/11 Thursday, October 20, 2011

The 2011 BioOhio Annual Conference: 2020 Vision will set sights on how to continue the growth of Ohio's biomedical industry, reports MicrOHscope.

Since 2000, Ohio bioscience employers have added 10,222 jobs and etween 2005 and 2010, 236 bioscience companies either expanded operations or announced new facilities in the state. The conference is October 27 at the Embassy Suites in Dublin, Ohio.

Read the full story here.

Massive redevelopment coming near Ohio�s University of Akron

RE JOURNALS.COM, 10/17/11 Thursday, October 20, 2011

University Park Alliance has announced the signing of a master services agreement with real estate developer KUD International, LLC, to tackle the redevelopment of a good chunk of Akron, Ohio, reports RE Journals.com.

The UPA redevelopment covers a key area around The University of Akron, and includes urban neighborhoods and business districts.

Read the full story here.

Ohio losing nearly all sales tax from Internet sales

WTAM1100, 10/18/11 Thursday, October 20, 2011

Ohio is losing out on about $200 million a year, thanks to online purchases that avoid sales tax, reports WTAM 1100 in Cleveland.

Online retailers aren't currently required to collect sales tax for each state. Ohio requires online purchases to be claimed as a use tax when filing income tax returns. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati found that only 1 percent of the income tax returns filed included a use tax, but 60 percent of Ohioans surveyed say they make online purchases.

Read the full story here.

Wilmington-area air park getting 300 jobs

DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 10/1/11 Thursday, October 06, 2011

Airborne Maintenance & Engineering Services Inc., an aircraft repair and maintenance company that is the dominant employer at Wilmington Air Park, is to add about 300 jobs over the next 12 to 18 months, reports the Dayton Daily News.

It would be the biggest job announcement at the 1,500-acre airport, near Wilmington, since express shipper DHL donated the property to the Clinton County Port Authority in January 2010 to allow public control of economic redevelopment efforts.

Read the full story here.

Kodak official: Company keeping R&D center in Ohio

THE INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/29/11 Thursday, October 06, 2011

Eastman Kodak Co. reportedly looked at relocating a 500-employee research-and-development center to Indiana, but will instead stay put in Ohio, reports the Indianapolis Business Journal.

The Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a 30-percent, 10-year refundable job-retention tax credit for Kodak. Kodak must commit to retain those jobs in Ohio for 13 years.

Read the full story here.

Green Energy Ohio Tour highlights renewable energy

VAN WERT TIMES BULLETIN, 10/3/2011 Thursday, October 06, 2011

Green energy was the subject around Ohio earlier this month, reports the Van Wert Times Bulletin on Green Energy’s annual tour.

The Green Energy Ohio Tour took place around the state on Sept. 30 to Oct.1 and involved more than 260 open houses in 51 counties. In other parts of the state, energy efficiency, biomass, and other green technologies were the main topics of discussion while in Van Wert, the concentration was on wind and solar energy.

Read the full story here.

Honda leads automakers with 11 LEED-Certified green buildings

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS, 9/29/2011 Thursday, October 06, 2011

Honda has 11 LEED-certified green buildings in North America, the most of any automaker, reports Sustainable Business.

Honda Engineering North America's Powertrain Division in Ohio, and Honda Canada's new head office in Markham, Ontario, are the latest buildings to earn LEED-Gold certification.

Read the full story here.

Best cities for women in business include Columbus

FORBES, 9/29/2011 Thursday, October 06, 2011

While women make up 50 percent of the U.S. adult population and account for 46 percent of the workforce, when it comes to entrepreneurism, they’re behind the curve, notes Forbes.

It is against this backdrop that Forbes compiled its ForbesWoman first annual list of the top 20 cities for women in business, a list which includes Columbus.

Read the full story here.

Timken Co. sets its sights on growth as it buys up customers and competitors

THE PLAIN DEALER, 10/1/11 Thursday, October 06, 2011

At a time when many large companies are sitting on cash reserves, waiting for the economy to improve, Timken has been on a spending spree, reports The Plain Dealer.

By the end of this month, Timken Co. expects to finalize its $92 million purchase of Drives Llc, following the $200 million purchase of power transmission parts company Philadelphia Gear. The company has kicked off two programs with local schools -- a Stark State College program to develop parts for wind turbines and a University of Akron initiative to study new materials for industrial equipment. Timken has also spent $50 million this year to upgrade one Canton-area steel plant and is considering a $225 million expansion to a second one.

Read the full story here.

Battelle wins EPA contracts worth more than $90 million in contracts

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 10/4/11 Thursday, October 06, 2011

Columbus-based research giant Battelle announced that it won five contracts, potentially worth more than $90 million, to assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, reports the Columbus Dispatch.

Included among the awards is a five-year, $15 million contract to help the EPA enact and enforce the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a multi-year, federally funded project to clean up pollution and fight invasive species threatening the lakes’ fragile ecosystems.

Read the full story here.

Ohio State heads up effort to create US-Brazil research alliance

MICROHSCOPE, 10/5/11 Thursday, October 06, 2011

Scientists from the U.S. and Brazil will discuss scientific studies of mutual interest and explore future partnerships at a three-day symposium in Washington on Oct. 24-26, reports MicrOHscope.

The Ohio State University Medical Center is a co-organizer of the groundbreaking event, which is the first of its kind between the two countries.

Read the full story here.

Ohio shale gas worth billions of dollars and 200,000 jobs

THE PLAIN DEALER, 9/21/11 Thursday, September 22, 2011

Ohio's natural gas and oil reserves are a multibillion-dollar bonanza that could create more than 204,500 jobs in just four years, an industry group says.

The economic impact study, released on the eve of Gov. John Kasich's energy summit, attributed the jobs to leasing, royalties, exploration, drilling, production and pipeline construction to produce gas and petroleum from Utica shale, a rock buried more than a mile and a half underground.

Read the full story here.

Gov. Kasich's energy policy depends on this week's Battelle conference

THE PLAIN DEALER, 9/20/11 Thursday, September 22, 2011

Because there is no comprehensive national energy policy, Gov. John Kasich aims to have one tailored for Ohio -- one that will help business expand and create jobs, reports the Plain Dealer.

That is the underlying reason for the two-day energy and economic summit that opened Wednesday at Ohio State University.

Read the full story here.

Wright State-led defense program to spur 250 jobs

THE DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/15/11 Thursday, September 22, 2011

The launch of a defense program at Wright State University Research Institute will spur 250 new jobs in the Dayton region, reports the Dayton Business Journal.

School officials say the opening of its Defense Aerospace Graduate Studies Institute -- announced in July -- will lead several companies, as well as the institute, to hire large chunks of workers.

Read the full story here.

Omnicare moving its headquarters to Cincinnati

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, 9/19/11 Thursday, September 22, 2011

Pharmacy services provider Omnicare Inc. is moving its corporate headquarters across the Ohio River, from northern Kentucky to downtown Cincinnati, with the help of $6 million in tax breaks, reports the Associated Press.

The company, which dispenses drugs to nursing homes and long-term-care facilities, reported that the relocation will involve nearly 500 workers. It plans to begin bringing operations to Cincinnati from Covington, Ky., in December and expects to complete the move by June 2012.

Read the full story here.

Ohio Third Frontier awards $2.5 million for imaging research in Cleveland

MICROHSCOPE, 9/7/11 Thursday, September 22, 2011

The Ohio Third Frontier Commission has awarded $2.5 million in research grants to advance the Philips Healthcare Global Advanced Imaging Innovation Center, a collaboration among Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center and Philips Healthcare, reports MicrOHscope.

The research projects are part of $30 million in funding awarded throughout the State of Ohio earlier this month by the Ohio Third Frontier Commission.

Read the full story here.

Columbus to be center of personalized medicine universe in early October

MICROHSCOPE, 9/14/11 Thursday, September 22, 2011

Academic research leaders, industry experts, government policymakers and healthcare providers from across the country will gather in Columbus next month to discuss the latest developments in personalized medicine at the Johanna and Ralph DeStefano Personalized Health Care National Conference, reports MicrOHscope.

The 4th annual event will be held Oct. 6-7 on the campus of The Ohio State University. Attendees will hear from experts about revolutionizing medicine and transforming healthcare delivery in a way which will result in more precise, cost-effective and higher quality health care for patients.

Read the full story here.

Applications for Cleveland casino jobs at 5,000 and rising

THE PLAIN DEALER, 9/12/11 Thursday, September 22, 2011

The developer of Cleveland's Horseshoe Casino received more than 5,000 applications for dealers since posting job openings, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Officials with Rock Ohio Caesars say they expect to easily double that number by the application deadline on noon Friday, Sept. 30.

Read the full story here.

OSU lab safe, but stuff inside is scary

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 9/16/11 Thursday, September 22, 2011

The new lab where Ohio State University researchers will study super-scary plant and animal diseases was built to be secure -- very secure – reports the Columbus Dispatch.

The building is surrounded by a tall black fence. The tops of the fence posts are pointed and curve outward. Two cables link the fence sections. Inside, concrete walls are 13 inches thick. Electronic keypads control access to the building and each lab. And it was built to withstand tornadoes and earthquakes.

Read the full story here.

Medical innovation in the corn fields

FORBES, 9/7/11 Thursday, September 08, 2011

In rural Birmingham, Ohio, about 40 miles west of Cleveland, one of the world’s leaders in meat processing and food service is innovating in unexpected ways, reports Forbes.

Bettcher Industries, founded in 1944 with $800 in a small machine shop in the Cleveland meat district, is innovating in very non-traditional markets and making an impact.

Read the full story here.

Are startup incubators inflating a tech bubble?

THE HUFFINGTON POST, 9/2/11 Thursday, September 08, 2011

Amid concerns by some that a bevy of tech incubators are creating too many startups, JumpStart President John Dearborn says in a column for the Huffington Post that not all incubators are created equally.

Top incubators are built around founders who are serial tech entrepreneurs, have stringent acceptance standards and an established curriculum, and a schedule for moving the startup out of the incubator. He adds that Ohio could benefit from more incubators that support IT activity to the same degree as other core technical focus areas.

Read the full column here.

Ohio's Spangler Candy Co. adds candy cane jobs

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, 8/30/11 Thursday, September 08, 2011

Ohio's Spangler Candy Co. is adding jobs and space to produce more candy canes sold under brand names such as Jelly Belly and Cinnabon, reports the Associated Press.

The company says it will spend $400,000 to upgrade and install two candy cane production lines at its plant in Bryan, an expansion that is expected to create up to 30 new jobs in time for the 2012 candy cane season.

Read the full story here.

Ohio may cut workers� comp rates for new businesses

THE DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/25/11 Thursday, September 08, 2011

Ohio is eyeing workers’ comp rate cuts for new companies as a way to spark economic development, reports the Dayton Business Journal.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has unveiled a plan, dubbed “Grow Ohio,” that could discount a new Ohio employer’s premium by as much as 50 percent.

Read the full story here.

Case spinoff looks to commercialize �cryo-imaging� technology

MEDCITY NEWS, 9/6/11 Thursday, September 08, 2011

A Case Western Reserve University spinoff is planning to commercialize its high-resolution imaging technology that allows
researchers to see the exact location of single cells reports MedCity News.

Mayfield Village, Ohio-based BioInVision is kicking off the formal marketing launch of its “cryo-imaging” service at the World Molecular Imaging Congress this week in San Diego, president Debashish Roy said. The technology is so sensitive that it allows researchers to drill down to view the location of single cells in an animal’s particular organ. That level of detail is desirable to pharmaceutical and stem cell researchers who’d like to see exactly how the substances they’re studying are distributed in the body.

Read the full story here.

Free care at Ohio hospitals grows to $2.9 billion

THE CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER, 9/6/11 Thursday, September 08, 2011

Ohio hospitals gave $2.9 billion in free or discounted services to their communities in 2009, according to the most recent data from the Ohio Hospital Association, reports the Business Courier.

The figure included $1.1 billion in charity care, $1.1 billion in Medicaid subsidization and $1.3 billion in community benefit activities.

Read the full story here.

MacAulay-Brown wins $26 million Air Force IT contract

THE DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/6/11 Thursday, September 08, 2011

MacAulay-Brown has landed a $26 million U.S. Air Force deal, reports the Dayton Business Journal.

The Beavercreek-based defense contractor was awarded the deal for information technology and intelligence services by Air Force Special Operations Command in Florida. It was unclear if the deal would boost MacAulay-Brown’s employment in the Dayton area.

Read the full story here.

Heart test company CardiOx closes $8 million series C round

WRALTECHWIRE, 8/30/11 Thursday, September 08, 2011

Heart testmaker CardiOx has closed an $8 million series C round of investment that the company plans to use to begin U.S. and European commercialization, reports WRAL Techwire.

The round was led by Michigan-based Lifeline Ventures and included contributions from existing investors Early Stage Partners, Glengary and Reservoir Partners, CardiOx CEO Larry Heaton says.

Read the full story here.

Chesapeake Energy to lease office space in Canton

THE CANTON REPOSITORY, 8/18/11 Thursday, August 25, 2011

Chesapeake Energy will use downtown Canton as a center of operations in its bid to extract oil and natural gas from the Utica shale formation that lies under eastern Ohio, reports The Canton Repository.

The company has leased space in the Cornerstone Building at 400 Third St. SE, next to the Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation offices, where it will set up a field office with more than 70 employees.

Read the full story here.

Oil and gas drilling in Ohio declines, but boom expected soon

THE PLAIN DEALER, 8/20/11 Thursday, August 25, 2011

Oil and gas well drilling reached a modern-day low in Ohio last year. But most experts see that trend reversing as development of shale formations in eastern Ohio begins to ramp up, reports The Plain Dealer.

Ohio Department of Natural Resource records for 2010 show a lull in new well drilling activity across Ohio, likely brought on by wholesale natural gas prices, which have dropped more than 50 percent since 2008. But many see a drilling boom on the horizon as energy companies fan out across the eastern Ohio countryside to sign leases for land atop energy-laden Utica and Marcellus shale formations.

Read the full story here.

Devicor buys Neoprobe's gamma detection system for $30 million

HealthImaging.com, 8/17/11 Thursday, August 25, 2011

Devicor Medical Products, a private equity firm and a GTCR company, has completed its previously announced acquisition of the neoprobe gamma detection system products and related assets from Neoprobe of Dublin, Ohio, reports HealthImaging.com.

Financial terms of the agreement included $30 million cash at close plus up to an additional $20 million in royalties based on revenue milestones. The sale was approved by Neoprobe's shareholders on Aug. 15.

Read the full story here.

Huber Heights eyes $223-million development, 2,175 jobs

THE DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/19/11 Thursday, August 25, 2011

The city of Huber Heights, along with developer 201 Corridor Management LLC, will launch a $223 million retail and office project projected to create more than 2,000 jobs, reports The Dayton Business Journal.

The Heights development at Interstate 70 and Brandt Pike is expected to create 2,175 jobs, including 200 temporary construction jobs. Huber Heights city documents list a potential total economic impact of $1 billion during the next 30 years from the project.

Read the full story here.

Chinese tire manufacturer to open site in Ohio

ASSOCIATED PRESS, 8/18/11 Thursday, August 25, 2011

Officials say a Chinese tire manufacturer plans to open a U.S. research and development center and sales offices in Ohio, with an initial 30 employees, reports the Associated Press.

The Triangle Group, based in Weihai, China, will locate in Akron. City Mayor Don Plusquellic says the facility results from a partnership between Akron and the city of Weihai, in eastern China's Shandong province.

Read the full story here.

Ohio set of The Avengers is dramatically blown up

THE DAILY MAIL, 8/16/11 Thursday, August 25, 2011

Cleveland, Ohio was unrecognizable even to his own citizens as it was transformed into a fake New York City street and then blown up on the first day of filming for The Avengers, reports the Daily Mail.

But the transformation only added to the excitement, as fans thronged to see the action -- filling rooftops to gasp at NYC cabs and cars being blown in the air near the city's Grand Central Market.

Read the full story here.

Ohio claims 11 companies on Inc. 500 list

THE DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/23/11 Thursday, August 25, 2011

Eleven Ohio businesses in fields from manufacturing to software made Inc. magazine's list of America's 500 Fastest-Growing Private Companies, reports the Dayton Business Journal.

Product Movers, a manufacturing company in Holland, ranked No. 101 and was the top-ranked Ohio company with a 2,659 percent growth rate, according to the magazine's report. The magazine ranks companies by their three-year percentage growth rate.

Read the full story here.

Paris Air Show gives boost to Kent business

KENT PATCH, 8/24/11 Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Paris Air Show, held every June, draws the biggest names in the aviation and aerospace industries. Start-ups from Ohio rarely make an appearance, but this year one from Kent did, reports Kent Patch.

Thanks to a partnership with Ohio Aerospace Institute, Anderson Aerospace President Richard Anderson and Senior Vice President Matthew Flannery attended the 2011 show.

Read the full story here.

Generating electricity from buried carbon

FAST COMPANY, 8/9/11 Thursday, August 11, 2011

Jamming carbon deep underground has long been a proposed solution to our emissions problems, but it's expensive and rarely used. Now we can use the Earth's heat to make that gas work for us, reports Fast Company.

The publication reports on a geothermal project that includes Akron-based Echogen Power Systems, which is designing a turbine for the process.

Read the full story here.

Air Force Lab extends University of Dayton�s lab contract

DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 8/3/11 Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded the University of Dayton Research Institute a $24.5-million contract to test, evaluate and develop polymer materials and paints, following up on a contract that had expired in June, reports the Dayton Daily News.

The deal continues UDRI's 10-year operation for the Air Force, under various contracts, of coatings technology, testing and erosion analysis laboratories on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Read the full story here.

PUCO pitches energy discounts for hiring

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 8/2/11 Thursday, August 11, 2011

Companies could get a discount on electricity if they meet benchmarks for new hiring or investment under a plan being considered by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, reports the Columbus Dispatch.

The plan, which supporters hope will encourage job growth, offers electricity discounts of up to 20 percent, most of which would phase out over five years. That amount would largely be offset by a charge on other electricity customers.

Read the full story here.

Happy Meals and shale drilling spinoffs

YOUNGSTOWN BUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/3/11 Thursday, August 11, 2011

The owners of Ohio Commerce Park -- where ground was broken for construction of the $28-million Anderson-Dubose warehouse that will serve McDonald's -- are exploring ways to capitalize on the rich Marcellus and Utica shale natural gas deposits in the region, reports the Youngstown Business Journal.

Spiro Bakeris, co-owner of the industrial park, says the park is considering various companies involved in shale activity, which is expected to increase after Chesapeake Energy Corp.'s recent announcement that the discovery of a major new liquids-rich play in the Utica Shale formation could add as much as $20 billion to the company's value.

Read the full story here.

Satellite college campuses boom in Dayton area

DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 8/6/11 Thursday, August 11, 2011

Colleges and universities are flooding into the Interstate 75 corridor between Cincinnati and Dayton, competing for a growing number of students as higher education increasingly becomes a necessity for employment, reports the Dayton Daily News.

The boom is part of a trend throughout the region and the state. Enrollments at regional campuses and community colleges, which often serve older students at multiple locations, leapt from 74,000 in 2000 to 252,000 in 2010, according to Ohio Board of Regents data.

Read the full story here.

Ohio soybean farmers welcome free trade plans as sign of hope

LANCASTER EAGLE-GAZETTE, 8/7/11 Thursday, August 11, 2011

With 55 percent of Ohio's total agriculture exports coming from soybeans, a free trade agreement proposal with Panama, South Korea and Colombia is getting high praise from Ohio growers and the Ohio Soybean Association, reports the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette.

The 2010 bean crop was one of the most profitable on record in Ohio, and soybeans were the second-largest commodity in the U.S. in terms of annual acreage and value, with 78 million acres planted and a market value of almost $39 billion in 2010, the association says.

Read the full story here.

Ohio seeks consultant bids for advice on turnpike sale

THE TOLEDO BLADE, 8/9/11 Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Kasich administration has formally begun efforts to determine whether "leveraging" the Ohio Turnpike would be an effective way to generate new revenue for state coffers, reports the Toledo Blade.

In a joint statement from the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Office of Management and Budget, the administration said an "adviser team" would work with those two agencies to "determine the true value of the Ohio Turnpike and the preferred option for leveraging the turnpike as a state asset."

Read the full story here.

UC researchers develop better, cheaper heavy metals sensor

MICROHSCOPE, 8/5/11 Thursday, August 11, 2011

Work by University of Cincinnati researchers to create a fast feedback sensor for the presence and levels of heavy metals -- specifically manganese -- in humans is published in the August issue of Biomedical Microdevices, reports MicrOHscope.

The article describes the development of a low-cost, disposable lab-on-a-chip sensor that detects highly electronegative heavy metals more quickly than current technology generally available in health-care settings. It's envisioned that the new UC sensor technology will be used in point-of-care devices that provide needed feedback within about ten minutes.

Read the full story here.

GE joint venture has additional engine market with new version of Boeing 737

DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 7/20/11 Thursday, July 28, 2011

CFM International, a joint venture company of General Electric Co. and French manufacturer Snecma, says one of its engines in development has a promising new market now that American Airlines is ordering 200 new aircraft from Boeing Co., reports the Dayton Daily News.

The airline ordered a new generation of Boeing 737 aircraft that will be powered by CFM's new LEAP engine that is in development. Fifty percent of all CFM engines are assembled at GE's Evendale jet engine plant in suburban Cincinnati.

Read the full story here.

Digital divide closing in Ohio

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 7/16/11 Thursday, July 28, 2011

A new study shows Ohio residents increasingly are connected to the Internet, although people in some groups and areas across the state remain slow adopters of the computer age, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The 2011 Residential Technology Assessment report made for Connect Ohio, a nonprofit that promotes broadband Internet use, indicates Ohio's digital divide is widest for poor people without children, older people and people with disabilities.

Read the full story here.

Governor wants colleges to �commercialize� efforts

DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 7/18/11 Thursday, July 28, 2011

State lawmakers are calling on Ohio's colleges and universities to help drive economic development by establishing degree programs that better prepare students for existing jobs and forming partnerships with outside entities, reports the Dayton Daily News.

Gov. John Kasich outlined his plans for improving workforce development at a recent forum for area elected leaders and business officials at Sinclair Community College. Earlier that same day, Wright State University took two big steps toward fulfilling Kasich's goals for higher education, announcing a new research partnership and spearheading a statewide program to better serve Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and surrounding industries.

Read the full story here.

More movies shot in Ohio because of tax credit

10TV, 7/25/11 Thursday, July 28, 2011

A tax-incentive program has brought a taste of Hollywood to Ohio, reports WBNS-10TV.

Since a $30-million film tax credit was approved for 2010-11, several movies have been shot in the state. "The Avengers" is set for a 2012 release and is being shot in Cleveland, featuring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson.

Read the full story here.

Major Cincinnati companies work together on environmental efforts

THE OXFORD PRESS, 7/25/11 Thursday, July 28, 2011

A collaboration of local businesses in the Cincinnati region have joined together to bolster not only environmental sustainability efforts, but their bottom lines as well, reports The Oxford Press.

The group, which says it focuses on "people, profit and planet" is the first of its kind in the region and one of several similar networks across the country.

Read the full story here.

Governor vetoes bill on Great Lakes water use

ASSOCIATED PRESS, 7/15/11 Thursday, July 28, 2011

Gov. John Kasich has vetoed a bill that would have allowed Ohio factories to pull more water out of Lake Erie, amid pressure from governors from other Great Lakes states who expressed concerned about the measure, reports the Associated Press.

Kasich said he was vetoing the bill because the legislation "lacks clear standards for conservation and withdrawals and does not allow for sufficient evaluation and monitoring of withdrawals or usage."

Read the full story here.

UT partners with Spanish firm to speed solar commercialization, job creation

TV24, 7/26/2011 Thursday, July 28, 2011

University of Toledo students will soon have an edge with internships, partnerships and job opportunities, thanks to solar research efforts, reports TV24.

The University of Toledo and Isofoton have agreed on a plan to increase collaboration between UT and the Spanish photovoltaic company, which announced earlier this month that it would be establishing a manufacturing plant and its North American headquarters in northwest Ohio.

Read the full story here.

Strickland forms consulting firm to boost business expansions

BUSINESS FIRST, July 27, 2011 Thursday, July 28, 2011

Former Gov. Ted Strickland and a few of his political allies have formed a consulting firm that specializes in Midwest business expansions and political campaigns, reports Business First.

The firm, Midwest Gateway Partners, will have offices in Columbus and Washington, D.C., said a release.

Read the full story here.

Ohio solar project a go

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 7/6/11 Thursday, July 14, 2011

A proposed solar-panel plant will locate in northwest Ohio, providing another key part for a planned 49.9-megawatt solar-power project in the state, reports The Columbus Dispatch.

Isofoton, based in Spain, says it has selected Napoleon, in Henry County, near Toledo, and plans to hire up to 330 workers.

Read the full story here.

Air Force awards Beavercreek contractor $94 million more for project

THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 7/5/11 Thursday, July 14, 2011

The Air Force has awarded an additional $94 million in contract work for the Expeditionary Combat Support System program just months after the Defense Department proposed to interrupt funding, reports The Dayton Daily News.

The multi-year project, being led by Computer Sciences Corp. in Beavercreek, supports about 500 jobs in the Dayton area.

Read the full story here.

Leftwich to step down as development director; will serve as Kasich adviser

THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 7/12/11 Thursday, July 14, 2011

James Leftwich, former director of the Dayton Development Coalition, will step down Aug. 1 as director of the Ohio Department of Development and become an informal economic development adviser to Gov. John Kasich, reports The Dayton Daily News.

Chris Schmenk, currently general counsel in the state development department, will take over as director of the department as the state's job creation efforts are transitioned to JobsOhio.

Read the full story here.

Ohio starts taking Pa. fracking wastewater

ASSOCIATED PRESS, 7/5/11 Thursday, July 14, 2011

Pennsylvania's gas drillers tapping into the Marcellus Shale are shipping more fracking waste to neighboring Ohio for disposal, reports the Associated Press.

The amount of wastewater Ohio accepted from out-of-state drillers jumped 25 percent in the first quarter, compared with the last quarter of 2010, likely in part because Pennsylvania officials this year increased pressure on drillers to keep fracking waste out of surface water.

Read the full story here.

Youngstown mayor to take over U.S. auto recovery office

THE DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/7/11 Thursday, July 14, 2011

President Barack Obama has extended the life of an office intended to help struggling U.S. auto communities, and named Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams to lead it, reports the Detroit Free Press.

The Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers, created during the 2009 rescue of General Motors and Chrysler, had been slated to dissolve at the end of June, before it was renewed by the president.

Read the full story here.

Kasich names eight to JobsOhio panel

The Associated Press July 11, 2011 Thursday, July 14, 2011

Ohio Gov. John Kasich named his top jobs adviser, the president of Ohio State University, the chief executives of Bob Evans, Procter & Gamble and Marathon Petroleum and four others to the state's new nonprofit job-creation board Monday, reports the Associated Press.

After the first meeting of the panel, called JobsOhio, Kasich praised his lineup of recruits as a great start for Ohio's new economic development engine.

Read the full story here.

Lower business costs earn state high marks

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 7/13/11 Thursday, July 14, 2011

Business-friendly changes in Ohio's tax structure have given the state a boost in a national ranking, reports The Columbus Dispatch.

Ohio moved up to fifth this year from 29th last year in the 'cost of doing business' category that is part of business cable-television channel CNBC's 'America's Top States for Business.'

Read the full story here.

GM to invest $83 million, add 30 jobs in Toledo

THE TOLEDO BLADE, 7/13/2011 Thursday, July 14, 2011

General Motors Co. says it will invest an additional $83 million in its Toledo Transmission Plant, reports The Toledo Blade.

The new money will mean the addition of 30 jobs at the plant, which has about 1,600 employees making front-wheel and rear-wheel-drive six-speed transmissions.

Read the full story here.

Great Lakes water use bill goes to governor

THE MARION STAR, 6/29/11 Thursday, June 30, 2011

A proposal allowing factories in Ohio to pull more water out of Lake Erie sailed through the state Senate on Tuesday despite objections from two ex-governors and a former administrator who said it will give Ohio the weakest water supply protection rules in the Great Lakes, reports the Associated Press.

Supporters say giving businesses the ability to increase water use will bring new work to the state's industrial belt and cities such as Cleveland and Toledo, which have lost thousands of jobs in recent years.

Read the full story here.

Dannon investing $88 million, hiring 100 at Ohio yogurt plant

DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/29/11 Thursday, June 30, 2011

Yogurt maker The Dannon Company Inc. will invest more than $88 million to expand in Minster and add 100 new jobs during the next three years, reports the Dayton Business Journal.

Gov. John R. Kasich on Tuesday joined company executives at the Dannon plant in Auglaize County to announce the project, which will increase production capacity.

Read the full story here.

Johnson Controls to double size of Toledo plant

TOLEDO BLADE, 6/29/11 Thursday, June 30, 2011

Auto supplier Johnson Controls Inc. will invest $138.5 million and will nearly double the size of its battery plant in suburban Toledo, adding about 50 jobs this year as it converts production from traditional lead-acid automotive batteries to those with newer Absorbent Glass Mat, or AGM, technology, reports The Toledo Blade.

Once construction is complete and equipment and tooling are in place, the 30-year-old plant at 10300 Industrial Rd., near Toledo Express Airport, will employ approximately 450 unionized workers and crank out an estimated 6 million technologically advanced automotive batteries each year for use in vehicles assembled in plants across the Midwest.

Read the full story here.

Big push for science and math degrees paying off

DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 6/22/11 Thursday, June 30, 2011

Ohio's public colleges and universities have seen a 20 percent jump in students graduating with degrees in science, math and technology-related fields from 2006-2010, reports the Dayton Daily News.

Better job opportunities, higher pay and a coordinated effort by educators and lawmakers across the state and the nation focused on graduating students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs have all contributed to the increase.

Read the full story here.

OU�s Innovation Center opens doors to biotech R&D facility

MICROHSCOPE, 6/27/11 Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Ohio University Innovation Center on Wednesday celebrated the grand opening of its new Biotechnology Research and Development Facility, reports MicrOHscope.

The new facility offers state-of-the-art instrumentation and research equipment for chemical and biomedical analysis. The facility is available for use by Ohio University faculty, staff and students, Innovation Center clients, researchers at area colleges and universities and private industry.

Read the full story here.

CincyTech closes on second fund

CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER, 6/22/11 Thursday, June 30, 2011

CincyTech, a nonprofit that invests in startup companies, has closed on its $4.4 million second fund for investments, raising $2.4 million from Southwest Ohio partners and receiving $2 million from Ohio Third Frontier, reports the Cincinnati Business Courier.

The organization invests in companies focused on information technology, bioscience and advanced manufacturing that are based in or willing to move to Southwest Ohio. The new fund could support 10 to 12 new investments.

Read the full story here.

Jobs open at West Carrollton toolmaker as orders increase

DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 6/27/11 Thursday, June 30, 2011

Toolmaker Dayton Progress Corp. has hired more people lately than it has in decades -- about 100 in the past year -- and plans to hire more as orders continue to climb, reports the Dayton Daily News.

The stream of jobseekers is so strong that Dayton Progress has brought seats from the company cafeteria to its lobby to give the applicants places to sit.

Read the full story here.

Website picks Cincinnati as most social media-savvy city

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 6/28/11 Thursday, June 30, 2011

Cincinnati won the honors as the most "social media-savvy city in the world" from Mashable.com, a top website for social media, digital and technology news, in a contest the site held to celebrate today's Social Media Day, reports The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Cincinnati won in part because of "a very convincing video" submitted by Blair Ward, a 22-year-old student at Northern Kentucky University's Chase College of Law.

Read the full story here.

Ohio ranks high for manufacturing, logistics

THE DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/14/11 Thursday, June 16, 2011

Ohio scores high marks in manufacturing and logistics, but rates below average in tax climate and benefit costs, reports the Dayton Business Journal.

The Buckeye state got an "A" in manufacturing, logistics and global reach, but earned a "D minus" for tax climate and a "D" for benefit costs, said the 2011 Manufacturing and Logistics National report, prepared by Ball State University's Center for Business and Economic Research.

Read the full story here.

To get jobs, areas develop industry hubs in emerging fields

USA TODAY, 6/7/11 Thursday, June 16, 2011

Northeast Ohio is among a growing number of regions that are combating the loss of traditional factory jobs by developing industry clusters in fields such as biomedicine, renewable energy and aerospace, reports USA Today.

Besides medical devices, the Cleveland area � a more than century-old stronghold for auto, rubber and glass making � aims to carve out niches in clean energy and flexible electronics.

Read the full story here.

Ganeden sells probiotic brands to Schiff Nutrition International

THE PLAIN DEALER, 6/6/11 Thursday, June 16, 2011

Ganeden Biotech in Mayfield Heights, which established itself as the largest seller of over-the-counter probiotics in the United States, has sold its Sustenex and Digestive Advantage brands of dietary supplements to Schiff Nutrition International Inc. for $40 million in cash, reports The Plain Dealer.

Ganeden says it will receive royalties on Schiff products containing its patented strain of probiotics, called Ganeden BC30. Unlike other probiotic bacillus, it is able to survive baking, boiling or freezing.

Read the full story here.

GM to invest $47 million in Defiance casting facility

TORQUE NEWS, 6/14/11 Thursday, June 16, 2011

General Motors has announced that it intends to invest $47 million in its Defiance, Ohio casting facility to prepare the plant for increased output of components of the popular 1.4L 4-cylinder Ecotec and the next generation small block V8, reports Torque News.

Defiance produced 5.8 million parts in 2010 and with these investments, GM expects to see that number increase.

Read the full story here.

Air Force research aimed at allowing one human to fly multiple UAVs

DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 6/13/11 Thursday, June 16, 2011

The Pentagon's drive to deploy increasing numbers of remotely piloted, unmanned aircraft in war zones is causing a manpower crunch, reports the Dayton Daily News.

Now, Air Force and Wright State University researchers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where key UAV programs are managed, are trying to effectively automate many of the operating functions so the UAVs can fly themselves and allow a single human operator to oversee multiple craft at once.

Read the full story here.

High hopes at Miracle-Gro in medical marijuana field

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/14/11 Thursday, June 16, 2011

Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. has long sold weed killer. Now, it's hoping to help people grow killer weed, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Scotts Chief Executive Jim Hagedorn says he is exploring targeting medical marijuana as well as other niches to help boost sales at his lawn and garden company.

Read the full story here.

Oil-extraction method proposed for Ohio could also reduce greenhouse gas

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 6/12/11 Thursday, June 16, 2011

A gas tied to climate change could someday bring new life to old Ohio oil fields, reports The Columbus Dispatch.

State officials are investigating whether carbon dioxide could be used to draw millions of barrels of crude oil from fields that were all but played out. Officials say the project could help reduce climate change and increase U.S. oil production.

Read the full story here.

Column: Talk of Ohio woe isn't all true

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 6/13/11 Thursday, June 16, 2011

The image of the Rust Belt -- of crumbling abandoned factories and no hope -- does not completely square with reality, says the Columbus Dispatch's Washington bureau chief in an op-ed.

Citing Fortune Magazine's new list of the 500 largest companies in the U.S., Jack Torry notes that Ohio has gained Fortune 500 companies and that only New York, California, Texas and Illinois have more.

Read the full column here.

Auto supplier plans $20-million facility, 130 jobs

DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/20/11 Thursday, June 02, 2011

A Kettering business is looking to consolidate its operations in the Dayton and Michigan area at a new site at the Miami Valley Research Park, reports the Dayton Business Journal.

BWIGroup, the joint venture that acquired Delphi's brake and suspension units in November 2009, has taken steps to build a $20.2 million facility on College Drive in Kettering for BWI North America Inc. The project would create 130 new jobs.

Read the full story here.

Ohio House approves drilling in state parks

ASSOCIATED PRESS, 5/25/11 Thursday, June 02, 2011

The Ohio House has passed a bill that would open state forests, parks and wildlife areas to oil and gas drilling, reports the Associated Press.

The Republican-led chamber cleared the bill 54-41 on May 25 and sent it to the Ohio Senate. It creates a new commission to oversee oil and gas leases on state lands. Leases could generate $9 million for the state. The money would be re-invested in parks.

Read the full story here.

Neoprobe sells device business to Devicor in deal that could reach $50 million

MEDCITY NEWS, 5/25/11 Thursday, June 02, 2011

Cancer diagnostics company Neoprobe has sold its radiation-detection device business to Devicor Medical Products in a deal that could reach a value as high as $50 million, reports MedCity News.

Devicor, a Wisconsin-based holding company backed by Chicago private equity firm GTCR Golder Rauner, has agreed to buy Neoprobe's device business for $30 million in cash and up to $20 million in royalty payments, according to a statement from Dublin, Ohio-based Neoprobe.

Read the full story here.

Fish taking root as Ohio money crop

ONN TV, 5/26/11 Thursday, June 02, 2011

Annual aquaculture sales in Ohio stand at $6.6 million, up from $1.9 million in 1997, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, reports ONN TV.

Factor in associated businesses -- equipment suppliers, feed mills, seafood shops and the like - and the industry's economic impact in the state approaches $50 million a year.

Read the full story here.

New bill introduced to extend Therapeutic Discovery Project Tax Credit

MICROHSCOPE, 5/26/11 Thursday, June 02, 2011

The Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Tax Credit Extension Act of 2011 has been introduced in Congress to extend grants and tax credits under the Therapeutic Discovery Project, reports MICROHSCOPE.

The 2010 Therapeutic Discovery Project provided $1 billion in support to nearly 3,000 companies across the country, including 62 Ohio biomedical firms that collectively received $16 million in grants and tax credits.

Read the full story here.

Ohio lines up more movie shoots

CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER, 5/26/11 Thursday, June 02, 2011

Officials with the Ohio Film Office say four films have committed to shoot in the state and, in turn, receive more than $2.3 million in tax credits, reports the Cincinnati Business Courier.

The films are Seven Below Zero, Old Fashioned, Over the Wall and Liberal Arts, which will be shot partially in Columbus. Since the state's Motion Picture Tax Credit program began in 2009 under former Gov. Ted Strickland, Ohio has awarded more than $29 million in incentives to productions that have employed more than 9,000 Ohioans, the state said.

Read the full story here.

Polyflow, YSU turn trash into treasure

YOUNGSTOWN BUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/1/11 Thursday, June 02, 2011

Research and equipment at Youngstown State University to recycle trash -- that is, plastic throwaways such as empty milk containers and water bottles -- into treasure, reports the Youngstown Business Journal.

Polyflow LLC, a startup company that operates a small pilot processor in Akron, is looking to use its patented process to convert household plastic and polymer items into transportation fuel and new types of plastics on a large scale.

Read the full story here.

Michigan, Ohio residents demand 60 mpg standards: poll

TORQUE NEWS, 5/31/11 Thursday, June 02, 2011

Michigan and Ohio voters in two new Mellman Group polls for Ceres say they'd like their vehicles to give them 60 mpg as early as 2025, reports Torque News.

They also want major inroads made to dramatically cut carbon-dioxide pollution from cars and trucks.

Read the full story here.

Regional Growth Partnership plans offices in China

THE TOLEDO BLADE, 5/17/11 Thursday, May 19, 2011

The Regional Growth Partnership, northwest Ohio's lead economic development agency, is working to open two offices in China, reports the Toledo Blade.

CEO Dean Monske announced the international expansion during the agency's annual meeting Monday at the Dana Conference Center in South Toledo. The offices are to be in Shenzhen, about 30 miles north of Hong Kong, and in Beijing.

Read the full story here.

G.M. to spend $204 million on Toledo transmission plant

THE NEW YORK TIMES, 5/10/11 Thursday, May 19, 2011

General Motors will spend $204 million to upgrade its Toledo transmission plant, reports The New York Times.

The company says its plans to invest $2 billion to upgrade 17 plants in eight states and create or save more than 4,000 jobs.

Read the full story here.

Sears holdings looks at possible move; Ohio on list

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/10/11 Thursday, May 19, 2011

Sears Holdings Corp. has joined a growing list of companies threatening to move their headquarters out of Illinois, setting off a flurry of activity from government officials eager to keep thousands of corporate jobs in the state, reports The Chicago Tribune.

The retail giant, which has called the Chicago area home since 1887, is in early talks with officials from several states, including New Jersey, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Georgia, according to a source familiar with the talks. The chief motivation for the move is to cut costs, the source said.

Read the full story here.

Census: Ohio home to 88,500 veteran-owned businesses

THE DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/17/11 Thursday, May 19, 2011

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows Ohio was home to 88,569 of the 2.4 million veteran-owned businesses in the United States, reports the Dayton Business Journal.

The bureau says its survey -- which tracks veteran-owned businesses in 2007 -- is the first-ever detailed information for all veteran-owned U.S. businesses, including number of firms, sales and receipts, number of paid employees and annual payroll.

Read the full story here.

Science is shot in arm for Ohio's economy, experts say

THE BEACON JOURNAL, 5/17/11 Thursday, May 19, 2011

Investments in medical research and science education are among the cures Ohio needs for its economic future. That was the message shared by state and national experts Monday during a Research!America research partners forum in Rootstown Township, reports the Akron Beacon Journal.

The national nonprofit group advocates for support for medical research.

Read the full story here.

Cities can't treat brine from new gas wells

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 5/17/11 Thursday, May 19, 2011

Ohio cities hoping to profit from natural gas drilling won't be able to cash in after all, reports The Columbus Dispatch.

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency officials announced Monday that cities can't treat millions of gallons of salty wastewater from new natural gas wells in their sewage plants and dump it into streams. The agency says it is concerned that the wastewater, called brine, poses a pollution risk.

Read the full story here.

Do state business taxes really matter?

THE ATLANTIC, 5/17/11 Thursday, May 19, 2011

There is little connection between a state's investment tax burdens and its economic performance, reports The Atlantic.

The publication reports on a new study that compares states' tax burdens with business competitiveness. The study finds that Maine imposes the smallest tax burden on new investment, followed by Oregon, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Illinois, all with effective tax rates on new investment of five percent or less.

Read the full story here.

AssureRx, Medco launch program

THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 5/11/11 Thursday, May 19, 2011

Mason-based AssureRx has announced the largest commercial pilot program of its GeneSightRx test, which helps physicians select medications for individual patients with neuropsychiatric disorders by using a cheek swab to analyze genetic variants, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer.

AssureRx is doing the program with Medco Research Institute LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Medco Health Solutions Inc

Read the full story here.

Anemia treatment moves forward, Akebia raises $22 million for trials

MEDCITY NEWS, 4/26/11 Thursday, May 05, 2011

Akebia Therapeutics has closed a $22 million series B round of investment that will take the company through a pair of phase 2b trials of its oral anemia drug, reports MedCity News.

The funding is an important milestone for the Cincinnati-based pharmaceutical company as it pushes forward with development of AKB-6548, which is designed to promote levels of erythropoietin (EPO) for up to 12 hours in kidney disease patients. EPO is a hormone that promotes the growth of red blood cells in bone marrow.

Read the full story here.

Former Mich. gov encourages Ohio leaders to push clean energy agenda

ASSOCIATED PRESS, 4/27/11 Thursday, May 05, 2011

Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm continued a nationwide clean energy tour in Ohio last week, imploring an audience of academics, energy consultants and lobbyists to carry the Pew Clean Energy Program's bipartisan call to action to state and national leaders, reports the Associated Press.

During an April 27 keynote address to the University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio, the former two-term governor delivered an impassioned plea for advocates not to miss a critical opportunity for setting national clean-energy policy goals. The Democrat is working with former U.S. Sen. John Warner of Virginia, a Republican, on the effort.

Read the full story here.

OU med school gets $105-million gift, largest ever for an Ohio college

MEDCITY NEWS, 5/2/11 Thursday, May 05, 2011

Ohio University's medical school will use a $105 million gift to establish a new campus in Central Ohio with an eye toward boosting the number of primary care doctors in the state, reports MedCity News.

The gift, which university officials described as the largest ever for an Ohio institution of higher learning, comes from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations, a Columbus-based community health advocacy nonprofit.

Read the full story here.

Bat disease could cost Ohio farmers up to $1.7 billion per year

OHIO STATE/PURDUE EXTENSIONS, 4/26/11 Thursday, May 05, 2011

Ohio farmers could suffer as much as $1.7 billion in losses, if the new disease called white-nose syndrome wipes out the state's bats, according to a recent study in the journal "Science," reports the Ohio State University and Purdue University Extension Services.

"Simply put, bats eat a lot of insects -- insects that bother us around our homes, and insects that can damage crops and forests," says Ohio State University Extension wildlife specialist Marne Titchenell.

Read the full story here.

Ohio ranked among 10 best states for business taxes

BUSINESS FIRST, 4/22/11 Thursday, May 05, 2011

A new report by the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council ranks Ohio among the 10 best states in the nation for its small-business tax burden, reports Business First of Columbus.

The report, which compiles the rankings based on 18 different tax measures, ranked Ohio 9th in the nation on its Business Tax Index 2011. The best state for business taxes, according to the report: South Dakota, followed by Texas and Nevada.

Read the full story here.

Akron Polymer continues to grow, new building under construction

THE BEACON JOURNAL, 5/1/11 Thursday, May 05, 2011

High-tech startup Akron Polymer Systems is in the running to help make a better screen for upcoming generations of the popular Apple iPad tablet computer, reports the Beacon Journal.

Meanwhile, the company will become the first business to locate in the Akron Biomedical Corridor when it occupies a new $1.6-million building, now under construction.

Read the full story here.

Bicycle taxicabs coming to Dayton

DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/28/11 Thursday, May 05, 2011

A Dayton photographer is crafting his own vision for downtown Dayton, reports the Dayton Business Journal.

Seth Renner, owner of Eye Candy Art Gallery & Studios, hopes to create a more vibrant and fun downtown through the launch of his new business, Dayton Tricab -- a service that uses bicycle riders to pull cabs. The company, which should be operational this month, will provide downtown visitors with a unique city-based transportation option.

Read the full story here.

Brandery called 10th-best U.S. startup accelerator

TECHCOCKTAIL, 5/2/11 Thursday, May 05, 2011

A seed capital expert, working with the Kauffman Fellows program and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, has named Cincinnati accelerator The Brandery among the nation's top 10 accelerators and business incubators, reports TechCocktail.

The Brandery is a seed stage consumer marketing venture accelerator that launched last year.

Read the full story here.

Are the Ohio Capital Fund�s days numbered?

MEDCITY NEWS, 4/18/11 Thursday, April 21, 2011

A state-backed venture capital fund that's widely praised by supporters for helping lure 10 out-of-state venture firms to Ohio could be on its last legs, reports MedCity News.

The Ohio Capital Fund's future is hazy, MedCity says, because it isn't clear whether the fund is much of a priority for Gov. John Kasich and the Republican-dominated legislature. New legislation is needed to continue the fund, but a House bill that would do just that hasn't gone anywhere since it was introduced in January. A similar proposal passed the House by a vote of 98-0 in the state's last legislative session, but didn't make it to a vote in the Senate.

Read the full story here.

Dayton Power & Light sold to global utility giant AES

THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 4/20/11 Thursday, April 21, 2011

DPL Inc. will merge with AES Corp., a global power company whose generation and distribution businesses span five continents, in a $4.7-billion deal that will make DPL and its subsidiaries part of AES, reports the Dayton Daily News.

AES, based in Arlington, Va., will pay $30 per share for all of DPL's nearly 116 million outstanding shares, for a total of approximately $3.5 billion. Including debt that AES has agreed to assume, the deal's total value is $4.7 billion, DPL says.

Read the full story here.

Electric car firm finalizes deal worth up to $100 million

THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/19/11 Thursday, April 21, 2011

AMP Holding, Inc., the Cincinnati-based electric vehicle converter, has signed a deal worth up to $100 million to supply electric-powered sport utility vehicles in Iceland, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The final agreement with Northern Lights Energy, a electric utility in Iceland, positions AMP as a leading supplier of electric SUVs with expansion possibilities into other northern European countries, such as Finland and Norway.

Read the full story here.

Ohio Auditor Dave Yost backs merger of Ohio townships, counties

THE PLAIN DEALER, 4/20/11 Thursday, April 21, 2011

Ohio Auditor Dave Yost wants to make it easier for local governments to merge, reports The Plain Dealer.

State legislation to be introduced this spring will allow Ohio townships -- and even counties -- to combine, which has never before been permitted, Yost says. That could save money on administrative costs and help governments cope with drastic cuts in state aid.

Read the full story here.

Timken increases steel output, jobs

THE CANTON REPOSITORY, 4/18/1 Thursday, April 21, 2011

The Timken Co. soon will be making more steel in Canton than ever before, reports The Canton Repository.

Recent investments of more than a quarter-billion dollars will help the company increase its annual steel production capacity by 10 percent, adding jobs to the local market. The company said Monday that improvements at its Harrison Steel Plant -- where it first poured steel in 1917 for its renowned roller bearings -- will be part of an annual increase of steel making capacity there by 120,000 tons.

Read the full story here.

Diebold Inc. plans to build headquarters with aid of $56 million in state incentives

CRAIN�S CLEVELAND BUSINESS, 4/12/11 Thursday, April 21, 2011

Diebold, a maker of automated teller machines and bank security equipment, has announced plans to construct a new, consolidated corporate campus that it says "will form an expanded world headquarters in the Akron/Canton region," reports Crain's Cleveland Business.

The company, currently based in the Summit County town of Green, said the state has committed $56 million in tax credits, loans and other incentives. Diebold says pending approval by relevant state and local government boards, the company will receive about $100 million in total incentives from state and local entities.

Read the full story here.

GotCast.com lands VC investment from NCT Ventures

BUSINESS FIRST, 4/15/11 Thursday, April 21, 2011

A website that helps get aspiring reality TV stars their big break has crossed the $1 million mark in outside investments with a new infusion by Columbus-based venture capital firm NCT Ventures LLC, reports Business First of Columbus.

GotCast.com says NCT contributed $300,000 of funding, bringing venture capital and angel investments to date to $1.1 million. GotCast launched in October 2007 after being developed by Central Ohio entrepreneur Wil Schroter. On GotCast, users can place a profile, pictures and videos for free in hopes they'll break into television by getting noticed by casting directors. Networks and brands in turn advertise on the site.

Read the full story here.

City, state officials break ground for GE research facility in Dayton

THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 4/14/11 Thursday, April 21, 2011

General Electric and the University of Dayton broke ground last week on a $51 million research facility that area leaders say is validation of Dayton's aerospace hub designation and proof of an economic rebound, reports the Dayton Daily News.

The GE Electrical Power Integrated Systems Research and Development Center, or EPISCenter, will be a "symbol of the rebirth of this region," says Daniel J. Curran, UD president. He added the facility was the first step toward an envisioned mixed-used research development on land the university bought from NCR in 2005.

Read the full story here.

Who�s winning the clean energy race?

PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE, 3/30/11 Thursday, April 07, 2011

While the green industry continues to bloom in Ohio, a new report finds the United States as a whole is falling behind in the global clean-energy race, reports Public News Service.

Andrew Thomas, executive in residence at Cleveland State University's Energy Policy Center, says the report shows that those who invest create more clean-energy jobs. Ohio's Renewable Portfolio Standard created in Senate Bill 221 and the Third Frontier Initiative have helped to foster the state's privately advanced energy sector, Thomas says.

Read the full story here.

55 wind turbines being built in Payne

FORT WAYNE HOMEPAGE.NET, 4/4/11 Thursday, April 07, 2011

The view from U.S 30 where Indiana and Ohio meet will soon look a little different, when 55 wind turbines go up in Payne, Ohio, reports Fort Wayne Homepage.com.

The company, Horizon Wind Energy says this is the biggest wind farm they've built in Ohio and that the turbines are the largest towers it's ever put up.

Read the full story here.

Tire dump could be redeveloped as solar farm

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 4/4/11 Thursday, April 07, 2011

A proposal to build a solar farm on the site of a former toxic tire dump has the makings of a green future that few could have predicted, reports The Columbus Dispatch.

Little of the 136-acre Kirby Recycling dump that burned out of control for five days in 1999 in Wyandot County remains except for $65.4 million in unpaid environmental fines and cleanup costs. But that might be OK with the state.

Read the full story here.

Ohio bioscience industry�s economic impact: $61.6 billion

MICROHSCOPE, 4/1/11 Thursday, April 07, 2011

According to the just-released Ohio Bioscience Growth Report, the estimated economic output of the state's bioscience industry is $61.6 billion, reports MICROHSCOPE.

Economic output is the value of goods and services that were produced in Ohio through the buy-sell relationships affiliated with the bioscience sector.

Read the full story here.

OSU study finds strawberries may slow precancerous growth in esophagus

PRNEWSWIRE, 4/6/11 Thursday, April 07, 2011

A new study by The Ohio State University suggests strawberries may help prevent human esophageal cancer, reports PRNewswire.

According to lead researcher, Tong Chen, M.D., Ph.D., strawberries may help protect those at risk of esophageal cancer. This study builds on previously published research by Chen and colleagues in China, who found that freeze-dried strawberries significantly inhibited tumor development.

Read the full story here.

YSU seeks $10M for materials science center

THE YOUNGSTOWN BUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/5/11 Thursday, April 07, 2011

Youngstown State is submitting an application to the National Institute of Standards and Technology for $10 million to help convert and equip the the home of YSU's Emerging Center of Excellence in Materials Science and Engineering, reports the Youngstown Business Journal.

The initial idea is to develop the building, which was formerly used by AT&T, to house the Center for Advanced Multi-scale Materials and Structures.

Read the full story here.

How Enviroscapes boosted profitability by shedding 70 percent of its clients

LAWN & LANDSCAPE, 3/31/11 Thursday, April 07, 2011

When Todd Pugh founded Todd's Enviroscapes in Louisville, Ohio, 15 years ago, he was consciously building on a family tradition, reports Lawn & Landscape.

Today, Enviroscapes has 125 employees and $8.5 million in annual revenue. Yet when Pugh embarked on his journey to become a successful business owner, he soon learned that his greatest asset could also be a liability.

Read the full story here.

Canton launches program to entice entrepreneurs

THE CANTON REPOSITORY, 4/1/11 Thursday, April 07, 2011

The Canton Entrepreneur Launch is a new program that will award grants to entrepreneurs who plan to establish new business ventures in the city, reports The Canton Repository.

Mayor William J. Healy II has announced the creation of the program and the Canton Entrepreneur Launch Commission in conjunction with ystark! and JumpStart Inc.

Read the full story here.

Akron mayor puts focus on biomedical companies in State of City speech

AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 3/22/11 Thursday, March 24, 2011

A new development corporation will be created to attract companies to Akron's biomedical corridor, Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic announced Tuesday in his annual State of the City speech, reported by the Akron Beacon Journal.

Medical Mutual of Ohio has contributed $1 million and FirstEnergy Corp. has agreed to be a sponsor, he says.

Read the full story here.

Biotech jobs booming

THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 3/18/11 Thursday, March 24, 2011

Employment among the 300 biotech companies in southwest Ohio increased by nearly 400 jobs in 2009 reports the Cincinnati Enquirer.

BioOhio won't release its survey of industry growth until the end of this month, but preliminary data indicates biotech firms in southwest Ohio grew employment from 14,400 to 14,790 in 2009, the most recent data available.

Read the full story here.

UT program helps turn technology developed in its labs into products

THE TOLEDO BLADE, 3/20/2011 Thursday, March 24, 2011

An invention created at the University of Toledo could turn ADS Biotechnology Corp. into one of the next big medical companies, reports The Toledo Blade.

The Sylvania firm is developing a blood volume replacement product to treat trauma patients -- a technology that was initially developed by a trio of UT researchers.

Read the full story here.

Ohio health-care steps get national notice

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 3/22/11 Thursday, March 24, 2011

A group of Ohio hospitals that reduced infections and medication errors is being used as a national example of how to improve care, reduce costs and save lives, reports The Columbus Dispatch.

Federal officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, came to Columbus this week to announce a program that will share the methods practiced by these hospitals with the rest of the country.

Read the full story here.

Dayton's Leftwich named Ohio development director

THE BUSINESS COURIER, 3/21/11 Thursday, March 24, 2011

Gov. John Kasich has found a new job for Mark Kvamme, the state development director whose status as a cabinet member has been challenged because he does not live in Ohio, reports the Cincinnati Business Courier.

A release from the governor's office Friday says Kvamme, a venture capitalist who lives in California, will serve as director of job creation in Kasich's office and step down as the director of the Department of Development. James Leftwich, CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition, will serve as the state's new development director. Under Leftwich's leadership, the coalition has helped attract more than $1.5 billion of capital investment to the Dayton area, the release says.

Read the full story here.

How tough is Ohio's tax burden on business?

THE TOLEDO BLADE, 3/20/2011 Thursday, March 24, 2011

Individual tax burdens for Ohioans are middle of the road compared to other states, according to the conservative Tax Foundation, but in assessing business taxes, it says Ohio is near the bottom, reports The Toledo Blade.

Gov. John Kasich said in his recent State of the State address that "high taxation" chases businesses away to places such as Indiana.

Read the full story here.

The search for ingredients to replicate Silicon Valley

THE NEW YORK TIMES, 3/22/11 Thursday, March 24, 2011

Determining what will become the next great entrepreneurial success is an inexact science, reports the New York Times.

While successful tech clusters tend to grow organically, some states -- including Ohio -- are leading the way in efforts to provide capital support for the next Silicon Valley, a column about creation of tech-rich economies says.

Read the full story here.

Drilling on public lands in Ohio endorsed by trade group

THE YOUNGSTOWN VINDICATOR, 3/23/11 Thursday, March 24, 2011

A trade group told lawmakers this week that allowing oil and gas drilling in state parks and other public lands could provide more than $300 million in lease and royalty payments, reports The Youngstown Vindicator.

"Of all the energy-source issues that have been recently debated at the Statehouse, the state lands leasing proposal is the only one that generates significant cash flow for the state, doesn't re