Leadership

Ohio Creates Office of Small Business Relief

This week, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted announced the creation of the Office of Small Business Relief (OSBR) within the Ohio Development Services Agency. OSBR will help businesses navigate state and federal relief programs, as well as regulatory issues during the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent economic recovery.

The OSBR website contains FAQs and other helpful resources, and new services and support will be added to the site as they become available. If you’re unable to find answers to your questions on the website, email the OSBR or call 1-833-249-6446. 4/8/2020

PhRMA Tool Provides Transparency on Drug Costs

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), an OMA Connections Partner, has unveiled its Medicine Assistance Tool (MAT) to provide patients with information to make more educated health care decisions. MAT is a search engine designed to help patients, caregivers and health care providers learn more about the resources available through various biopharmaceutical industry programs.

With health care costs remaining a challenge for most manufacturers, this tool is one worth checking out. 4/6/2020

Ohio Manufacturers: Rising to the Challenge

In recent weeks, the OMA has devoted much of its social media activity to sharing positive news about Ohio manufacturers that are helping their communities by donating protective gear or are pivoting to manufacture products that will help win the fight against COVID-19. We have compiled a list of some of these stories, available here.

In the meantime, if you know of a published news article or press release that spotlights your company’s actions — and you’d like us to share it with OMA followers — let us know. 4/9/2020

On a Lighter Note…

This week, an animated parody of the old sitcom “Laverne & Shirley” made the rounds on the internet. Instead of the show’s two characters, the online parody features Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and his health director, Dr. Amy Acton — with humorous cameos by Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and sign language interpreter Marla Berkowitz. Showcased are several Ohio connections, including Battelle, Ohio State’s Brutus, and Purell hand sanitizer.

The animated production is the creation of Dave Stofka, a freelance web developer in northeast Ohio. He told news media he never wanted to make light of the illness or people being out of work, but that he created the piece to cheer people up. Mission accomplished, Dave. 4/7/2020

Governor Announces Alliance to Produce Ohio-Made Protective Gear

On Wednesday, April 1, Gov. Mike DeWine announced the creation of the Ohio Manufacturing Alliance to Fight COVID-19 — a public-private partnership that aims to help meet the urgent need for more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) used by health care workers and first responders.

The OMA is a lead partner in the effort, along with the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership (and its partner organization MAGNET), the Ohio Hospital Association, JobsOhio, the Ohio Development Services Agency (DSA), the Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS), and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).

To date, nearly 700 communications have been received from manufacturers and individuals who want to help. Manufacturers who have the potential to produce PPE are urged to visit RepurposingProject.com, review the list of in-demand products, and fill out the online response form if they can help. 4/1/2020

Analysis of Ohio’s Extended Stay-at-Home Order

Following yesterday’s action by Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton to extend the state’s “stay-at-home” order through Friday, May 1, the OMA’s legal counsel, Bricker & Eckler, produced this analysis. Overall, the order’s definition of “essential businesses and operations” is almost identical to the current order — meaning a manufacturer operating under the current order may continue operating under the new order, which takes effect Monday evening, April 6. 4/2/2020

Ohio Manufacturers: Doing Good, Rising to the Challenge

In recent weeks, the OMA has devoted much of its social media activity to sharing positive stories about Ohio manufacturers who are helping their communities through donations, or pivoting to manufacture products to fight COVID-19. We’ve shared these stories on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages. If you have a story featuring your company that you’d like us to share, let us know. 4/1/2020

Governor Unveils Council to Help With Ohio’s Economic Recovery

On Thursday, April 2, Gov. DeWine announced the creation of an economic advisory board, which will be led by RPM International Chairman and CEO Frank Sullivan. The board, which will aid the administration in its efforts to expedite Ohio’s recovery, also includes:

• Patrick Bowe, President and CEO, The Andersons, Inc.;
• Mike Hennigan, President and CEO, Marathon Petroleum;
• Dan Pritchard, President and CEO, A.J. Rose Manufacturing Company;
• Mark Smucker, President and CEO, The J.M. Smucker Company; and
• David Taylor, Chairman, President and CEO, Procter and Gamble.

See the governor’s press release for the full list of board members. 4/2/2020

Easing Employee Stress Surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic

As the COVID-19 emergency continues, employers, employees and their families are experiencing immense uncertainty. Employees are looking for guidance. OMA Connections Partner OneSource Advisors says employers can help calm employees’ fears by taking these actions:

• Acknowledge employee fears surrounding their jobs and the company, but also reassure them of their value to the company and the company’s desire to keep them as members of the team.
• Be open with employees about management decisions and ask for suggestions to rectify problems.
• Provide as much information as possible about the pandemic.
• Highlight employee benefits that employees might not know about to relieve any financial stress.
• Encourage employees to take advantage of any telemental health services to preserve their mental well-being.
• Communicate the future of the business with employees often — in meetings, on the company intranet site, in newsletters and in blogs.
• Be empathetic in your communications, as every employee’s situation is different.

In uncertain times, it’s imperative to clearly communicate your business’s plans as frequently as possible. 4/1/2020

Best Practices to Guard Against Cyber-Attacks

With more employees working from home — including many manufacturers’ administrative staff — cyber-attacks are disrupting businesses. OMA Connections Partner Roetzel has put together this list of best practices to follow while working remotely. 4/1/2020