Leadership

NAM 2017 Manufacturing Summit

Think about joining other manufacturing leaders from around the country by participating in this year’s NAM Manufacturing Summit. The event takes place June 20 and 21 in Washington, D.C.

Vice President Pence and Speaker Ryan headline the event, the purpose of which is to put America’s manufacturing might to work advocating for industry and the American economy. The event mixes conference programming mixed with congressional office visits.

To learn more about the event, contact OMA’s Eric Burkland or Ryan Augsburger. 6/8/2017

Why Oppose the “Ohio Drug Price Relief Act”?

The so-called “Ohio Drug Price Relief Act” is a deceptive and vaguely worded ballot issue (technically called an “initiated statute”) that will appear on the November 2017 ballot.

It would prohibit our state government from paying more for prescription drugs than the lowest price paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

It would also give the ballot issue’s four named sponsors the right to intervene at taxpayer expense in any legal challenges that may be filed against it if it becomes law.

There are helpful FAQs about the proposal at Ohioans Against The Deceptive Rx Ballot Issue.  5/31/2017

Seitz Moves into Leadership

Rep. Dorothy Polanda (R-Marysville) resigned from her majority floor leader position this week, as she steps up her campaign for Ohio secretary of state. Replacing Polanda in leadership will be Rep. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati).

Seitz is currently chairman of the House Public Utilities Committee. The move into leadership will likely mean Seitz will step away from that post.  6/1/2017

How to Start Planning Your MFG DAY Event

If you’re thinking about hosting a Manufacturing Day event, you probably want to know what to expect and how you should prepare.

Here’s a good blog post, “How to Start Planning Your Manufacturing Day Event.” It offers tips for determining the sort of event you want to host, accessing MFG DAY resources, registering a host account on MFG DAY and more.  6/1/2017

OMA Joins Coalition Against Deceptive Rx Ballot Issue

“Ohioans Against the Deceptive Rx Ballot Issue” officially kicked off its campaign this week.

The OMA is part of this broad-based coalition that includes medical providers and health advocacy groups, veterans groups, business groups, emergency management & safety groups and faith groups.

The campaign is seeking to defeat the initiated statute that will be on the November 2017 general election ballot that will allow the state to set price controls on drugs.  5/25/2017

Ohio Sixth in Competitiveness Ranking of the States

Ohio moved up two spots to sixth in a ranking of state competitiveness put together by Site Selection magazine. North Carolina was ranked #1, retaining the “Prosperity Cup.”

The top five were: North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas and Michigan.

The criteria for the project come from data resident in Site Selection’s Conway Projects Database, as well as a few other indices.  5/22/2017

Ohio Lags Nation in Personal Income Growth

A recent Pew Charitable Trust report shows Ohio lagging the nation in personal income growth since the last recession. And, national income growth lagged that of the recent past.

Estimated U.S. personal income increased by the equivalent of 1.7% a year from the fourth quarter of 2007 through the fourth quarter of 2016, compared with the equivalent of 2.7% a year over the past 30 years, after accounting for inflation.

Ohio’s average annual growth rate was 1.3% for the period. North Dakota, Utah and Colorado had the highest growth rates. Illinois and Nevada the lowest.  5/22/2017

Your Guide to a Successful Business Exit

As the largest cohort of entrepreneurs in U.S. history approaches retirement, record amounts of  capital sit waiting to purchase well-run private companies.

OMA Connections Partner, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, has compiled this detailed guide for owners of private businesses who are considering or planning a business transition. Contact Mike D’Arienzo, VP, Sr. Business Relationship Manager for more information.  5/23/2017

Supreme Court Rules in Patent Troll Case

On May 22, the U.S. Supreme Court held in the case of TC Heartland LLC vs. Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC that the patent venue statute is narrower than the general federal venue statute.

This decision is generally favorable for Ohio’s manufacturers.

OMA Counsel Greg Krabacher from Bricker & Eckler breaks down what the case means for Ohio businesses and patent troll lawsuits in this synopsis, and he separately wrote: “… the Court’s narrowing of the patent venue statute should be helpful in at least avoiding out of state litigation in a patent troll’s preferred forum …”  5/25/2017

International Roadcheck 2017 is June 6-8

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) is participating in the 30th annual International Roadcheck, a transportation safety and security event, scheduled June 6–8 throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada. The 72-hour event highlights the important role roadside enforcement plays in ensuring North America’s highways remain safe and secure.

PUCO inspectors conduct safety inspections of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) on roadways all across Ohio in an effort to enforce important state and federal safety regulations. Each safety inspection follows a thorough process to make sure that the driver and CMV meet necessary state and federal safety requirements. Vehicles and drivers that fail to meet these requirements may be declared out-of-service and cannot continue operating until they comply.

During the 2016 International Roadcheck event, PUCO specialists completed 1,269 inspections discovering 418 safety violations, including 407 out-of-service violations.

More information about International Roadcheck is available at the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, and information about PUCO’s role in motor carrier safety can be found here.  5/18/2017