Leadership

Former Speaker Bill Batchelder Passes at 79

Former Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) passed last weekend at 79 years old. A member of the Ohio House for more than three decades, he served as speaker from 2011 through 2014. Among his many accomplishments, Batchelder will be remembered for his efforts to make the Buckeye State more business friendly.

OMA President Ryan Augsburger said: “Speaker Batchelder’s passion for free enterprise and Ohio’s competitiveness were invaluable to our state.” Gov. Mike DeWine called Batchelder “a classic conservative whose guiding principle was freedom.” 2/14/2022

Portman Backs Timken for Ohio’s U.S. Senate Race

With just 10 weeks before the May 3 primary, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R) has endorsed former Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken to take his place in Congress. A poll of likely GOP voters — taken earlier this month, prior to the Portman endorsement — showed Timken in fourth place in the crowded race. But 25% of respondents said they were still undecided. 2/17/2022

Russian Hackers Target U.S. Defense Contractors

Over the past two years, Russian hackers have successfully gathered information by targeting U.S. defense contractors, according to reports. Targeted contractors were involved in aircraft design and the development of combat and weapon systems.

According to this summary from the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. government has issued advisories to protect factory floors from cyber intruders. 2/17/2022

Robotics Use Grows in Several Manufacturing Sectors

In its “Manufacturing and Energy Industry Outlook,” OMA Connections Partner RSM spotlights the rapid rise of robotics in manufacturing. In 2020, U.S. non-automotive manufacturers’ robotics orders — led by the electronics industry — surpassed those of the auto industry for the first time. RSM notes that robotic sales also saw large gains in the manufacturing sectors of life sciences, food and consumer goods, and plastics and rubber. 2/16/2022

Detailed Sales Reports in Five Simple Steps

OMA Connections Partner Simple Machines Marketing recently published this guidance about using a data-driven approach to sales reporting. According to the firm, this allows businesses to better understand past performance, monitor trends over time, and make better business decisions. 2/16/2022

New Momentum for U.S. Chip Production

With new signs that the semiconductor shortage may not abate for years, the U.S. House has passed sweeping legislation known as the America COMPETES Act. Approved along party lines, the $250 billion bill aims to increase U.S. competitiveness by strengthening the supply chain. (Here’s a summary of the bill as provided by U.S. House leadership.)

Importantly for Ohio, the bill includes $52 billion to incentivize domestic chip production, as well as $45 billion in grants and loans to enhance manufacturing facilities and strengthen domestic supplies. Republicans have noted, however, that unlike the Senate-passed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, the House bill contains billions of dollars for climate change provisions, as well as questionable trade language and pro-labor card check provisions, which were added at the last minute.

Leaders from both houses must now negotiate differences between the two bills in conference. 2/7/2022

Details on Ohio’s Intel Investment

Experts say that last month’s decision by Intel to select Ohio for its new chip manufacturing site was a seismic shift for the Buckeye State (and its manufacturing community). The DeWine-Husted administration recently released the following details regarding the project:

• The project overview;
• Overall business impact;
• National security;
• Higher education; and
• Environment and sustainability.

Intel recently posted its first job openings for the $20 billion project. 2/10/2022

Study: Ohio Ready for More Battery Supply Chain Opportunities

Ohio is already a leader in the automotive supply chain. Now a new report from JobsOhio says the Buckeye State can and should lead in the electric vehicle (EV) space by attracting new investment in the battery supply ecosystem.

Due to the projected demand for EVs, the global lithium-ion battery industry and the battery supply chain are expected to experience compound average growth rates of close to 20% over the coming decades, JobsOhio says. This highlights the need for large-scale investment in battery production, EV component parts, and charging infrastructure. 2/10/2022

Legislative Districts Must Be Redrawn a Third Time

On Feb. 7, the Supreme Court of Ohio voted 4-3 to reject (for a second time) the state’s redrawn legislative maps. The Ohio Redistricting Commission now has until Feb. 17 to resubmit new boundaries for Ohio House and Senate districts. Here’s further insight from OMA’s general counsel, Bricker & Eckler.

The redistricting commission must also redraw Ohio’s congressional districts by mid-March.

With the May 3 primary quickly approaching, there has been Statehouse discussion about scheduling a separate primary election for congressional and state legislative races in June or later. As of now, early voting is set to begin in five weeks for overseas and military Ohio voters. 2/7/2022

Webinar Series: What’s Possible With Industry 4.0?

Utilizing Industry 4.0 technology can help increase revenue and reduce costs. OMA Connections Partner Plante Moran is offering manufacturers the opportunity to participate in its Industry 4.0 webinar series. The series will spotlight the benefits of Industry 4.0, while helping manufacturers overcome obstacles in their technology journey. 2/8/2022