Leadership

Senator Brown Announces Manufacturing Camps

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has announced that his office is continuing a summer tradition of organizing manufacturing camps for Ohio students in fourth through eighth grades. The camps are aimed at exposing students to local manufacturing companies and potential career opportunities.

The senator’s office is partnering with the OMA and local businesses and community leaders to host 27 summer camps in 21 counties. A complete list can be found here.5/23/2019

It’s Not the Super Bowl, but it Will be a Big Party

Ohio, the birthplace of professional football, will host the 2021 NFL draft. The NFL announced this week that Cleveland, a city that knows how to tie partying to football, will be that year’s host city.

The Cleveland Browns will celebrate their 75th anniversary in 2021. 5/22/2022

CEO Survey: Ohio a Top 10 State for Business

Last week, Chief Executive magazine published its latest “Best and Worst States for Business” ranking. The comparison, which is based on surveys of CEOs from across the nation, ranked Ohio the ninth best state for business, a one spot improvement from 2018.

According to the magazine, “The Buckeye State continues to see strong growth in several sectors, including finance, manufacturing and logistics.”

Texas remained in the survey’s top spot, followed by Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Indiana. Coming in last at No. 50 was California, preceded by New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and Connecticut. See the complete rankings here. 5/13/2019

Infrastructure Week Winds Down

Infrastructure Week is coming to a close as businesses and organizations across the country have dedicated the past several days to focus on America’s infrastructure challenges. Infrastructure Week is especially relevant in Ohio, which is home to five interstates, 13 inter-modal rail terminals, 11 ports, and four major airports.

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), of Ohio’s 122,987 miles of public roads, 18% are in poor condition and 6% of Ohio’s bridges are rated structurally deficient. The Cleveland Section of the ASCE has given Northeast Ohio an overall grade point average of “D+” for the region’s infrastructure.

You can show your support for making critical infrastructure a top priority in Ohio and across the U.S. by signing The National Association of Manufacturers’ petition to federal lawmakers. 5/16/2019

JobsOhio Chief to Visit with Manufacturers, June 5

Members are invited to register for the June 5 OMA Government Affairs Committee meeting. Guest speaker will be J.P. Nauseef, the new president and chief investment officer of JobsOhio, the state’s economic development organization.

Mr. Nauseef and Dana Saucier, vice president and head of economic development, will provide OMA members with an update on JobsOhio activity and answer questions. Register now. 5/16/2019

Sen. Brown to Keynote Global Leadership Event in Cleveland, May 31

OMA members are invited to participate in a dynamic lunch discussion with U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown on America’s role in the world and the positive impact of global affairs programs in Ohio. The event will be held Friday, May 31, from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower. Other speakers will include Devry Boughner Vorwerk, corporate vice president of global corporate affairs for Cargill, as well as former Gov. Bob Taft.

Hosted by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, the event is free to attend and lunch will be provided, but you must register in advance. If you have any questions, please e-mail Robert Watson. 5/15/2019

Columnist: Ohio is America’s ‘Comeback State’

In his nationally syndicated column published this week at Real Clear Politics, economic pundit and recent nominee to the Federal Reserve Board Stephen Moore called Ohio the “comeback state.” The former Wall Street Journal editorial board member lauded the economic progress made by Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. Moore writes, “Ohio is no longer the Rust Belt. It’s an arsenal of growth. I wish I could say that about my home state of Illinois.” 5/15/2019

House Budget Changes Includes Drug Price Controls

Among the multitude of changes to the state’s main operating budget under House Bill 166 was a provision to tie drug prices to an unproven foreign-based pricing index.

Medicaid spending is always a controversial topic in budget legislation, but any time the heavy hand of government is inserted into the marketplace, customers tend to lose in the long term as innovation is stifled. For these reasons, the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) submitted testimony in the Senate this week.

The OMA is concerned that price controls would not stop with medication, but would apply to other products purchased by government. 5/16/2019

Senate Moves Priority Regulation Bill

This week, the Ohio Senate voted along party lines to approve Senate Bill 1, legislation that would require state agencies to trim regulations by 30%. The bill is a priority for Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Medina). The House has introduced companion legislation, House Bill 115, which has already had two hearings. SB 1 now moves to the other chamber for debate. 5/9/2019

Ex-Im Bank to be Fully Functional Again — for Now

The U.S. Senate this week confirmed Kimberly Reed as president of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im), and two other Trump administration appointees to the board. Now the bank can once again approve loans greater than $10 million, helping U.S. companies compete overseas. The OMA has been strongly supportive of Ex-Im and the need to have the proper personnel in place to allow the bank to carry out its mission.

According to Ex-Im data, the bank serves 200 exporters in Ohio with a combined $1 billion in exports. Nearly 28% of Ohio’s manufacturing employment stems from exports, according to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). 5/9/2019