2 0 1 5 Y E A R I N R E V I E W

217 S. Chestnut St. • Ravenna, Ohio 44266 P 330.297.3470 • F 330.297.3472

www.portagedevbd.org

2 0 1 5 I N R E V I E W

FebruaryPyrotek

June345 Flats

AugustAlphaMicron Kent PaverBrickMasters Precision Machining

DecemberDeluxe East Manufacturing

COMPANY Start Date Project Location Jobs Created/Retained Partners (Conduits)

Metaullics

8/30/2013 City of Aurora 101 JobsOhio and City Division of Pyrotek

345 Flats Project 4/26/2015 City of Kent 20 PCPA

Alpha Micron 5/13/2013 Franklin Township 10 JobsOhio and CCC

Kent PaverBrick 1/7/2015 Mantua Township 40 JobsOhio, OMJ and ND

Masters Precision 4/30/2015 City of Tallmadge 11 City, NDS and CCC

Machining

Deluxe Rewards 4/28/2015 City of Streetsboro 20 City and JobsOhio

East Manufacturing 11/21/2014 Randolph Township 60 County

PCPA Portage County Port AuthorityCCC Cascade Capital Corporation

NDS Neighborhood Development ServicesOMJ OhioMeansJobs Portage County

Chair Elizabeth Barry President, Delta Systems, Inc.

Vice-Chair Stephen Colecchi President/CEO

UH Portage Medical Center

Secretary/Treasurer Sabrina Christian-Bennett

Branch Manager, Bennett Land Title, LLC.

David Ruller City Manager, City of Kent

Glenn Broska Mayor, City of Streetsboro

Gregg Floyd Senior VP for Finance and Administration

Kent State UniversityJohn Ryan

Vice President, Hometown Bank

Kevin Lewis President/CEO

Portage Community BankVicki Kline

Commissioner Portage County Board of Commissioners

Patrick Covey Chief Operating Officer Davey Tree Expert Co.

P D B E X E C U T I V E C O M M I T T E E

Diana Fierle has worked in Portage County’s economic development efforts since 1992, giving her more than 24 years’ experience in economic development.

Diana transitioned with the agency in 1999 when it became a department of county government, and again in 2011 when it became the Portage Development Board. Diana is also the Secretary/Treasurer of the Portage County Port Authority.

Taylor Daniel serves as the Marketing Specialist for the Portage Development Board and is the Assistant Secretary/Treasurer of the Portage County Port

Authority. Taylor joined PDB in May of 2012 as an intern and was promoted to her current position in June of 2013. She is a graduate of Rocky River high School and attended Kent State University. 

*Board Members

*FirstEnergy Corp/ FirstEnergy Foundation

FirstMerit*Garrettsville Village

Harner Plumbing*Hiram CollegeHome Savings

*Hometown Bank*Huntington National Bank

*Infinity Resources, Inc.*Jack Kohl II

*Johnson MattheyJP Morgan Chase Bank*Kent State University

*Key BankMAC LTT

Mantaline Corporation*Maplewood Career CenterMarathon Financial Services

*Metis ConstructionMill Distributors

*M.O.M.S. Office SupplyNeighborhood Development Services

*Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)

Perme Financial Group*Portage Community Bank

*Portage County Board of Commissioners*Portage County Port Authority

*Portage County Regional PlanningRalph Kletzien

Record Publishing Co. Renewable Lubricants

Roetzel & Andress*Ronald L. Burbick

Schlabig & Associates*Schneller

*Scott J. CastoSignet Enterprises

The Middlefield Banking Company*The Schipper Group/Brimfield Crossings

*UH Portage Medical Center*United Way of Portage County

Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway

Akron CNC Training Center*AMETEK, Inc.

Automated Packaging*Bennett Land Title Agency, LLC

Bob Brehmer – NAI Daus*Brimfield Township

Cascade Capital Corporation*City of Aurora

*City of Kent*City of Ravenna

*City of Streetsboro*City of Tallmadge

Cleveland Punch and DieColeman Foundation

College Town Kent/Fairmount PropertiesCutler Real Estate – Chris Smeiles

*Davey Tree Expert Co.*Delta Systems, Inc.

*Downtown Mantua RevitalizationEast Manufacturing

Escott and CompanyFamily and Community Services

Fifth Third Bank

A S P E C I A L T H A N K S TO T H E P E O P L E A N D O R G A N I Z AT I O N S W H O M A D E T H I S P O S S I B L E I N 2 0 1 5 .

P D B I N V E S TO R S

P D B S TA F F

Brad Ehrhart joined the Portage Development Board in September of 2011. Prior to the PDB, he served as the Executive Director of the Clarion County Economic

Development Corporation, and also as the Assistant Director of Penn-Northwest Development Corporation. Brad holds a Master of Science in Public Management and Policy degree from Carnegie-Mellon University.

B R A D D I A N A TAY L O R

2 0 1 5 P R O J E C T C O M P L E T I O N T I M E L I N E

H E L P U S G R OW P O RTA G E C O U N T Y … G E T I N VO LV E D

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L O CAT E The Kent PaverBrick, LLC project started in January 2015 after a referral from JobsOhio. A group of investors from Springfield, Illinois were looking for a site that was close to sand and gravel quarries. Their consultant determined that northern Portage County contains the best source of the raw material for their product. The Portage Development Board worked with a local realtor to identify a site in Mantua Township that fit the company’s needs for a pilot plant. PDB connected the company to the county’s building code office to secure an occupancy permit and also to Ohio Edison to secure electric power for the site. Additionally, PDB connected the company to Neighborhood Development Services to help finance a critical piece of equipment and also to OhioMeansJobs Portage County to help find employees. This project represents a $600,000 investment, creating 40 new jobs over three years.

S TAY Ken Rice approached the Portage Development Board in April 2015 with a plan to acquire and save a machine shop located in the City of Tallmadge. He needed assistance to put together the financing to complete the project. PDB connected Ken to Cascade Capital Corporation and Neighborhood Development Services, which with a local bank helped Ken to close on the deal by the end of August. Ken is now employing eleven persons at Masters Precision Machining on Crystal Parkway in Tallmadge.

G R OWThe Portage Development Board started working with Metaullics, a Division of Pyrotek, in August 2013 after a referral from JobsOhio. The company was seeking a site for what would become a 177,000 square foot state of the art manufacturing facility. The Portage Development Board assisted the company in locating a site in the City of

Aurora and also worked with JobsOhio and the City of Aurora on an incentive program to secure the project for a site on Campus Drive in the city’s industrial park. Pyrotek will invest over 12 million dollars to build and start up the new Campus Drive facility. Additionally, the company is bringing 81 existing jobs and will create 20 new jobs over three years.

C O M M U N I T Y I N V E S T M E N TPortage County Business Roundtable was created by PDB and its community partners to provide knowledge of resources

available to Portage County businesses. Previous topics include: Small Business Development Center, Expanding into

Government and International Markets, Finding and Hiring Quality Employees, and many more.

Portage County Port Authority (PCPA) was created by the Portage County Board of

Commissioners to provide an additional economic development tool for Portage County. The

PCPA serves as a conduit for financing and also a vehicle for development and redevelopment.

The area of jurisdiction of the Port Authority includes all of Portage County, with the exception

of those townships which currently have a Port Authority. The Port Authority is governed by

a seven-member Board of Directors, and contracts the administrative services of the Portage

Development Board.

Industrial Maintenance Program is a result of the PDB’s Outreach and Retention calls made with the City of Streetsboro.

Maplewood Career Center, Buckeye Educational Systems and Amatrol, in partnership with six local manufacturing companies,

have collaborated to create a new 404 hour, eighteen month long Industrial Maintenance Program made up of three segments

or MODS: Electrical, Mechanical, and Fluid Power. Each MOD includes computer simulation, hands-on training systems (better

known as Trainers), student course materials, and on-line seat licenses for testing all provided through Buckeye Education

Systems and Amatrol. The course also includes an additional 12 hours of remediation in math, blueprint reading, basic

computer operation, and an introduction to CAD.

FirstEnergy’s economic impact report includes jobs, payroll, output, and tax revenues of companies assisted by FirstEnergy, as well as secondary impacts at other local businesses. Report includes only impacts

created in 2015. Additional impacts will be generated in future years.

P D B ’ S I M PA C T S I N C E 2 0 1 1

2 0 1 5 F I R S T E N E R G Y I M PA C T

$67,996,527 Total Value Economic Impact

378

Total New Jobs Supported

$16,254,493 $13,553,745Household Spending Supported

New Jobs Created

$154,089,391Total New and Retained Payroll

Total Investment

$367,863,8962,010

Retained Jobs

2,024

Brad was instrumental in putting the finance team together for my purchase

of J.B. Manufacturing, Inc. He was very supportive throughout the entire process

and once the transaction closed, he and Diana came out to offer support by directing

me to various business support organizations in Portage County.

— Ke n n e t h R i c e , P r e s i d e n t M a s t e r s P r e c i s i o n M a c h i n i n g

3 4 5 F L AT S , K E N T

Total New Payroll Supported

Total Projects

46L O CAT E . S TAY. G R OW.

Ultimately, the Portage Development Board’s goal is to create and retain family sustaining employment

within the county. Conveniently located in the midst of northeastern Ohio’s urban centers, Portage County

offers excellent accessibility to a well-developed transportation network, major urban markets, a well-

educated and experienced labor force, and some of the finest educational, cultural, and recreational

opportunities available anywhere.

The Portage Development Board (PDB) helps create and retain jobs by coordinating economic development

opportunities. Those opportunities encourage retention, expansion, and attraction of business. PDB also

assists businesses and educational institutions in cultivating a qualified workforce and helps sustain

mutually-beneficial relationships with private and public sector collaborators that influence the quality

of life and business.