Leadership

Ohio manufacturers got an early warning Thursday as the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) Government Affairs Committee examined the political and policy fights already driving the rest of 2026.

Members heard updates from OMA’s public policy team and counsel, along with remarks from Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Reineke and veteran pollster Robert Blizzard (right), who offered insight into the election cycle, Statehouse dynamics and the issues most likely to drive action in the months ahead.

The conversation centered on protecting Ohio’s competitive energy markets, the growing threat posed by a ballot initiative to abolish property taxes and the legislative risks and opportunities that could affect manufacturers’ costs, investment decisions and long-term competitiveness. The meeting underscored a broader point for members: in an election year, political movement can turn into policy consequences fast.

“Statehouse fights have a way of starting as smoke and turning into fire fast,” said James Lee, managing director of public policy services for OMA. “OMA’s job is to spot the heat early and make sure manufacturers are ready.” 3/19/2026

AEP can spin this however it wants, but the bottom line is simple: Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) staff found the company’s load forecasts were significantly overstated, and AEP accepted corrected numbers. That is a major validation of what the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) has been warning for months as utilities push new policies and rate structures tied to projected data center growth.

In reviewing AEP Ohio’s proposed Basic Transmission Cost Rider rates, PUCO staff found the utility overstated load growth across several general service classes and counted projected data center demand more than once, including in classes where hyperscale data centers do not belong. OMA said the findings show why utility forecasts cannot be treated as gospel when they can trigger real costs for other customers.

“AEP can spin this however it wants, but the bottom line is simple: staff found the forecasts were significantly overstated and AEP accepted corrected numbers,” OMA President Ryan Augsburger said. 3/17/2026

A new quarterly survey from the National Association of Manufacturers suggests the sector remains broadly optimistic, with manufacturers reporting a stronger business climate even as trade and cost pressures continue to weigh on the outlook.

According to the survey, 46.6% of manufacturers said they are benefiting from the Trump administration’s regulatory reform measures. Just 33.19% cited an unfavorable business climate as a top concern, the smallest share since the association’s first-quarter 2020 survey.

Overall, 75.3% of respondents said they felt somewhat or very positive about their company’s outlook for 2026, up 5.4 percentage points from the fourth quarter of 2025. Trade uncertainty remained the top concern at 70.6%, followed by rising health care and insurance costs at 69.8% and rising raw material and other input costs at 57.5%. The survey also found improved expectations for sales, production, employment and capital spending over the next 12 months.

“Manufacturers are showing real confidence in the business climate, and that matters,” said Ryan Augsburger, president of the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association. “The opportunity now is to build on that momentum with policies that support investment, growth and competitiveness.” 3/18/2026

In a year when political theater can quickly become public policy, Ohio manufacturers have every reason to pay attention. OMA’s first scheduled Government Affairs Committee meeting of the year on Thursday, March 19, will give members an early read on the campaigns, policy fights and public decisions that could have real consequences for employers across the state.

Ohio Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Reineke will share Senate priorities for the remainder of the legislative session and provide updates on key Senate races. Members also will receive exclusive political and polling analysis from nationally recognized pollster Robert Blizzard, along with a policy and legal outlook from OMA leadership and the chief counsel at Bricker Graydon Wyatt.

Members may attend in person at OMA’s offices or virtually via Zoom. The business meeting runs from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by a networking lunch provided by OMA from noon to 1 p.m.

“Manufacturers cannot afford to be spectators in a year like this,” said James Lee, managing director of public policy services for the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association. “The decisions coming out of Columbus and the political forces building toward November will shape the business climate, compliance landscape and competitive position of Ohio employers. This meeting is about giving manufacturers the intelligence they need before those decisions are made.”

Registration is open now for members who want an early read on the political and policy developments shaping Ohio’s business climate. 3/13/2026

Gov. Mike DeWine used Tuesday’s State of the State address to argue that Ohio is gaining ground, pointing to workforce development, career tech expansion and private-sector investment as signs the state is moving in the right direction. The speech focused on jobs, talent and opportunity, casting Ohio as a place where employers can grow and workers can succeed.

But on one of the issues most likely to determine whether that growth is affordable and reliable, the speech went quiet. DeWine did not meaningfully address energy policy, electric rates, grid reliability or utility regulation. Outside of brief environmental references, he offered little on the energy cost and reliability challenges facing employers.

“Ohio has real economic momentum, but long-term competitiveness will depend on energy policy that serves the broader economy, not just utility balance sheets,” said Ryan Augsburger, president of the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association. 3/10/2026

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) on Tuesday welcomed a delegation from Dresden, Germany, for a discussion on workforce development, apprenticeship models and industrial innovation.

Held in partnership with the Columbus-Dresden Sister City program, the meeting brought together OMA member manufacturers, representatives from the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, and JobsOhio for a roundtable on how manufacturers in the United States and Germany are approaching technical training, technology integration and energy challenges. The discussion highlighted shared priorities around building stronger talent pipelines, supporting advanced industries and improving long-term competitiveness.

“Ohio manufacturers compete in a global economy, and there is real value in learning how other leading industrial regions are developing talent and advancing innovation,” said OMA President Ryan Augsburger. “Bringing together manufacturers, education leaders and workforce partners for conversations like this helps sharpen Ohio’s competitive edge.” 3/10/2026

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) public policy team was in Washington D.C. this week meeting with the offices of U.S. Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted and U.S. Reps. Bob Latta and Troy Balderson to discuss energy policy, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and other issues impacting Ohio manufacturing. The trip also included meetings with OMA members Whirlpool, Ferrero, Schaeffler, Tyson and Sherwin-Williams, along with a visit to the National Association of Manufacturers headquarters.

The visit gave OMA a chance to hear directly from both lawmakers and manufacturers on the policy decisions shaping costs, competitiveness and growth, while reinforcing the day-to-day realities facing Ohio plants. The goal was straightforward: make sure Ohio manufacturers’ priorities are part of the conversation as Washington weighs decisions with direct implications for investment, operations and expansion.

“Federal policy does not stop at the Beltway. It lands in Ohio plants, on Ohio balance sheets and in Ohio jobs,” said OMA President Ryan Augsburger. “That is why OMA stays engaged.” 3/12/2026

President Donald Trump’s visit Wednesday to Thermo Fisher Scientific in the Cincinnati area put a spotlight on a pharmaceutical manufacturer already helping expand patient access and strengthen domestic production.

Trump used the stop to promote TrumpRx, a portal that directs consumers to manufacturer-backed discount and assistance programs. As Columbus drug-pricing expert Antonio Ciaccia told the Ohio Capital Journal, many of those programs already exist, but putting them in one place could make them easier for patients to find.

The visit also highlighted the role manufacturers are already playing in the affordability debate. Thermo Fisher recently announced plans to invest an additional $2 billion over the next four years to expand U.S. manufacturing and innovation.

At the same time, new polling shows voters increasingly see the bigger affordability problem elsewhere. In Ohio, 72% of voters said health insurance prices, deductibles and coverage denials are their biggest personal health care cost pain points, and 78% said policymakers should focus more on lowering premiums, addressing denials and reducing other barriers to care.

Manufacturers are already part of the solution. The pressure is increasingly on insurers and middlemen. 3/11/2026

Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) President Ryan Augsburger is urging lawmakers not to repeat the mistakes that led to House Bill 6 as American Electric Power pushes legislation that would allow regulated utilities to own and finance new nuclear generation.

“This is a fundamental rewrite of Ohio’s competitive framework,” Augsburger said. “Utilities earn a guaranteed return on what they build. If they reenter generation, customers carry the long-term financial risk.”

The proposal would move Ohio back toward utility-controlled generation, shifting billions in potential project risk from investors to ratepayers at a time when manufacturers and households are already absorbing steep capacity price increases and volatility driven by speculative load forecasts that customers are paying for before the demand shows up.

OMA supports reliable, diverse energy resources, including nuclear power. But reliability cannot become another House Bill 6-style blank check.

“We have seen what happens when projections drive policy and utilities are guaranteed returns,” Augsburger said. “Customers pay first. They pay again. And they keep paying. Ohio cannot afford to socialize risk and privatize returns.” 3/2/2026

PPG Industries, an Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) member, will invest more than $280 million to expand its Delaware, Ohio manufacturing operations, adding a 100,000-square-foot advanced facility dedicated to automotive OEM coatings production.

The project is expected to create 100 new full-time jobs and builds on PPG’s longstanding presence in Delaware, where the company employs approximately 450 people. Construction is expected to begin later this year, with operations projected to launch in 2028.

“PPG is doubling down on Ohio,” said OMA President Ryan Augsburger. “When a global manufacturer makes an investment at this scale, it speaks volumes about the strength of our workforce, our supply chain and our manufacturing base.” 3/3/2026

Manufacturing is showing renewed momentum, with production expanding for a second consecutive month and reinforcing the sector’s long-term growth outlook. While hiring gains remain measured nationally, the steady uptick in output signals resilience and sustained demand across the industrial economy.

In Ohio, that growth translates into opportunity. Manufacturers in the Buckeye State are projected to need approximately 35,000 new workers each year to meet expansion and replacement demand. Aligning education, training and career awareness efforts with that need remains critical to sustaining competitiveness.

“When manufacturing expands, opportunity follows,” said Ryan Augsburger, president of the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association. “Ohio manufacturers will need tens of thousands of skilled workers each year. Preparing that workforce is not optional if we intend to lead.”

Momentum is building. The companies that align talent with that growth will define Ohio’s next chapter of manufacturing leadership. 3/3/2026

Ohio will begin restricting the purchase of full-sugar soft drinks with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in October after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved Ohio’s request this week. The two-year approval allows Ohio to prohibit SNAP purchases of beverages where sugar or similar caloric sweeteners are the primary ingredient, while allowing diet soft drinks.

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) opposed the beverage restriction but worked with state leaders and partners to help ensure the waiver was developed in a workable and balanced way. OMA continues to engage in education and implementation efforts as Ohio prepares to launch the Healthy Food Choice Demonstration Project.

A second Ohio request to allow SNAP purchases of roasted rotisserie chicken, excluding breaded or fried chicken, remains pending at USDA with no timeline for a decision. Ohio must submit communication and evaluation plans before the change takes effect.

“Implementation will matter,” said James Lee, OMA managing director of public policy services. “Ohio needs clear rules, practical guidance and a level playing field so retailers and food and beverage makers can comply without unintended disruption for families.” 3/5/2026

The Columbus Crew take the pitch Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against Chicago Fire FC for their first home match under the new stadium name, ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.

Marysville-based ScottsMiracle-Gro, an Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) member, now headlines one of Major League Soccer’s signature venues. From the shop floor to the pitch, Ohio manufacturers are part of the starting XI.

“Turns out Ohio manufacturers know a thing or two about field performance,” said Dave O’Neil, OMA director of communications. 3/6/2026

In an interview with IndustryWeek during the National Association of Manufacturers’ State of Manufacturing stop in Cleveland, Ohio Manufacturers’ Association President Ryan Augsburger pointed to rising electricity prices as a growing concern for manufacturers. He noted that companies have seen significant spikes without clear offsetting customer benefits. Augsburger said energy and electricity regulation are largely handled at the state level and emphasized the importance of understanding the factors driving recent cost increases.

“Manufacturers are being asked to absorb rising electricity costs based on forecasts that deserve closer scrutiny,” he said. “When prices rise faster than expected and customers are not seeing clear benefits, it raises serious questions about the assumptions driving Ohio’s energy decisions.”

The IndustryWeek story also highlighted workforce development challenges, including uncertainty surrounding federal funding for Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) programs. Augsburger warned that several MEP organizations in Ohio have already closed and said the longer programs remain shuttered, the harder it may be to restart them.

His comments were featured alongside broader national discussions about permitting reform, immigration policy and manufacturing competitiveness discussed during the event. 2/25/2026

The Ohio Republican Party’s (ORP) state central committee voted on endorsements across statewide and legislative races ahead of the May primary, backing candidates in dozens of contests while leaving several high-profile legislative primaries without a party pick. Rep. Beth Lear did not receive the party’s endorsement in her Ohio Senate race. Sen. Andrew Brenner and Rep. Ron Ferguson also went without endorsements in their respective House contests, including Ferguson’s matchup against former Sen. Frank Hoagland. In another race, the committee endorsed Larry Kidd, a challenger to Rep. Jason Stephens. Rep. Rodney Creech secured the party’s backing for re-election as he faces former Rep. Jay Todd-Smith.

The committee’s actions in statewide races drew the most attention. Members endorsed Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague in the contested secretary of state primary, defeating Marcell Strbich in a secret-ballot vote. Meanwhile, the party declined to endorse in the Republican treasurer primary after a 36-28 vote, according to Signal Ohio, fell short of the supermajority required under party rules. The outcome became an early signal of shifting alliances within the state party. GOP gubernatorial frontrunner Vivek Ramaswamy backed Sen. Kristina Roegner, and Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman also pushed for her candidacy, while Vice President J.D. Vance supported former Rep. Jay Edwards, reflecting multiple power centers within the state party as the 2026 cycle takes shape. In uncontested races, members unanimously endorsed Secretary of State Frank LaRose in his bid for auditor and Auditor Keith Faber in his campaign for attorney general.

Democrats have not announced a comparable round of legislative or statewide primary endorsements.

“Campaign season always brings surprises,” said Ohio Manufacturers’ Association President Ryan Augsburger. “The real question for manufacturers is what happens after the yard signs come down.” 2/26/2026

Gov. Mike DeWine recently urged President Trump to pursue comprehensive immigration reform after the 2026 midterms, leveraging strengthened border security as a foundation for pragmatic changes to legal immigration pathways. In a “Face the Nation” appearance, DeWine likened the moment to “Richard Nixon going to China,” saying policymakers must decide “who we really want to come in” to support workforce and economic growth while maintaining secure borders.

DeWine highlighted legal immigrants’ role in Ohio’s economy, noting that foreign-born residents comprised about 70% of the state’s population growth last year. Their presence has been linked to local economic activity, including housing investment, new businesses and increased consumer spending. He pointed to Springfield’s manufacturing rebound as a prime example. Haitian workers on Temporary Protected Status filled jobs that local employers could not otherwise staff, contributing to Springfield’s manufacturing rebound and supporting factories that keep Ohio competitive.

The governor emphasized retaining foreign talent, such as Ohio’s 22,000 international students, as key assets for advanced manufacturing and high-skill sectors, where workforce shortages persist. The comments highlight an ongoing policy debate over how immigration rules can support workforce availability, economic growth and long-term manufacturing competitiveness. 2/23/2026

Ohio Manufacturers’ Association President Ryan Augsburger helped place Ohio at the center of the national manufacturing spotlight Thursday as the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) launched its 2026 State of Manufacturing Tour from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. National industry leaders, students and policymakers gathered for the kickoff event highlighting Ohio’s industrial momentum and the policies shaping what comes next.

NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons outlined priorities including tax certainty, energy leadership, permitting reform and workforce development, emphasizing the conditions manufacturers need to compete and grow. Augsburger said starting the national tour in Cleveland underscores Ohio’s role in driving innovation, investment and opportunity across the manufacturing economy.

The multi-state tour will continue across the country, showcasing manufacturing innovation and reinforcing a pro-growth policy agenda aimed at strengthening U.S. competitiveness.

“When national leaders want to talk about the future of manufacturing, they come to Ohio,” Augsburger said. “Our companies are proving that the right policies and a strong workforce still make this state a national leader.” 2/19/2026

In a Cleveland.com guest column, Ohio Manufacturers’ Association President Ryan Augsburger and National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons write that Ohio is proving what modern manufacturing leadership looks like in practice.

As global competition intensifies and policy choices carry higher stakes, the pair make the case that collaboration between manufacturers, educators and policymakers is turning strategy into action across the state. From workforce pipelines to energy reliability and tax policy, they outline how disciplined, employer-led solutions are strengthening competitiveness while creating new opportunities for the next generation.

Their message to state and national leaders is clear: manufacturing momentum does not happen by accident. It happens when policy keeps pace with innovation and leaders choose to build on success instead of standing still. 2/19/2026

Writing in the Akron Beacon Journal, Canton manufacturer Bradley H. Belden (right), president and COO of The Belden Brick Company, chair of the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) Energy Committee and a member of the OMA Board of Directors, puts policymakers on notice, arguing that Ohio’s rising electric bills are being driven by incentives baked into the system, not unavoidable market forces. Drawing on generations of manufacturing in Ohio, Belden writes that manufacturers plan with discipline because jobs, capital and communities are on the line, while monopoly utilities continue earning guaranteed returns tied to expanding forecasts. He warns that speculative demand projections are being treated as confirmed growth, allowing billions in infrastructure spending to move forward while captive customers absorb the risk and utilities keep the upside. Belden calls on lawmakers, regulators and PJM to demand transparency, independent review and real accountability before long-term investments are approved, warning that reliability cannot become a blank check that locks Ohio families and manufacturers into decades of higher electricity costs driven by paper forecasts. 2/18/2026

Worthington Steel, a longtime Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) member of more than 30 years, announced a $2.4 billion acquisition that signals continued momentum for Ohio manufacturing and strengthens the company’s position in global steel processing markets. The deal expands Worthington Steel’s geographic reach and product capabilities, reinforcing central Ohio’s role as a hub for advanced manufacturing investment and growth.

OMA President Ryan Augsburger said the move reflects the confidence Ohio manufacturers continue to show in innovation, scale and long-term competitiveness. “While some headlines focus on uncertainty, manufacturers in Ohio are investing, growing and proving that industrial leadership still starts here,” Augsburger added. “This kind of expansion shows what’s possible when companies commit to technology, talent and a manufacturing-first mindset.”

The announcement underscores the strength of OMA member companies driving growth across the state’s industrial economy. 2/16/2026