Leadership

State Offers Low Interest Business Loans

The state’s Regional 166 Direct Loan Program promotes economic development, business expansion and job creation by providing financial assistance for allowable costs of eligible projects.  The program provides low-interest loans to businesses creating new jobs or preserving existing employment opportunities.

Application collection and review, along with initial program approvals are handled by certified local economic development agencies.

Allowable project costs include: Land and/or building purchase; Machinery & equipment purchase; Building construction and/or renovation costs; Long-term leasehold improvements; Ongoing businesses fixed asset purchase; Costs that can be capitalized which are directly related to a fixed-asset purchase.  Read more here.

To Insource or Outsource 3D Printing?

An emerging challenge companies face is deciding whether to invest in 3D printing to bring additive manufacturing (AM) in-house or to outsource their printing needs.

According to a blog from Oh!Manufacturing, a division of PolymerOhio:  “For operations that want to use AM for a few processes with a specific range of materials, or for those that want to make production parts, it may make sense to bring the ability in-house.

“For most other businesses, AM can be outsourced to a service bureau that can simply print and ship to them parts that match their specifications. Outsourcing will still most likely yield a significant cost savings, especially for those companies who are still experimenting with how AM can be integrated into their processes. It’s a low-cost and low-risk way to try out various strategies and technologies and to learn from the experience of the supplier.”  Read more.

WVA Becomes 26th Right to Work State

On July 1, West Virginia will become the nation’s 26th right-to-work state.  On Friday, February 12, the West Virginia legislature, controlled by Republicans, overrode a veto of right-to-work legislation by Democratic Governor Earl Ray Tomblin.

West Virginia, long known as a union stronghold, joins two other Ohio neighbors, Indiana and Michigan, as the newest right-to-work states.

Ohio Supreme Court Fails to Act in Product Liability Case

Last week, the Ohio Supreme Court declined to accept a discretionary appeal in Zang v. Cones.  The OMA  filed an amicus curiae memorandum urging the Court to accept the appeal on the following two propositions of law:

1)  To survive summary judgment, R.C. 2307.75 requires a plaintiff in a products liability case to establish the availability of a technically and economically feasible alternative design.
2)  In a design defect case under R.C. 2307.75, a lay witness with no experience and with no perception or first-hand knowledge of the product cannot offer witness opinion testimony as to the product’s design or any feasible alternative design.

This case was brought by the family of a firefighter who died tragically in the line of duty.  The family asserted a products liability claim against Motorola as the manufacturer of the emergency radio used by the firefighter at the time of her death.  The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Motorola, in large part because the plaintiffs’ expert witness did not offer a technically and economically feasible alternative design as required in design defect cases under Ohio law.  In addition, plaintiff’s expert had no experience with and no personal or first-hand knowledge of the emergency radio at issue.  The First District Court of Appeals reversed the trial court’s decision and Motorola, as well as other defendants, appealed.

The Court missed an important opportunity to provide Ohio’s lower courts with guidance and to reinforce that Ohio’s product liability statutes should be applied as written.  Ohio’s product liability laws should be construed as written; OMA commends Motorola and its counsel for pursuing this matter which has important ramifications for product liability cases.

Technical & Financial Resources for Cuyahoga Co. Manufacturers

A collaborative project between MAGNET, NASA Glenn, the City of Cleveland, and Cuyahoga County is geared toward small and mid-size manufacturers who want to solve their product challenges with the help of NASA subject matter experts.

Manufacturers interested in applying must be located in Cleveland or Cuyahoga County, have generated between $5 and $250 million in annual revenue, and have a technical challenge that, if solved, will lead to additional revenue and jobs.

Selected finalists will also be able to take advantage of up to $300,000 in low-interest loans provided by the county as well as the City of Cleveland.

For more information or help with the application process, contact MAGNET’s Megan Tomsik at (216) 391-7752.  The application is here and more information is here.

Medical Marijuana Hearings Commence

This week, the special committee established by Speaker Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville) heard its first testimony.  Both opponents and proponents gave testimony.  The OMA plans to testify in two weeks.

Meanwhile, the national Marijuana Policy Project, funded by marijuana business owners, is preparing to place the issue of medical marijuana on the ballot this fall, should the legislature fail to act (or, maybe if it acts).  A prospectus from the group solicits $25M from businesses that would “reap the benefit of successful passage.”  The group has been successful in other states.

And, the Dayton Daily News reports that a second group, called ARC Reaction, is soliciting “… for investors to pony up $300,000 by Feb. 15 for initial research and chip in another $1.5 million by March 1 and $3.5 million more by April 1 to collect the 305,000 valid voter signatures required by early July to qualify for the statewide ballot.”

Here’s a good rundown on the two groups

Register So You Can Vote in the Presidential Primary

The registration deadline to vote in the Ohio presidential primary is Tuesday, February 16.  The primary is Tuesday, March 15.

Everything you need to register to vote, or update your voting information, is on the Ohio Secretary of State website.

Get the word out to all manufacturing voters!

The deadline to register to vote in the General Election is Tuesday, October 11, and we’ll remind you.

If you have facilities in other states, here are the election dates and voter registration deadlines in all states.

Cera Joins House Democratic Leadership

Rep. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) has been elected to the position of House Whip, joining the leadership team of Democratic Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton).  He will serve as Assistant Whip.  The opening occurred because of a shuffling of leadership spots due to the resignation of Whip Kevin Boyce (D-Columbus), who is running for Franklin County Commissioner.

Cera, the dean of House Democrats, understands that manufacturing is the engine of the Ohio economy;  he is a long-time friend of the OMA.

Auto Dealers Seek New Protections

The Ohio Senate is considering Senate Bill 242 to revise the laws governing new motor vehicle franchise agreements.

The legislation is supported by the Ohio Auto Dealers Association that says the bill refines performance criteria by requiring auto manufacturers to take into account local market conditions.  The Auto Dealers also testified that the bill would prohibit manufacturers from retaliating against dealers who exercise their rights under the new law changes.

Here is the bill summary.

‘Common Sense Initiative’ Releases Report on Streamlining Regs

This week, Lt. Governor Mary Taylor released her 2015 report on the activity of the Common Sense Initiative (CSI), which she and the governor established to streamline regulations on businesses in Ohio.

She reports, “CSI reviewed 2,316 rules, which were presented in 317 rule packages. Of these rules, 65 percent were either amended or rescinded. More notably, nearly half of the rule packages submitted to CSI for review in 2015 were tangibly impacted by the CSI review, either through the Early Stakeholder Outreach required as part of the CSI process or through additional changes made after the rules were submitted to CSI. These metrics demonstrate that the CSI rule review is having a significant and substantive influence on making Ohio’s rules more business-friendly.”

Learn more about the helpful CSI program here.