Leadership

Sykes Enters Race for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District

This week, state Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) — who just recently stepped down as Ohio House minority leader — announced she is running for Congress in Ohio’s newly reconfigured 13th Congressional District, even though its boundaries are still uncertain (see story above).

In its current form, the 13th district is represented by retiring U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Rocky River). Republicans who have already filed for the seat include former congressional aide Shay Hawkins of Broadview Heights and former White House aide Max Miller, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. 1/18/2022

Great Lakes Infrastructure Project Announced

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo) has announced that $516.2 million in federal infrastructure funds will be spent to improve the Soo Locks in Michigan. Approximately 80 million tons of cargo valued at nearly $6 billion pass through the Soo Locks every year, and the project should help alleviate regional supply chain issues. 1/20/2022

Ohio Manufacturing Sets Another GDP Record

Ohio manufacturing’s economic output has surpassed its previous highwater mark set in the second quarter of last year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Buckeye State’s seasonally adjusted annual manufacturing GDP yielded more than $118.3 billion in Q3 of 2021 — up from $116.9 billion in Q2 of last year and $112.4 billion in Q4 of 2019, before the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Ohio is down about 40,000 manufacturing jobs compared to 2019, in large part due to the labor shortage. (Ohio Means Jobs currently has roughly 25,000 manufacturing-related postings.) 1/13/2022

Ohio Leaders Urge Passage of Semiconductor Bill

U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) are calling for swift passage of bipartisan legislation to invest in domestic manufacturing and address the global semiconductor shortage.

The senators’ call coincided with media reports that a major computer-chip factory is planned for central Ohio. (Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has previously said his company plans to build a $100 billion “mega-fab” complex somewhere in the U.S.)

Gov. Mike DeWine has also reiterated his call for Congress to pass the CHIPS For America Act, which would direct $52 billion for domestic semiconductor production. The bill has cleared the U.S. Senate, but is stalled in the House.

Last fall, the OMA — along with other Ohio business groups and JobsOhio — urged the state’s federal delegation and congressional leaders to address the chip supply crisis by boosting support for domestic semiconductor production. 1/12/2022

Supreme Court Invalidates Ohio’s Legislative Maps

In a 4-3 decision, the Supreme Court of Ohio this week ruled that the new maps for the Ohio House and Senate districts are invalid — calling for a new plan to be adopted within 10 days.

In its analysis of the decision, OMA Connections Partner Roetzel notes that the court defined how to determine the appropriate Republican to Democrat percentage, siding with Democrats, who argued that only 54% of the districts could lean towards the GOP. The ruling now kicks the maps back to the Ohio Redistricting Commission.

Meanwhile, candidates seeking a seat in the Statehouse face a Feb. 2 deadline to file. A federal lawsuit challenging both the state legislative district maps and the congressional district map has been placed on a 60-day hold by an Akron-based judge. 1/12/2022

Ohio Announces Further Investment to Expand Rural Broadband

This week, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced a $3 million grant to The Ohio State University to develop broadband curriculum. This funding is focused on workforce development to help expand broadband service and 5G coverage throughout rural Ohio. 1/11/2022

Manufacturing’s Job Creation Leaders Since Start of COVID-19

U.S. manufacturing employment rose by 26,000 last month, increasing for the eighth consecutive month, according to federal data. But that’s the slowest growth in six months.

Chad Moutray, chief economist for the National Association Manufacturers, notes that six major manufacturing sectors have exceeded their pre-pandemic levels of employment: miscellaneous durable goods; miscellaneous non-durable goods; plastics and rubber products; chemicals; computer and electronic products; and wood products. 1/10/2022

Industry 4.0 Guidebook: Strategies to Stay Competitive

Industry 4.0 upgrades present significant opportunities and risks for manufacturers of all sizes. OMA Connections Partner Plante Moran has published this guidebook to help manufacturers prepare for transformation in five key areas: systems and data analytics; supply chain; connected processes; people; and financial/tax strategies. 1/12/2022

Automation Beyond the Shop Floor

OMA Connections Partner Clark Schaefer Hackett writes that automation involves more than just robotics on the shop floor; it can also be used to speed up key administrative tasks in the office. Read this insight regarding how businesses are using automation and custom software to overcome current challenges. 1/12/2022

Keep Your OMA Membership Information Up to Date

Don’t miss any OMA information or opportunities in 2022. Take a few minutes to ensure your membership information (including email address) is up to date.

Remember, OMA membership is company-wide so everyone on your team can receive OMA services based on their needs. Members can manage their subscriptions, services, interests, and other preferences here. (For help, or to add team members to your membership, email Lisa Cummings-Dye or call 800-662-4463.)

Finally, keep in mind if you forward the OMA’s emailed communications and those recipients click the “unsubscribe” link in the email, your subscription will end. (It’s recommended you remove the “unsubscribe” text if you forward emails. Better yet, tell us who should receive OMA emails directly. We’ll take it from there.) 1/4/2022