MAKE IT

BETTER
A Blueprint for Manufacturing
in Northeast Ohio
JUNE 2021

A vision to lead the world

in smart manufacturing.
Brought to you by industry leaders,
nonprofits, community groups,
educators, and more. Together,
we’re going to make our region
better. Learn more: Deonia Duncan at
www.makeitbetterohio.org. Lincoln Electric in
Euclid, Ohio
A POWERFUL PARTNERSHIP TO MAKE IT BETTER ABOUT THIS REPORT
As founding champions, we’re proud to support this Blueprint for Manufacturing in Northeast Ohio.
Together, we will create thousands of jobs, transform our industry, and lead the world. Manufacturing doesn’t run on machines. It runs on people. So, we interviewed 150 of them –
manufacturing CEOs, community leaders, business leaders, academics, workers, students, and
nonprofit leaders. In more than 300 hours of conversation, we got smart, honest advice on how
to reinvent our industry. This report shares the best insights and stories. This is not another
initiative. It is a vision for the future supported by practical advice, expertise, and inspiration
from companies at the leading edge. We hope these stories show the power of what’s possible in
Northeast Ohio. We hope they encourage more of us to come together and build a brighter future.
No document or single organization can change the course of our industry – but together, we can.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to personally thank every individual, company, and community organization who
so willingly gave of their time and expertise to help create this Blueprint for Manufacturing in
Northeast Ohio. In particular, I’d like to recognize our Board Chair Felix Brueck and Board Member
Scott Cade for their fearless leadership in creating this vision for the future, along with our Board
Task Force members: Peter Broer, Michael Garvey, George Haritos, Jeff Sinclair, John Brandt, and
Sanjay Singh. And special thanks to the Cleveland Innovation Project, Team NEO, and Jacob
Duritsky for their partnership and data analysis. Additional thanks to Brandon Cornuke, Leah
Epstein, Greentarget, Ken Harbaugh, Margaret Kashmir, Tria Tedford-Ames, Cathy Little, Tony
Rossello, and Adam Snyder for bringing this report to life in stories and video.
Network Partner

With Gratitude,

Dr. Ethan Karp, President & CEO, MAGNET

MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network

ignited this change movement as part of our work to grow the
manufacturing industry in Northeast Ohio and bring prosperity to our region. We’re a nonprofit on
a mission to help companies transform to make the future better. Since 1984, we’ve been proudly
helping manufacturers with hands-on consulting and community-connecting workforce programs
as part of the national NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S.
Department of Commerce) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP
(part of the State of Ohio’s Development Services Agency). www.manufacturingsuccess.org

We are adding champions all the time. See the latest list here: www.makeitbetterohio.org/champions
MANUFACTURING CONTENTS
IS A POWERHOUSE IN TALENT
NORTHEAST OHIO Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Ezabarin Moore: Changing Careers Changed Her Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Closing the Manufacturing Talent Gap with Radical Collaboration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Automation Tool & Die: Growing Your Own Talent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Manufacturing 1 out of every 2 jobs Manufacturing contributes
drives almost from factories to restaurants
2 times more TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION
50% to banks depends on
manufacturing to the GRP than
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
of our economy healthcare
M-7 Technologies: Transforming a Family Foundry into a Digital Pioneer . . . . . . . . . . . 22
GOJO, MAKERS OF PURELL™:
Using Technology to Solve Pandemic-Sized Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Our Industry is Vibrant & Growing Automation & 3D Printing: Saving Lives and Making a New Future. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Northeast Ohio is a major hub for aerospace and aviation with a $3.2 billion cluster.
INNOVATION
The region is a leading producer and supplier for the automotive industry and has more than
26,000 trained automotive workers. Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Bettcher Industries & Exsurco Medical:
Biohealth is taking off with more than $2.3 billion invested in 400+ Northeast Ohio startups Leapfrogging from Meat to Medical with a Smart Risk on Innovation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
since 2003. Lumitex and MuReva: Light Years Ahead with Innovation and Intrapreneurship. . . . . 34
Kinetico: Relentlessly Innovating and Rethinking Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
There are almost 400 food processing and manufacturing companies that provide food and
beverage products to consumers worldwide.
LEADERSHIP
The region is a location of choice for manufacturing headquarters with one of the heaviest
concentrations in the nation. Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Jergens and Jack Schron: Leading with Education, Integrity, and Inclusivity. . . . . . . . 42
Northeast Ohio has more than 2,300 metal production and fabrication companies representing Pierre’s Ice Cream Company:
every link in the supply chain. Bold Leadership that Puts People and Community First. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Lincoln Electric: Welding a Better World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
The region is an ideal environment for chemical, plastics and polymer operations with almost
1,000 companies in the sector.
THE PATH FORWARD
(Source: Team NEO)
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Goals & Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

1
Manufacturing in Northeast Ohio

WE MAKE
OUR REGION
BETTER
Northeast Ohio was the Silicon Valley of the early more of the things that run the world. We want to, third, as an industry we’re simply not innovating far leaders, educators, and workers that helped create
1900s. Lured by burgeoning big oil and steel, once again, be a place where innovators bring big enough or fast enough. In fact, 75% of Northeast this vision are committed to making it happen. We
innovators came here from all over the world to chase ideas from all over the world. We want to create Ohio manufacturers say that innovation is not a top believe that within a decade, Northeast Ohio can
their dreams. Cleveland led the country in patent thousands more high-tech manufacturing jobs. priority. lead the world in smart manufacturing. That we can
registrations and what we now call venture capital. It We want to lead the world in smart manufacturing finally close the talent gap and have all the skilled
even opened its own stock exchange. By the 1940s, – leaving behind the Rust Belt to become the On top of these challenges, COVID-19 has created workers we need to grow. That our factories can be
the Mahoning “Steel Valley” was one of the most Manufacturing Technology Belt. economic chaos and forced us to change the as diverse as our cities. That manufacturing can
productive industrial centers in the world. Akron was way we work. America is also facing a national give everyone a pathway to prosperity. That we can
the global rubber capital. Despite all the ups and downs, manufacturing remains reckoning on racism. The sad reality is that people be one of the fastest growing and most innovative
a powerhouse in the region. It creates 270,000 jobs, of color have less access to jobs, healthcare, and manufacturing hubs in the world.
We were the industrial engine that drove America and every one of those jobs delivers four more in opportunities. And we see it in manufacturing,
for decades, until we crashed. In the ’70s and ’80s, the community – that’s more than one million jobs in which is 83% white. We can help change this by But, to unlock this future, we require massive
automation, offshoring, and the death of big steel Northeast Ohio. As a result, it drives half the regional connecting the thousands of underemployed and systemic change in four areas: talent,
made us a national symbol of the demise of the economy. We have a rich legacy of manufacturing unemployed people of color in our region to careers transformation, innovation, and leadership. We
middle class. We became famous for a name no one know-how, world-class educational institutions, and in manufacturing. Manufacturing can be a positive need to build the workforce we need to win in the
likes: the Rust Belt. But we didn’t give up. Fueled a solid industrial base to build on. But the future is force for change. future. We need to use Industry 4.0 technologies
by a legacy of grit and ingenuity, Northeast Ohio coming fast, and we need to be ready. to unlock advantage and fuel reshoring. We need
rebuilt the manufacturing industry. Gone are the As an industry we face a powerful moment of truth. to pioneer new products and services, and new
one-smokestack towns where everyone works for one First, there’s a talent time bomb approaching. In We can simply rebuild and bounce back to the way ways of working. And we need to boldly lead our
plant. They’ve been replaced by a thriving network January 2020, almost 60% of Northeast Ohio we were. Or we can use the accelerating forces of companies and region.
of 10,000 innovative companies making aircraft manufacturers said they couldn’t find the skilled this unique time to leap forward. The pandemic was a
parts to X-rays and everything in between. Yes, far workers they need to grow. Despite COVID layoffs stark reminder of the need to reestablish local supply Why do we believe we can do this? Because we’ve
fewer people work in manufacturing. But wages and that problem persists. The talent shortage is so chains. It has reignited a desire to buy American and done it before. We are masters of the comeback.
productivity are higher than they’ve ever been. systemic and significant that even the pandemic bring home jobs from overseas. Smart manufacturing We’ve been reinventing ourselves since the advent
couldn’t wipe it out. Plus, a looming wave of technologies are the only way Northeast Ohio of our industry. And all the stories we share in
We fought through the Great Recession. We survived retirements is set to make this worse. Second, manufacturers can compete globally on quality and this report have one thing in common: They prove
the global pandemic. And today we stand on the a manufacturing revolution is being fueled by price. Now is the time to transform our factories, that everything we need to lead the world in smart
cusp of a tremendous opportunity. As we rebuild our emerging Industry 4.0 technologies, such as train a new generation of high-tech talent, and manufacturing is already here. It’s already happening.
post-COVID-19 industry, the big question is this: collaborative robots, sensors, 3D printing, and innovate to make things that haven’t been made here We just need to come together as a community
Who do we want to be next? That’s the question this big data. These technologies are the foundation in decades. Now is the time to reinvent our industry and as an industry and do much more of it. With
Blueprint for Manufacturing in Northeast Ohio sets of future competitiveness, but Northeast Ohio and fuel a true manufacturing revival. strategic investment and radical collaboration, there
out to answer. And we believe the answer is clear: We manufacturers are not adopting them fast enough – is no question Northeast Ohio can lead the way and
want the future to be made here in Northeast Ohio. particularly the small- and medium-sized companies Yes, it’s a bold vision. But the hundreds of lead the world in smart manufacturing. We just have
By our people, in our factories. We want to make that make up the bulk of our regional industry. And manufacturing CEOs, business leaders, community to do what we do best: Make It Better.

2 3
 OUR HISTORY OUR VISION
Masters of the Comeback Northeast Ohio Can Lead the World in Smart Manufacturing

GRP & Productivity

(in 2019 dollars) INF
LUX PRIDE CULTUR POWERE
HE N IP

OVATIO
T

IGNITE T

TNERSH
E

D
TALEN
$45B Manufacturing
$50,000 GRP 2019 $210

NN

AR
Productivity ($/employee) $1000s
I P
Manufacturing GRP ($1000s)

$48,000 $190 Manufacturing in Northeast Ohio

$46,000 $170
has had its ups and downs, but
the industry has mastered the The talent KFORC We are one A DE R We are the HOTBE Companies and
$44,000 $150 gap is finally OR of the fastest LE “first choice” for NT communities
comeback. Today, there are far

D
VERSE W

DIGITAL
E
closed, and growing and manufacturing work together to

ESTME
$42,000 $130 fewer people employed than at the we have most innovative startups and we solve systemic
the skilled manufacturing lead the country problems because
height in the 1970s, but wages and workers we hubs in the in R&D. we all believe

V
$40,000 $110

DI

IN
productivity are now higher than need to grow. world. manufacturing is
$38,000 $90
our future.
they have ever been. The industry is
$36,000 $70 steady and ready for growth.
Our factories are We are no longer Startups have
as diverse as our the “rust belt.” access to all the
cities, giving more We are the capital they need
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 people pathways “technology to commercialize
to prosperity. belt.” big ideas.

OUR CHALLENGE OUR PATHWAY

Manufacturing is a Powerhouse But the Future is Coming Fast Four Keys to Unlocking Our Future

1 2 3 4
10,000
manufacturers –
Almost half the Almost
Every job delivers 98% of them small and TALENT TRANSFORMATION INNOVATION LEADERSHIP
regional economy 270,000 jobs four more jobs medium sized companies Build the workforce
we need to win in the
Use Industry 4.0
technology to unlock
Pioneer new prducts
& services, and new
Boldly lead our
companies and
future, today. advantage. ways of working. region.

Talent Time Bomb Avoiding Industry 4.0 Ignoring Innovation

In January 2020, 60% of Industry 4.0 is a 75% of NEO manufacturers
NEO manufacturers said they low priority for most say innovation is not
couldn’t find the skilled workers NEO manufacturers a top priority
they need to grow

4 5
 Build the The problem is not enough people know this. Many
students have no idea what a manufacturer actually
smart manufacturing technologies and drives flexible
career-long learning. We know that companies most

Workforce We
does. Some people think manufacturing is the dark, effectively compete in Industry 4.0 if they keep their
dirty, dangerous industry of the olden days. Memories workforce ahead of the technology curve, so we must

Need to Win in
of mass layoffs in the ’70s and ’80s also linger, making create the cutting-edge training they need.
people wrongly think that manufacturing is unstable.

the Future, Today

Nothing is further from the truth, yet hundreds We already have a vast pool of programs and
of free manufacturing training spots sit empty in initiatives dedicated to raising awareness about
Northeast Ohio every year, along with 8,000 jobs that manufacturing and getting more people into great
Advanced manufacturing jobs are high-tech – manufacturers can’t fill. jobs. Robotics competitions to get students excited
offering a world of opportunity in everything about smart manufacturing. Free high school training
Not being able to find enough skilled workers is the and apprenticeship programs. Countless workforce
from robotics to blockchain to artificial
number one thing that’s holding back the growth of the programs. The challenge now is to connect all these
intelligence. With an average salary of more
industry. We have a tremendous opportunity before pieces to solve this enormously complex puzzle. We
than $75,000, manufacturing is a lucrative
us to finally close that skills gap. To pivot from a talent need a holistic approach that pioneers solutions across
career, and one that offers much room to
shortage to a talent influx. If we do this, we can boost the entire manufacturing employment spectrum,
grow as companies embrace technology that’s the prosperity of the entire region. Just filling the from awareness to recruiting to training. That’s how
transforming the shop floor into the factory current 8,000 open jobs would boost the economy by we can create a seamless pipeline and get the best
of the future. an estimated $5 billion annually. talent flowing into manufacturing. And perhaps most
importantly, we need to put manufacturers in the
To achieve this, we need to build innovative on- driver’s seat. They know what they need, and we need
ramps for new talent: returning veterans, people with to let them lead.
TALENT

disabilities, people in disadvantaged communities,

people of color, women, people re-entering the And this isn’t just good for business. Manufacturing
workforce from the criminal justice system, and can also be a positive force for good in our
underemployed people who want a brighter future. We communities by providing high-tech, high-paying jobs
need to be as innovative with our recruitment as we to the people who need them most. It can be a social
are with our products. We need to expand innovative, elevator lifting people to prosperity. That’s the promise
fast-track training programs and “earn and learn” of manufacturing. And if we get all this right, we can be
options to make it fast and affordable for people to the capital of manufacturing education for the United
retrain for manufacturing careers. There are thousands States. We have proven strength in this – innovative
of unemployed and underemployed people working in programs, manufacturers that are heavily investing,
retail, fast food, and hospitality who within weeks could and amazing educational assets. We can aspire to be
be in high-paying manufacturing jobs. the place where people from across America come to
be trained in smart manufacturing – filling our own
We also need to continue reinventing manufacturing skills gap, training the workforce of the future, and
education, so it keeps up with the pace and promise of fueling the national resurgence of manufacturing.

The Talent Gap in

Northeast Ohio Filling the current
8,000 open jobs in
The talent gap PREDICTION manufacturing in
JANUARY 2028 Northeast Ohio would
is so big even
2021
millions of layoffs boost the economy
during the global by an estimated
pandemic couldn’t
Open wipe it out. Open $5 billion annually.
manufacturing manufacturing (Source: MAGNET analysis)
jobs in Northeast jobs in Northeast
Ohio Ohio

8,000 (Source: Deloitte Insights

50,000
and MAGNET analysis)

6 7
 The manufacturing workforce is currently

74% male and 83% white

(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Ezabarin Moore:
Changing Careers Changed Her Life
Ezabarin Moore drove a city bus for 18 years and new talent. The manufacturing workforce is currently Cuyahoga Community College. This entry-level doing. I even won awards. So, it was real exciting. It
then worked hard raising four children. 74% male and 83% white. To close the talent gap, manufacturing program is a partnership between really was.”
the industry recognizes it needs to increase diversity several organizations, including MAGNET, Towards
“I was a stay-at-home mom, working and connect with new pools of talent. Employment, and Ohio Means Jobs. This kind of And Moore didn’t stop there. In 2020 she trained as
odd jobs here and there. The money partnership works because it’s practical, flexible, a CNC operator at the Cleveland Industrial Training

was limited. It was really limited. My “The unemployment rate skyrocketed and seamless for students. They receive not only Center, sponsored through funding from Ohio Means

children wanted things that I didn’t during the pandemic, yet there are still manufacturing training but also financial and social Jobs. As soon as she graduated, she was hired as
support – including education in everything from job a machinist at Presrite, a metal forging company in
have the funds to give. So, I knew in open positions in manufacturing. If
readiness basics to financial literacy. All Moore had to Cleveland.
order for me to give my children what that doesn’t tell us there is something pay out of pocket was $100, which made the program
they needed, I needed more money. systematically broken in our talent achievable – but that doesn’t mean it was easy. “Manufacturing – the whole process
I needed training. I needed a school. system, then nothing will. We’ve got – excites me every day. Just being in
And I needed a job,” she says. to stop looking for the same talent “It was a struggle. But I had a lot of backup.
the manufacturing field because it’s
in the same places. Manufacturing Everybody wanted to help and see me grow, including
something I’ve never done before.
So, at 47 years old, Moore signed up for computer can be a positive force for good, for MAGNET and everyone else in my training. And that’s
why I’m here now. Staying up all night and doing I use a lot of technology and tools
training at the Council for Economic Opportunities change. And the biggest way it can do – micrometers, calipers, drills. I feel
homework was the biggest struggle. It was go straight
in Greater Cleveland. And there she stumbled upon that is by connecting people to high-
the idea of a manufacturing career. home, do the homework. You can’t sleep right now. You good knowing I can walk in here
tech, high-paying great jobs. People can’t do anything but do your mom thing and then and hold my head up and make a
of color, people who are unemployed homework. And then it was time to get up and start
“They had brochures out, and, of course, I’m nosy. I well-produced part. We precisely
or underemployed, people from over. It was a juggle,” says Moore.
like to read everything I see. I saw a brochure with cut and measure gears for multiple
a female welder on it and I said, ‘If she can do this, disadvantaged communities. That is automotive and heavy equipment
I can do it too.’ I didn’t know about manufacturing, the promise of manufacturing,” says But it was a juggle that paid off. Moore got hired
right away, and in the next year and a half, she was companies that make the roads we
mind you, not a thing. But I decided to give it a try.” Dr. Ethan Karp, President & CEO of
promoted twice. commute on daily. We make parts for
MAGNET.
Until the moment she saw that brochure, Moore says carnival rides. Just to name a couple.
she never imagined that women did those kinds of When Moore reached out to MAGNET in 2018
“They welcomed me in, and I started as a molder. Then I’m fascinated by everything we do.”
jobs in manufacturing. This lack of awareness is a I became an inspector. Then I became a trainer. I just
after the brochure sparked her interest, she signed
big part of the problem when it comes to recruiting felt like here I am in a new career and someone likes
up for a six-week Certified Technician Program at READ THE FULL STORY
my work for something I never knew I had talent for

8 9
 Making Manufacturing
a Career of Choice
Duncan and Taylor are two very different people with
different paths and journeys, but both were successful In one study, manufacturing ranked
for the same reason: radical collaboration. Both of their dead last among career industry
programs brought together everyone who was needed choices for 18–24-year-olds.

Closing the
to build a seamless pipeline into manufacturing from (Source: Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute)

CEOs to funders, from workforce groups to nonprofits.

About 41,000 students graduate
Manufacturing
This collaborative and holistic approach made all the
difference. from high school annually in
Deonia Duncan at Lincoln Electric. Northeast Ohio.
Talent Gap with Russell, the head of the ECEC program, says an
integrated approach is the only way to tackle the
(Source: Team NEO)

Radical Collaboration massive, complex, and often invisible barriers that keep
people from connecting with opportunities.
Only 5.5% of them go directly into
manufacturing.
(Source: MAGNET analysis)

Deonia Duncan was 16, in high school, and working District. Her principal suggested she apply for “Eighty-seven percent of our students
what she describes as a “dead-end job” in a pizza shop. the MAGNET Early College, Early Career (ECEC) live below poverty guidelines. Eighty- If we doubled this, it would boost
the regional economy by $7.5 billion
Eddie Taylor had just been released after serving 13 program. It’s the first of its kind in the nation. Inner- three percent identify as persons of in 5 years.
years in a federal prison. Two very different stories — city high school students get to take college courses color. And many of them, at just 16 (Source: MAGNET analysis)
but with one thing in common: Both Duncan and Taylor in manufacturing and do paid apprenticeships at
to 18 years old, have experienced
found a new future in manufacturing. And they found local manufacturers, opening up careers and college
that future thanks to collaborative programs that are education sponsored by employers.
homelessness, inadequate nutrition,
bringing companies and communities together to solve and food insecurity — many barriers
manufacturing’s talent shortage. “I wanted to try something new because I always liked and challenges that they must face
to do hands-on stuff myself. So I just decided to go each and every day. So our secret
These training programs are based on a stark truth. ahead and go for it,” says Duncan. sauce is really our mentorship
The skills gap is such a massive and complex problem component. Students from inner-city
that no one company or organization can solve it Conversely, Taylor’s introduction to manufacturing
and underrepresented populations
alone. Despite post-pandemic unemployment, in came when he was struggling to find a job after
2021 there are still an estimated 8,000 open jobs in leaving prison.
often don’t have the support needed
manufacturing in Northeast Ohio that companies to be successful, and our mentors
can’t find people to fill. And that number is expected “I needed a lift. I needed a fresh start. I are really intentional about being
to quadruple in the years ahead. didn’t want to start off where I left off. that support, that guide, and that
So I was trying to change my life for consistent person in their lives,”
“The future of the industry really relies the better,” says Taylor. says Russell.
on finding a new generation of skilled
workers. And we have to meet these That change came when someone suggested he enroll
new skilled workers where they are,” in an innovative new program launched in 2020 called READ THE FULL STORY
says Autumn Russell, Vice President, the ACCESS to Manufacturing Careers Program.
Diversity & Inclusion, Early College Taylor was one of 12 participants who made up the
inaugural class of justice-served individuals seeking
Early Career, MAGNET.
to reenter the workforce. Since that first class, 75% of
graduates have secured jobs — including Taylor, who
Duncan’s pathway into manufacturing came when
was hired as a material handler at Elsons International.
she was in 10th grade at the John Marshall School
And there’s been zero recidivism.
of Engineering in the Cleveland Metropolitan School Eddie Taylor at Elsons International.

10 11
 Randy Bennett hosting
teachers from Buckeye Local
Schools in Medina, Ohio.

Automation Tool & Die:

Growing Your Own Talent
Manufacturing isn’t just what Randy Bennett does, it’s their father into manufacturing and take over the
who he is. It’s in his blood. family business. But about 20 years ago, that pride
diminished and manufacturing stopped being a career
“As a family, we didn’t really go out and of choice for young people. The pipeline of new talent
play ball, we built things. If we wanted that once flowed into Northeast Ohio’s factories slowed
to a trickle.
some time with our dad, we needed development – being wide and deep “That’s the meaning of the work. That’s the fuel.
to go out to the garage and interact – takes time, so we’re working hard Manufacturing is tough and there are a lot of
“The skills gap is the biggest problem
with him while he was doing things at it. It just goes on and on, it’s just a challenges. But on the people side, when you can do
manufacturing faces, and there’s no
on the drawing board. Dad taught us continual thing,” says Bennett.
something to help someone establish a career path for
close second,” Bennett says. “The their entire life, it gives back what was given so easily
the trade, he taught us the business,
challenge is that the culture changed to me. That’s a meaningful way to pay it forward,” says
and he taught us a lot of things that After creating his own apprenticeship and training
from ‘trades are perfectly okay’ to one Bennett.
we work to carry on today, to carry on programs, Bennett realized much more needed
where university is the only option.”
his legacy,” says Bennett, co-owner of to be done. That’s when Bennett and 10 other
Automation Tool & Die (ATD). The college-or-nothing shift Bennett saw wasn’t
manufacturing companies came together to
READ THE FULL STORY
form the Medina County Manufacturers
unique to his peers, industry, or even region. It was a
ATD started in his father’s garage in 1974. The company Partnership (MCMP). Their goal is to work with
nationwide culture shift that took hold in the ’80s and
now has more than 80 employees in a 102,000-square- other local manufacturers and colleges to bring
’90s, and it has been identified as a major contributor
foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility on 22 acres state-approved apprenticeship training to
to the dearth of middle-skill workers today – those who
in Valley City, Ohio. ATD uses advanced technology their community. They spend most of their
have received training beyond a high school diploma
to design and build high-volume progressive metal time raising awareness about the lucrative high-tech
but have not attained a four-year degree, precisely
stamping dies, produce metal parts, and add value to careers that manufacturing can provide. Bennett
the kind of employees ATD and other manufacturers
these parts with things like welding and assembly. invites hundreds of students and teachers to tour
need to keep production flowing and grow. Bennett’s
his factory every year. For him, there is nothing more
solution? To bring back apprenticeships and build his
When Bennett and his brother graduated from Medina rewarding than watching these seeds take root.
own pipeline of talent.
High School in the ’80s, they were proud to follow

“We have engaged in multiple

strategies: upskilling, stackable
certificates, apprenticeships, and
professional and personal development
opportunities for our team. Workforce
86% of manufacturers
say hiring is extremely difficult.
Almost 60% say lack of skilled
workers keeps them from growing.
(Source: Ohio MEP 2020 Manufacturing Survey)

Apprentice working at Automation Tool & Die.

Students from Sidney Fenn and Garfield elementary
schools visiting Automation Tool & Die in Valley City, Ohio.

12 13
 Only about 1 in 4
Cleveland area
STEM graduates remain in the region.
(Source: McKinsey & Company analysis)
We Can Become the Capital
of Manufacturing Education
Northeast Ohio has more than 30 colleges,
universities, and training centers with specialties
We Can Accelerate in manufacturing. They are key partners in creating
the next generation of manufacturing talent.
Smart Manufacturing “Our educational assets are the envy of the
by Collaborating country and we need to build on that. Working with
manufacturers and workforce systems, we can link

with Universities this network together into a powerful pipeline. And

perhaps even become the capital of manufacturing “If you add up all of the higher education
education for the country. The place where people institutions in Northeast Ohio, you’d be
come from all over the U.S. to get trained,” says Dr.
shocked. I think it rivals what we think of
Ethan Karp, President & CEO of MAGNET.
Create industry-led research projects with local as hotbeds of education in Silicon Valley
educational institutions. Companies benefit from the or the East Coast. We want to keep our
For example, community colleges have a long
research findings and these projects also help train “I probably would not have kids here. We want to keep our best and
history of innovative programs and cutting-edge
and grow high-level engineering talent. stayed in this region if it wasn’t partnerships with manufacturers. Like when Lorain our brightest. Well, we can. We have all the
for this tremendous opportunity. County Community College established the Nord
Create easy on-ramps for incumbent engineers to
ingredients. Manufacturing is one way to
As a biomedical engineer and Advanced Technology Center it was the first
gain new skills on Industry 4.0 technologies. do that through a great career, by being
entrepreneur, I probably would have technology center based on a college campus in the
in an industry that’s actually producing
naturally gravitated to one of the state of Ohio. Since then, the college has partnered
Engage manufacturers to jointly develop cutting- something that can be meaningful not only
larger hubs, Boston or San Diego or with the community to create the Great Lakes
edge training in Industry 4.0 and constantly modify to the community, but to the world.”
Bay Area type region. I think that Innovation & Development Enterprise which provides
to keep up with technology advances.
what we can do as a region is have a support services and funding to technology-
Denny Saunier, President & CEO of the
better connection between industry oriented startups. The college also established the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
Launch an academy where students work on
and academia. The manufacturers Richard Desich SMART Commercialization Center for
specific manufacturing problems while getting
Microsystems, an advanced facility for researching,
advanced degrees. This could include short-term and companies here need to do
manufacturing, testing and packaging microsystems
executive education, sponsored PhDs, or joint a better job of connecting with
including MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems).
technology projects. universities. There’s a lot of talent
And, most recently, it launched the Campana Center one of the largest technology training facilities in
there, a lot of potential to do new
for Ideation and Invention focusing on fueling the country. It even has a mobile training unit in a
Become known for Industry 4.0 (or a subset of projects and research. I think that’s innovation in digital and additive manufacturing. 53-foot trailer that brings training programs to the
technologies like Internet of Things) in academic something the region doesn’t take doorsteps of Northeast Ohio companies and schools.
circles to attract more professor expertise that as much advantage of, the great “Lorain County Community College believes in
will benefit industry collaborations, as well as
institutions that we have here.” working closely with our stakeholders – students “We are in a unique moment to think creatively
student learning.
and companies – to understand the individual about collaboration between educational
Vedang Kothari, CEO of MuReva
Phototherapy, Biomedical Engineer, needs and sector challenges within manufacturing. institutions and manufacturers so that we can
Pursue applied research centers on Industry 4.0
and Case Western Reserve University That constant examination and reflection is how develop training programs that best prepare
with industry research partners, potentially across graduate. we continue to provide the qualified talent pipeline individuals to leave our doors and go right into
multiple universities. This will enable more startup
companies need and develop programs that help successful careers,” says Alicia Booker,
activity and commercialization, in addition to
to innovate and upskill the existing workforce,” Vice-President, Cuyahoga Community College.
accelerating the digitization of manufacturing as
says Dr. Marcia Ballinger, President, Lorain County
a whole.
Community College. These are just two examples of many that showcase
the innovative, flexible, collaborative approach to
Another example is Cuyahoga Community College’s education required to propel Northeast Ohio from
Manufacturing Technology Center of Excellence – a talent shortage to a talent influx.

14 15
 The Manufacturing Talent Pipeline Is Broken
Here Are 10 Ways To Fix It

PROBLEM:
Manufacturing is WE NEED TO ATTRACT NEW TALENT
dead last among 1. Raise awareness of manufacturing as a great career with competitive
career industry pay, benefits, and opportunities.
choices for
18-24-year-olds. 2. Find immersive ways (e.g. factory visits, camps, technology showcases)
to show students that manufacturing can be an exciting STEM career.

WE NEED TO MAKE OUR FACTORIES AS DIVERSE AS OUR

COMMUNITIES.
PROBLEM: 3. Create innovative on-ramps for veterans, people with disabilities,
Manufacturing is
people in disadvantaged communities, people of color, women, and
83% white and
the underemployed.
74% male.
4. Increase benchmarking and training on Diversity & Inclusion to help
create more equitable manufacturing workplaces.

WE NEED TO INNOVATE TRAINING

PROBLEM:
57% of 5. Pioneer an innovative mix of college, training, and company programs
manufacturing that are industry-led, flexible, and stay ahead of the technology curve.
companies say they Use what’s already working. (e.g. Sector Partnerships)
can’t find the skilled
workers they need 6. Invest in more German-style apprenticeship, internship, and skills
to grow. certification programs. Expand programs that are working.

PROBLEM: WE NEED TO CELEBRATE MANUFACTURING AS A G

 REAT
The vast majority of PLACE TO WORK
Americans say they won’t
encourage their children 9. Encourage companies to build winning workplace cultures and
to pursue manufacturing pioneer ways to be great employers.
careers because most don’t
believe t hese jobs are 10. Provide forums and workshops to teach and share workplace
interesting, rewarding,
clean, safe, stable, culture best practices.
or secure.

Northeast Ohio can be 

the capital of manufacturing
If we get this right... education in the U.S. We can
finally close the skills gap and
THE PIVOT WE NEED help our regional industry grow
into a global leader. We can
Talent Shortage 4 Talent Influx help thousands of people
move from poverty to
prosperity every year.

16 17
TRANSFORMATION Using Industry
4.0 Technologies
to Unlock They sound like buzzwords, but here are some
examples of what they can do. Cobots are
If companies do invest strategically, it can help
them grow and compete on quality, lead time,

Advantage
collaborative robots, machines that work alongside service offerings, and price. It can also help with
people on the production line doing more of the workforce issues. When some people hear about
repetitive tasks. Big data is taking all the data from Industry 4.0, they think, “That means automation
Technology is to smart manufacturing the computers and sensors on your machines and will take people’s jobs.” Yes, it reduces some jobs.
what coal was to the original steel mills. It using it to monitor performance, find inefficiencies, But the Ohio MEP 2020 Manufacturing Survey
fuels modern production, and we can’t win and prevent things from breaking. Sensors can found that 85% of local companies are using
without it. Hidden behind factory walls, tell you that you need to service a big machine. automation to supercharge productivity rather
the fourth wave of the industrial revolution Connecting your products to the Industrial Internet than replace people. They’re using technology
is completely changing the way we make of Things (IIoT) can tell your customer when they to free people up to do more high-tech jobs like
things and what we make. Industry 4.0 is all need to service something. Virtual reality can help maintaining and running human-machine interfaces.
things digital, automated, and connected: train people safely and more effectively. Employees get to use more mind and less muscle.
cobots, robots, Internet of Things (IoT), And smart manufacturing roles have the added
automation, artificial intelligence, big data, To be clear, this is not about technology for benefit of a wage premium. They pay an average
and more. technology’s sake. This is about empowering and of $12,000 more a year than more traditional
supporting manufacturers to find the best ways to manufacturing jobs.
make these technologies work for them, to make
their businesses better. The challenge now is to find a way for the region to
go from lagging to leading. This is a big leap, and it
And there’s no question, Industry 4.0 technologies won’t be easy. It requires raising awareness, raising
can help us make things better. They have expertise, and raising the profile of “lighthouse”
amazing potential to improve productivity and companies that are doing Industry 4.0 well – so
competitiveness. For example, using big data to do everyone can learn from them. Small companies
advanced analytics can boost production by up to need very practical support and expertise on the
25% and reduce downtime by 45%. shop floor to get them experimenting with digital
technologies. They need opportunities to learn
But, as always, there’s a catch. These technologies from other companies, connect with technology
are expensive and incredibly complex. You can’t suppliers, and see technology in action at the
just buy Industry 4.0 off the shelf. Plus, it might lighthouse companies leading the way. We need to
take several years before a manufacturer sees a find innovative ways to reduce Industry 4.0 financial
return on their investment. So, there’s a significant barriers with incentives, funding, and loan loss
cost and expertise barrier – especially for the small guarantee programs where investors share the risk
manufacturers that make up 90% of our regional on innovative projects. And we need to attract more
industry. That’s why Northeast Ohio is falling behind technology suppliers and startups here so that we
on Industry 4.0 adoption. The Ohio MEP 2020 not only transform our factories with technology
Manufacturing Survey found that investing in new but also invent, commercialize, and export digital
technologies is at the bottom of the priority list for manufacturing technologies themselves.
the vast majority of manufacturers here.
This is how – company by company – we can
It may feel too risky to finance this leap. But accelerate adoption and fast-track technology. It’s
investing wisely in smart technologies is actually de- also how we can make the dream of reshoring a
risking and future-proofing your company and your reality. Transforming our companies with technology
profits. The upfront costs are real, but if we don’t is the only way we can regain our global competitive
adopt and adapt, we simply don’t have a future. advantage and win.

18 19
Technology What It Does

Intelligent robots are used for automation

Robots &
Cobots and production. Cobots are robots that work
collaboratively alongside people.

Using data to monitor production so you

can troubleshoot, prevent problems, address
Big Data
issues quickly, improve efficiency, and share We Are Falling Behind
information across the value chain. on Technology
“We have an opportunity to
The digital transformation journey is reimagine manufacturing in a
just beginning for the vast majority of way that makes a real impact on
Northeast Ohio manufacturers. our community and every single
Additive Using a machine to make a three-dimensional
Manufacturing/ object from a digital model, increasing speed, individual who lives in it. The longer-
3D Printing flexibility, and customization. term engine has to be not only about
what we make today, but about the
Only 10% make innovation we bring to the table that
web-connected helps make things better, smarter,
products. sharper, and faster down the road to
Using machines, human machine interfaces
Automation (HMIs), and digital technology to make
production run automatically. Only 7% are
strengthen and build our economy for
the future. We can do this. There’s no
using cobots
effectively. question in my mind that we can do it
if we do it together. If we leverage the
Investing in resources we have, the relationships
Industry 4.0 is at
Networks of low-cost sensors connecting the bottom of the we have, the expertise we have
Industrial
Internet of machines or products to allow for data priority list for embedded here, we can do it.”
collection, connectivity, monitoring, and
18%
Things (IIoT) most NEO
optimization. Only manufacturers.
Bill Koehler, CEO of Team NEO
are using
automation
profitably.

Using digital technology to prevent disruption

Cybersecurity of operations and protect valuable intellectual
property from virtual threats.
(Source: Ohio MEP 2020 Manufacturing Survey)

20 21
 3D printing could add an
estimated $4.5 billion
to the Northeast Ohio economy.
(Source: Team NEO)

“We had a disastrous fire that wiped it out, burned It seemed like a risky move to invest in expensive
it to the ground. And we were left with a very small digital equipment when the company was insolvent.
machine shop that only had two or three people But Garvey says it was the only choice. It was
working at it at the time. So, we made the decision change or die. It took 10 years to turn the company
not to rebuild the foundry, and I transitioned to around, but the risk paid off.
the machine shop. I didn’t know anything about a
machine shop. And so that learning curve was very “It’s not just the risk, it’s the energy,
steep for me. And through that learning curve, the perseverance, the 100-hour
I met some different people and I realized that
weeks, the sleepless nights. But, yeah,
measurement science was the key to an effective and
successful machine shop,” says Garvey.
they’re definitely paying off. When
I came back in 1985, we had three
That’s when the company began to transition into employees across the machine shop
Technicians at Center Street digital technologies – purchasing machines that and the foundry. We were doing, it’s
Technologies in Youngstown, Ohio. could accurately and precisely measure parts. almost embarrassing to say, probably
$100,000 worth of business a year,
“I learned from my father from the and we were sinking rapidly. Through
M-7 Technologies: Transforming a bronze casting industry that the
key to his success was focusing on
all of these transitions, now, we have
approximately 50 employees. And
Family Foundry into a Digital Pioneer product life cycle, and measurement, we’ve grown our revenue at about
fit and function. We transitioned that 18% a year, year over year, for the last
In 1985, Michael Garvey got a phone call that Garvey was about to find out just how complete
thought process into all mechanical 35 years,” says Garvey.
changed his life. His father was critically ill. It was his that collapse was. He quit his job on Wall Street and operating equipment using up to date,
turn to come home and run the family business in headed home. He was 24. His father was in isolation very leading-edge digital technologies
Youngstown, Ohio. in the hospital for months. And the family foundry to measure items. Then we applied READ THE FULL STORY
was bleeding cash. “We were beyond the brink, we that to steel, iron, and aluminum
“My grandfather started a bronze were insolvent,” says Garvey. and we were able to extend the life
foundry to service the 23 independent cycle of parts for our customers, thus
Starting in the early 1900s, Youngstown was a bustling
steelmakers in this area in 1918. And creating value without increasing
industrial center for coal and then steel. Youngstown’s
he was very successful up to the steel mills were so prosperous that the city became the price,” says Garvey.
Depression. And then the Depression embodiment of the American Dream – with incomes
took him into some financial and home ownership rates among the highest in
challenges. Shortly after World War II, America. But when the steel industry began collapsing
my father joined my grandfather and in the 1970s, Youngstown became a national symbol
built a very, very successful business, for the death of the middle class. In 1977 the Campbell
Works mill closed. In five years, Youngstown lost
servicing steel mills, primary metal
50,000 jobs and $1.3 billion in manufacturing wages.
producers in a 400- to-500-mile radius Hundreds of businesses like Garvey’s went under.
of Youngstown. And then in the 1980s, Countless families lost everything. And the Garveys
everything collapsed,” says Garvey. came very close when disaster struck shortly after
Michael took over the foundry.
Mike Garvey standing inside
his company’s 3D printer
in Youngstown, Ohio.
22 23
 Smart manufacturing could
boost the GRP up to
$13 billion.
(Source: Team NEO)

aware of the pitfalls. That’s why they’re not taking a

technology-first approach – they don’t want to fall into
the “solution looking for a problem to solve” trap.
GOJO, MAKERS OF PURELL™
has plants in Ashland, Cuyahoga Falls,
Navarre, Maple Heights, and Wooster. “This is not about putting technology
in for technology’s sake. This is about
aligning and using that technology as
a key enabler for our business strategy
GOJO, MAKERS OF PURELL™: Using and to continue to grow and profit as “Even seemingly small improvements
Technology to Solve Pandemic-Sized Problems a business. We constantly challenge
and break our current processes.
in operational efficiency generate
thousands of dollars in productivity
So, we really look at using Industry gains and cost savings which add
At the height of the global pandemic in 2020, some makes things – think all things digital, automated, and 4.0 technologies to enable process immense value for manufacturers
manufacturers locked down. Some went out of business connected. Technology is the single biggest reason innovation and continually get better,” in an increasingly competitive
entirely. Others faced unimaginable spikes in demand GOJO was able to triple production virtually overnight. says Onderko.
– companies like GOJO, MAKERS OF PURELL™, the landscape. The IoT Collaborative is
family business in Northeast Ohio that invented hand “It allowed us to get more product out During a year rife with supply chain disruptions, raw
helping drive this kind of innovation
sanitizer in 1988. in the market quicker than we would material shortages, and shutdowns, GOJO was able on behalf of the manufacturing
have if we didn’t have those things to accelerate its use of new technologies – largely sector.”
Despite stress, fear, and unprecedented in place. It helps with the flexibility because it had a clear strategy and had already made
Shilpa Kedar, Co-Executive Director, IoT
new safety protocols, GOJO found and agile manufacturing that are so significant investments. It all started several years ago Collaborative. The IOTC is an educational
a way to deliver. The numbers tell critical. It helps us stay competitive as
with a project to automate the production of custom- collaborative led by Case Western Reserve
labeled hand sanitizer. University and Cleveland State University to
an incredible story. GOJO increased a business,” says Onderko. drive research, innovation, and education to
production of PURELL™ by 300% in unlock the disruptive potential of Internet of
Things in Northeast Ohio.
READ THE FULL STORY
2020. It shipped 140 billion doses of GOJO is investing heavily in Industry 4.0 because
soap, sanitizers, and spray around these technologies are revolutionizing manufacturing.
the world. It ramped up 2.5 million Ever since Henry Ford invented the first production
square feet of new manufacturing and line to make the Model T, manufacturers have been
finding ways to make production easier, faster, and
distribution space. And it hired more
more profitable. Industry 4.0 offers more promise and
than 500 new employees. In one year. progress than any other suite of technologies in history.

For Stephanie Onderko, automation and systems

Collaborative robots that work alongside people.
director for supply chain at GOJO, it was a moment of
Big data from computers and sensors on machines
truth for the company’s purpose of “saving lives and
to remotely monitor and troubleshoot. Artificial
making life better.” People needed GOJO products
intelligence to make instant adjustments on the
to stay safe, and GOJO had to find a way to make
production line. Virtual reality to easily train people.
enough, fast enough.

Like many manufacturers, GOJO is excited about the

The company’s secret weapon was technology. It’s Automated and digital
promise of these technologies. But they’re also very
been investing for years, transforming the way it production line at GOJO,
MAKERS OF PURELL™.

24 25
 85% of NEO companies say they are using automation
to supercharge productivity rather than replace people.
(Source: Ohio MEP 2020 Manufacturing Survey)

a decision to triple our number of 3D printers, and technologically advanced staff.

we went ahead and ordered another 40-odd printers. And that really helped us make this
We worked seven days a week, probably 12, 13 hours
transition quite easily. I know in my
a day. And the printers never stopped. They worked
24 hours a day,” says Kowalski.
industry, the companies that haven’t
made that plunge into technology are
In two months, ROE made 500,000 nasal swabs, falling way behind. And many of them
Masks being made at
Buckeye Mask Company. which allowed the government of Ohio to ramp up won’t make it because not only does
COVID-19 testing and paved the way for the state to technology allow you to do things
safely re-open. Without these swabs, lockdowns and faster, but it also allows it to be more
shutdowns would have continued for weeks longer –
consistent, to be higher quality, and at
costing billions more.
a lower price point,” says Kowalski.
Automation & 3D Printing: “I wanted to get my people back to work. And it was
Saving Lives and Making a New Future also an opportunity to help the people of Ohio, our
Innovation and technology were key for quickly
making hundreds of thousands of testing swabs. They
state, which was even better,” says Kowalski.
also fueled the production of millions of “made in
Ohio” face masks. Carla Macklin is a successful “serial
In just two days, more than 2,000 Ohio to prototype to production in less Despite the disruptions of the pandemic, because
manufacturers joined the fight against COVID-19. entrepreneur” who was working with MAGNET as a
than two weeks,” says Dr. Ethan Karp, the company branched out into new products it was
consultant to help sewing manufacturers convert their
It was March 2020. The governor had just put out able to grow its workforce from 180 to 220 people
President & CEO of MAGNET. production to gowns and masks. Even with heroic
an urgent call for help. Spurred by stories of nurses in the last year. The fact the company had already
wearing garbage bags and doctors using the same efforts, they were only able to produce 150,000 masks
transformed its operations and trained its workforce
All told, the Alliance produced 15 million pieces of PPE a week by hand. And they were simply too expensive
dirty masks for a week, the Ohio Manufacturing in digital production and 3D printing was a huge
in a few months as thousands of Ohio manufacturers and of variable quality.
Alliance to Fight COVID-19 was formed to make benefit when it came to the transition.
made a powerful pivot. They went from making toys
personal protective equipment (PPE).
to face shields, from whiskey to hand sanitizer, from That’s when Macklin decided to start a mask business.
mattresses to medical gowns. ROE Dental Laboratory “We’ve really evolved into computer
MAGNET was one of the Alliance leaders, working
in Independence, Ohio, which normally makes crowns screens and milling machines and
alongside the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, the
Ohio Hospital Association, the Ohio Manufacturing
and dentures, was part of the pivot. working with a mouse as opposed READ THE FULL STORY
Extension Partnership (Ohio MEP), and JobsOhio. to hand tools. So, we have a very
“Unfortunately, and with a heavy heart, we laid off
MAGNET started by producing 1 million reusable
probably about 70% of our workforce with the full
face shields.
intention of hiring everyone back. But shortly after
that happened, I started looking into what we could do
“We were on the phone all hours of with all the technology and 3D printers we have here,”
the day and night. Tracking down says BJ Kowalski, President of ROE Dental Laboratory.
plastic leads. Bringing decision
makers together to make lightning- In April, ROE started working with the Alliance to
fast decisions on funding. Driving make face shields and nasal swabs with 3D printing.
Automated sewing
the prototype back and forth across machines at Buckeye
“At the time, the two main producers of nasal Mask Company.
Cleveland to improve it with doctors’ pharyngeal swabs were woefully undersized for the
feedback. The way it all came together worldwide need. They couldn’t handle the demand
was incredible. We went from an idea because everyone wanted to get tested. So, I made

ROE Dental in
Independence, Ohio.
26 27
 THE PIVOT WE NEED
Rust Belt 4 Technology Belt

28 29
 New Products,
New Services And that innovation needs to happen at several differentiating themselves, making themselves truly
INNOVATION and New Ways
levels, simultaneously. We need new products and
new services across the board from big companies,
unique compared to their peers, they risk going
out of business as the industry evolves, a segment
small companies, spinoffs, and startups. And this disappears, or they lose a major customer.
of Working means we need to create an environment where
innovation and innovators can thrive. We need to But Innovation isn’t just about inventing a
invest in the ecosystem – all the supports that make proprietary product. It can also help contract
The future is not incremental. It’s innovation. spinoffs and startups easier and create common manufacturers move up the value chain and protect
It’s invention. It’s using technology to make spaces for experimentation and innovation. This their future. There’s a real opportunity to look at
new ideas come to life. It’s relentlessly will not only help manufacturers but lift the entire how innovation and technology can unlock growth
regional economy. pathways. We need to provide experts to help
looking at your products, services, and
companies think outside the “order-taking” box. How
ways of working and seeking to make them
We may be great at minding the store. But, at can they use technology to help customers with
better – that’s where the opportunities lie.
the moment, Northeast Ohio is falling behind on product design and optimization? How can they
Manufacturing growth will only come through
innovation. The Ohio MEP 2020 Manufacturing digitally integrate into the customer’s supply chain
innovation; without it, the industry will Survey found that 75% of Northeast Ohio to provide better service? If a contract manufacturer
inevitably shrink. manufacturers say innovation is not a top priority. can reduce its cost and provide seamless service,
And according to McKinsey & Company, Cleveland faster prototyping, more sophisticated sensors
generates about 20% more inventions per $1 million to optimize quality, better lot tracing, better
invested. But only one startup is commercialized cybersecurity, and shorter lead times because of
for every 10 patents. That’s three times below the smart investments in innovation and technology –
average in peer cities. Another barrier is a lack of that’s a win for the company and the region.
innovation funding, particularly the early-stage
dollars needed to attract startups. Compared to peer Another proven way to grow new ideas is to
cities, Cleveland is in the bottom third of attracting encourage companies to look on their own shelves
early-stage venture capital - only 0.4% of GRP is to get the inside track on innovation. The concept
currently being invested. of intrapreneurship – encouraging people to think
and act like entrepreneurs inside an established
To build innovation capabilities across the region, company – is a powerful one. This helps companies
we need to find new sources of capital. We need an find different ways to use what they’re uniquely
early-stage venture fund focused on commercializing great at to solve new problems and move into
Industry 4.0 applications in manufacturing. We need adjacent markets. Incubating these ideas and then
new collaborations with colleges and universities spinning them off into new companies has been
that grow engineering talent while stoking applied tremendously successful for some high-profile
research. If that research is chosen strategically, companies in the region, and there’s a mine of
the benefits trickle down to the small companies potential here to learn from.
that power the large company supply chains, then
back up to the large anchor companies through Without exception, one thing we heard from every
advancements in products and production. entrepreneur and innovator is that we need to
rethink risk. To be great at innovation, we have to
Contract manufacturers, which make up the vast reframe our mindset and see risk as something to be
majority of our regional industry, face a specific managed, not avoided. Northeast Ohio has all the
challenge when it comes to innovation. These “build building blocks of a robust and successful innovation
to print” shops don’t own proprietary products – ecosystem – we just need to overcome our innate
they build them to specifications provided by other Midwestern conservatism, start taking more smart
manufacturers. These companies have provided risks, and invest in more big ideas in the smart
many great jobs for decades, but the long-term manufacturing space.
challenge is viability. If they are not investing in

30 31
 “There just was an openness that, if we’re going to do
this and really build an enterprise sustainably for the
Our Innovation
long term, we’re going to have to do things differently, Opportunity
and we won’t be able to do it the way that Bettcher
did it. We need to develop it the way that a successful
Boost Funding: Particularly
medical device company would,” says MacKinlay.
the early-stage dollars
Moving into the heavily regulated world of medical needed to attract startups.
devices meant building Exsurco from the ground up Compared to peer cities,
– a new state-of-the-art facility in Wakeman, Ohio, Cleveland is in the bottom
and a team with deep medical expertise. Bettcher’s
Exsurco Medical’s Amalgatome ® SD. support as a parent company was invaluable during
third of attracting early-stage
this early stage, recalls MacKinlay. venture capital - only 0.4%
of GRP is currently being
Bettcher Industries & Exsurco Medical: “Medical device is not for the faint invested.
of heart. It requires investment. It
Leapfrogging from Meat to Medical requires change management. It Boost Support:
with a Smart Risk on Innovation requires a very different commitment Cleveland generates about
to building infrastructure, processes 20% more inventions per $1M
In 2008, someone called the switchboard at Bettcher been innovating ever since. In fact, in 2016 it and process controls. There was really invested than peer cities.
Industries. It regularly gets calls from around the opened a dedicated Innovation Center at its global this mentality of, build the team, get But only 1 startup is
world about the cutting tools it makes for meat headquarters in Birmingham, Ohio. The company’s the right leaders in place, and go forth
processing plants. But this call was different. It was strong culture of innovation meant that when commercialized for every 10
and prosper. To me, that’s the ultimate
so strange it would have been easy to ignore as a someone called with a problem – no matter how patents. That’s 3 times less
prank. But it actually spawned a new company strange – the response was entrepreneurial: “How can
empowerment. And I think that’s really
what has led to our success.” than peer cities.
and an invention that’s saving lives. Sara Ann we solve that?” The person who called Bettcher that
MacKinlay, President of Exsurco Medical, recalls day in 2008 worked at a tissue bank, an organization
(Source: McKinsey & Company analysis)
the moment that’s become part of the company’s where people donate organs when they die, including
founding folklore. skin that can be used to help people who need grafts. READ THE FULL STORY
The tissue bank worker had a serious problem he
“It was a tissue banking professional couldn’t find an instrument on the market to solve –
who asked the question, ‘Do you until he saw Bettcher’s unique circular meat trimmers.

sell products that could be used for Members of the Exsurco Medical
“He was really describing the problems that they
recovering human skin?’ I guess you were having in terms of recovering and maximizing
team in Wakeman, Ohio.

can imagine the shock and surprise the gift of skin from donors. The current product they
of someone on the customer service were using was sub-optimal, wasn’t meeting their
line. And the part of the story that I needs, and Bettcher’s engineer developed a great
really love is rather than saying, ‘No, relationship with this prospective customer and a
we don’t do that. You’ve got the wrong product concept was developed,” says MacKinlay.

number,’ that spirit of ingenuity and

Bettcher saw an unmet need and a chance to use
innovation was, ‘Let me connect you its expertise in a new industry. So, it incubated the
with our engineers. They might have idea for several years. After much research, iteration,
an idea on how to help you,’” says prototyping and a strategic hire from a Cleveland-
MacKinlay. based tissue bank (plus a $1 million JobsOhio Third
Frontier grant) a product called the Amalgatome ®
Bettcher invented the first mechanically powered MD was born. It was a big leap from meat to medical,
hand-held meat trimmer back in 1954 and it’s so it was time to spin-off a new company.

32 33
 inflammation of the soft tissues within
the oral cavity, and in certain patient
populations like head and neck
cancer patients, virtually all of them
will get this condition. As it becomes
severe, it can lead to terrible pain and
prevent a patient from being able to
eat or speak. This is an absolutely
debilitating problem for which there
is no adequate solution on the market
today,” says Kothari.

Seeing a big opportunity, Lumitex hired Kothari to

Peter Broer and Vedang Kothari.
develop the idea. The company prides itself on having
an extremely innovative culture. It actively fosters
intrapreneurship – where an established company

Lumitex and MuReva: Light Years Ahead rewards, nurtures, and incubates entrepreneurial
thinking, innovation, and risk-taking.
“Investing in innovation, investing in
transformation, is required not only to grow
with Innovation and Intrapreneurship “I always like to joke that being an intrapreneur is like
your business, it’s required to sustain your
business. If you’re not willing to make those
being an entrepreneur with training wheels. It was investments today, I guarantee one of your
In six short years, Vedang Kothari went from intern to Peter Broer, who has been CEO of like having my own startup, but I had Lumitex’s whole
competitors across the world is making
CEO. His meteoric rise was powered by three things: Lumitex for 30 years. staff of engineers to support me in any area I needed.
a groundbreaking invention to help cancer patients,
those investments, positioning them to
And I knew that no matter what happened, we had a
a CEO who believed in him, and a company that’s great senior staff and team that wouldn’t let me fail. take business from you in the future.
And that’s where Kothari comes in. He first met Broer
excellent at incubating innovation. That company is That really gave me the confidence I needed to be For Cleveland, if we don’t invest in smart
when he was completing his master’s in engineering
Lumitex – a lighting manufacturer in Strongsville, Ohio. and management at Case Western Reserve University, successful,” says Kothari. manufacturing at scale, another region will,
after having done his undergraduate in biomedical and our industrial heritage will be a part of
“We try to improve life by innovating engineering at Case as well. The company was awarded two Small Business our history rather than a platform for our
with light. Innovation is in our bones – Innovation Research grants from the National
future.”
Institutes of Health to fund research and develop a
everything we’ve ever done has been “Here comes this California kid at Case Western
prototype. The team created a silicone-based light Baiju Shah, President & CEO of the
unique and very often a first in the Reserve looking for an internship. So, we say, ‘Vedang,
emitter and mouthpiece that can treat the entire Greater Cleveland Partnership and head of the
how else can light help treat medical conditions?’ He
industry. How do you wrap a baby mouth in just five minutes a day – stopping oral
Cleveland Innovation Project
goes off and does this study. He comes up with 25
with light to treat jaundice without different applications, ranks them all on eight different mucositis before it ever starts. That’s when Broer
heating the baby? We did that. How ratings, and presents them to the board. And one faced the all-important question of when to spin off
do you backlight a laptop keyboard of the board members was so excited about this, he the new company.
at a quarter of a millimeter thick? practically jumped on the table,” recalls Broer.
We did that. We light deep inside
READ THE FULL STORY
surgical cavities so that surgeons What had the Lumitex board so excited was Kothari’s
idea to use light to prevent and treat a terrible side
can see what they’re doing. Lately,
effect of cancer therapy called oral mucositis.
we’ve been working at the cutting
edge of photobiomodulation, which “Whether you go through
involves accelerating the body’s self- chemotherapy or radiation therapy,
protective mechanisms with light to you can develop this as a side effect.
treat conditions in the body,” says It’s characterized by an ulceration and MuReva
Phototherapy’s
invention to treat oral
mucositis.
34 35
 Technician explaining a
Kinetico water system.

Successful innovation has fueled rapid growth –

Kinetico has tripled in size in the last decade. And it’s
become a triple threat when it comes to innovation.
One, they innovate their products and how they
manufacture them. Bright yellow robotic arms work

Kinetico: Relentlessly the line, installing cartridges in water systems.

And they just started linking their products to the

Innovating and Rethinking Water Internet of Things (IoT) so customers can get alerts
on their smartphones when filters need changing.
Two, they innovate their marketing and distribution.
They drive demand by educating people about
A black tank sits in a dusty field in the blazing trust us, and depend on us. We’re really rethinking
the universal need to understand what’s in your
Texas sun. It doesn’t look like much, but inside it’s a water. We do that by bringing the best technology,
water and how to make it healthier. They constantly
brilliantly engineered water filter running entirely on the best people, and the best services to help people
improve how they get their products to market
waterpower. get better water in their lives,” says Thomas. “It’s imperative that we lead and we
through a robust network of dealer-installers. And
three, they innovate processes and supply chains to focus on advanced manufacturing, smart
“Inside it looks like a Swiss watch. It You may not know the company name – but you’ve
continuously improve quality and efficiency. Most factories, Industry 4.0. This is how we
has many, many small moving plastic probably used water they’ve treated. Kinetico
importantly, all this innovation is tied directly to the stay competitive. If we don’t then we risk
helps a national coffee chain filter its water so your
parts that require high-precision company’s strategy. obsolescence. It’s critically important that
cappuccino tastes the same no matter what city
molding using some challenging you’re in. They purify water for treatments like kidney we drive manufacturing innovation so
specialty plastics that need to be dialysis. They make contaminated water safe to drink “If you don’t have a good strategy and that Ohio’s manufacturers continue to be
manufactured and assembled into in hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses you don’t have a good foundation, it’s among the most productive and innovative
a system that is very compact and around the world. And they’re able to do all of this the old metaphor – you can’t build a in the world. This is the manufacturing
robust. They can last for 10, 20, often because of one thing: relentless innovation. house on sand. You fundamentally heartland of the United States. We can
30 years, even in the most hazardous need to start from where you stand make anything here, we can make it better.”
conditions. Many people have tried “We relentlessly and systematically and what you do really well, stick
to copy and imitate what we do, look at how to go to market more with it, and really build from that. The Ryan Augsburger
but they can’t,” says Toby Thomas, effectively, how to improve the growth will come, the opportunities
President, Ohio Manufacturers’ Association

President & CEO of Kinetico. effectiveness and efficiency of our will come,” says Thomas.
products and services, and how to
Kinetico is a global company based in Newbury, make things in a way that’s not only
Ohio. It employs more than 500 people in nine economical and cost-effective but READ THE FULL STORY
countries. It’s privately held, but estimates put produces very high-quality product
annual revenue in the hundreds of millions. The
and does so in a very reliable and
company makes innovative water treatment products
– softeners, reverse osmosis systems, and filters for
effective way. It’s not rocket science – Robots on the production line
at Kinetico in Newbury, Ohio.
homes and businesses. The vast majority of them know what you’re good at, stick with
don’t require any electricity or batteries. Kinetico is a it and really focus on it. Focus on the
market leader in every category it’s in. critical few things that drive your
success in the market and build your
“We’re this little company that not many people have innovation around that,” says Thomas.
heard of, but those who need us absolutely know us,

36 37
We are Falling Behind the Innovation Curve

New product
launches
are down 12
percentage points

45% of
since 2017.
Only 14% of
manufacturers companies say
in Northeast Ohio innovation is a
did not launch a core part of their
new product strategy.
in 2019. (Source: Ohio MEP 2020
Manufacturing Survey)

THE PIVOT WE NEED

Order Taker 4 Innovator If We Build This...
• NORTHEAST OHIO WILL BECOME THE FIRST CHOICE FOR MANUFACTURING STARTUPS.
• WE WILL HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF R&D IN THE COUNTRY.
• WE WILL LEAD THE WORLD IN SMART MANUFACTURING.

38 39
 Boldly Lead our Companies and Region
LEADERSHIP
We need bold leadership at every level to lead the go from a loose collection of initiatives to a powerful
world in smart manufacturing. partnership united behind one vision for the future of
manufacturing.
Like the leadership of LeBron James when he and the
Cavaliers ended a 52-year drought by winning the It won’t be easy. It won’t happen overnight. It’s going
NBA Championship. James motivated his team to one to be messy and incredibly complicated. But the
of the most incredible comebacks in sports history to upside is immense. And we can only get there if we
win it all, down to the wire, in Game 7. work together. We need to start by coming together
– collaboration is the only way to drive this kind
Like the captain of Oracle Team USA in America’s of complex and multifaceted regional change. We
Cup in 2013. Despite a superstar crew and a $10 need to work across companies, communities, and
million boat, they were about to lose. They were governments to create competitive talent solutions;
down eight races to one and then they won nine offer the support, incentives, and funding companies
straight races to take the cup. How did they win? need to accelerate Industry 4.0 adoption; and build a
They identified four key things and changed them: world-class innovation ecosystem, together.
strategy, team members, techniques, and boat
modifications. They knew that if they made the right We don’t want to reinvent the wheel. We want to
changes, they could change the future. They did double down on proven strategies already in place
and we can too. We just have to come together as a and build what’s missing. We plan to focus on scaling
team and focus on changing four key things: talent, collaborations that are working, such as sector
transformation, innovation, and leadership. partnerships and the Smart Manufacturing Cluster.
We also need to leverage the amazing network of
Our manufacturing industry has fought back from large corporations headquartered in the region to
the brink many times. We’re already masters of the directly fund and advocate for more community and
comeback, and we can do it again. We have the government funding for the things we need to do to
vision. We have the legacy. We certainly have the grit drive change.
and pride. Now we need inspirational leadership at
all levels to bring it all together and make it happen – This includes promoting and advocating for the
company leadership, industry leadership, community policies and community investments manufacturing
leadership, and government leadership. needs to thrive. For example, companies can’t build
the future without the infrastructure of the future.
Catalyzing this leadership and synchronizing it We need a strong, united voice as we work towards
is probably the single greatest challenge of this better public transportation, innovative solutions
Blueprint. We need to partner across companies, to get urban workers to job hubs, reliable utilities,
communities, and governments. We need to connect high-speed internet, and better roads – all the
existing initiatives, groups, and funding for maximum scaffolding we need to become a world leader in
impact. We need to sail in the same direction so that smart manufacturing.
we all get to a better future, faster.
There is no single voice, no single leader at the helm –
There is so much great work already happening in no one company, board, or organization can own this
workforce development, education, manufacturing, strategy. This is something we can only achieve as a
innovation, and Industry 4.0. We don’t want to team, by aligning our activities, agreeing on outcomes,
duplicate it – we want to harness it. There are more and pushing progress in the same direction. By leading
than 300 organizations in Northeast Ohio working wherever we are, doing whatever we can to advance
on economic and workforce development. We want to the Blueprint and make manufacturing better.

40 41
LEADERSHIP
Jergens and Jack Schron:
Leading with Education, Integrity,
and Inclusivity
Jack Schron Jr. is positive Northeast Ohio has what the hospitality sector who wants a
it takes to be the smart manufacturing capital of higher-paying manufacturing job
the United States, and he’s doing his part to help it Employees at Jergens in
has the opportunity to upskill into Cleveland’s Collinwood
earn that title — much more than his part, by most
measures. As President & CEO of Jergens Inc.,
the role. We have to be inclusive. neighborhood.

a Cuyahoga County councilman, and a longtime We want everyone to be a part of

leader in the worlds of education, workforce manufacturing,” says Schron.
development, and community service, Schron has
established himself as a champion of Northeast Ohio’s The Schron family company has never hesitated to
manufacturing evolution. lead by example. Since Jergens was founded by Jack
Schron Sr. in 1942, the company has always tried, as
From his unique vantage point, he believes education Schron puts it, “to do the right thing for our people, they would be able to build parts.” Within its walls, Jergens makes a concerted effort
coupled with a “big tent” mentality will be the most our community, and the environment.” Those parts would later prove to be to ensure its employees have every opportunity to
critical component behind the region’s advancement. move up through training and skills development —
crucial to the war effort.
And Jergens has certainly walked all paid for by the company.
“For Northeast Ohio to be a leader the talk when it comes to engaging The company continues to live that commitment
Schron proudly recounts the story of an employee
in manufacturing, we have to lead and training the next generation of because, says Schron, “education raises the level for
who began her career at Jergens in the shipping
with workforce and trained skills. manufacturing talent. Schron explains: everyone who wants to enhance their lives, not only
department “with no manufacturing skills
That’s instrumental to building a “Education is in our DNA. Our those earning degrees, but those who want to learn
whatsoever.” She has since moved on to run
a skill. That’s the fundamental foundation behind
foundation for growth, and it will drive commitment began when my dad and sophisticated machines, a role in the quality lab
all of our training programs, apprenticeships, and
manufacturing businesses here. And grandfather took the initiative to train internships, and it’s why we started Tooling U ©.”
and, then became a department supervisor. He is
the manufacturing community has people during World War II so that also particularly proud of Jergens’ first-of-its-kind
to open up a big tent. That means program for special-needs students. The students
Tooling U © was launched by Jergens in 2001 as a
and two full-time teachers spend the entire school
welcoming special-needs kids to the response to the looming skilled labor shortage. It
year at Jergens, in a factory-floor training facility,
manufacturing floor. That means sold to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers ©
learning invaluable career and life skills.
welcoming second-chance individuals in 2010 and is now the largest online manufacturing
training platform of its kind, boasting more than
who were formerly incarcerated. It
half of the Fortune 500 as clients. Over the
means that somebody coming from years, approximately 800,000 students have
READ THE FULL STORY
taken millions of courses ranging from basics like
blueprint reading to advanced welding techniques.

Jack Schron Jr. in

Cleveland.

42 43
LEADERSHIP
Pierre’s Ice Cream Company: Bold Leadership
Shelley Roth, President & CEO
of Pierre’s Ice Cream Company in
Cleveland with Ray Barlow, Lead
that Puts People and Community First Sanitation Team Member.

Pierre’s Ice Cream Company started out as a small shop in intended to take over. She moved to New York to
1932. Today, it has about 36 million scoops of ice cream work at Atlantic Records, until her dad asked her to
in its freezer. The company has moved and expanded come home.
many times, but it has always stayed in the MidTown no secret recipe for this success – it starts with
neighborhood, in the heart of Cleveland. “At the time it was a hard decision because in getting the basics right. Focus on customers. Focus
1979, Cleveland had just defaulted. I was having on quality. Develop a team that shares these values.
“The whole time we’ve been within one square mile of our a great time in New York City. I was working for a And build a place where people love to come to work.
origin. This is our home. And we wanted to support it,” says very exciting industry, show biz. But deep down,
Shelley Roth, President of Pierre’s Ice Cream Company. the most important thing to me was supporting my “I think we have a great team. It’s such
In the 1980s, Pierre’s outgrew its factory and needed to family and my father. And so, I returned to Cleveland a pleasure to be here every day and
build a new one. At that time, MidTown was littered with and then really was blessed to have that ability to
work side by side with the team. When
abandoned buildings, crumbling sidewalks, and vacant lots work side by side with my father in the eighties. He
filled with trash. No one was building anything. There was was truly courageous in inviting a daughter to join
people go to work, they should like
zero investment. Until Roth made a bold and risky decision him because back then, dads weren’t inviting their what they do, they should enjoy their
BEFORE:
MidTown to revitalize an 8-acre brownfield site. daughters to help, but he had faith in me,” says Roth. surroundings and their team members.
Cleveland in the And we try to create that collaborative
1980s.
“When we made the decision 40 some Roth personifies the leadership it takes to build and atmosphere,” says Roth.
years ago to do this, we were the sustain a thriving manufacturing business. Since
she’s been at the helm of Pierre’s, sales have grown
pioneers to plant a flag and say, ‘Yes,
exponentially. The company has gone from offering READ THE FULL STORY
we’ll remain here. We’ll create a state-of- one product in three flavors to more than 235
the-art facility.’ We were one of the first different products and flavors. And she says there’s
companies to have new construction
between Cleveland State and Cleveland
Clinic. And suddenly, we were designing
it with windows and landscaping and
nice features to really make a difference.
Once we moved in, in ‘95, it took another
20 years for things to fill in around us.
So, we stayed here alone that whole time,
AFTER: Pierre’s Ice
knowing eventually it would take hold and
Cream Company’s now it’s really transformed,” says Roth.
headquarters
helped to transform
MidTown. A strong sense of loyalty – to the community, customers,
and employees – has always been at the heart of this Marvin Blythe,
family business. And it’s actually a business Roth never Maintenance Technician,
Pierre’s Ice Cream
Company.

44 45
LEADERSHIP
Lincoln Electric: Team members at Lincoln Electric
in Euclid, Ohio.
Welding a Better World
Lincoln Electric was founded in Cleveland in 1895 since the late 1940s. It invests heavily in training and
with $200, an invention, and a dream. John C. Lincoln paying for performance. In fact, Lincoln’s incentive
wanted to manufacture his innovative electric motor management system is so unique that several
and build a company where people worked by the business cases have been written about it by the
golden rule. One hundred and twenty-six years later, Harvard Business School.
recruiting and training programs like MAGNET’s should be very proud, but we need
Early College, Early Career program, where Lincoln to set the bar higher, because I don’t
Lincoln is still headquartered here in Euclid, Ohio,
is a founding partner. Mapes says it’s been life
but it’s now the world’s largest welding company — a “All of our employees here in Northeast Ohio are want him to come and just work for
changing for his company and for the students
$2.7 billion multinational corporation, operating in 18 bonus eligible, every one of them. And we have
who get to intern and take college courses in
Lincoln Electric — I want him to come
countries with almost 11,000 employees. One thing a profit-sharing program for nearly all employees
manufacturing while still in high school. and be a leader at Lincoln Electric.’
has not changed though. The company’s culture is here in Northeast Ohio,” says Mapes. “That, And that conversation will always
still centered around the same thing. foundationally, for me, is a company that cares about
“I saw one of the young men who is stay with me.”
its people and recognizes that they can be a big part
“The golden rule — treating others as of the success that we’re driving for the company.” in the program, and I sat down, and
you want to be treated — it is really he introduced me to his mom, and his
READ THE FULL STORY
simple. And that code of ethics is Lincoln is known for having exceptionally loyal mom was so proud of him being part
what is at the heart of successful
employees — many who stay with the company their of our company and the program. She
organizations,” says Chris Mapes,
entire careers. But that doesn’t mean it’s immune said all she could hope for was that
to the shortage of skilled workers affecting the
Chairman, President & CEO of Lincoln one day he might have a chance to
manufacturing industry.
Electric. “When we think about our work for Lincoln Electric. I remember
company, we think first about the “At Lincoln Electric, we’re not going to telling her, ‘Well, look, I think you
culture and the people, then about the sit around and say, ‘There’s a skills gap,
products and the processes. Products there’s a talent gap, and that means
and processes evolve over time. Our we’re not going to be able to execute
culture is foundationally driven around on our strategy, because we can’t find
living and leading by the golden rule. the people we need.’ That’s just not an
And we know that if we’re doing that, acceptable answer. We are going to
everything else follows.” passionately continue to do the things
that we think are critical to be able to
That ethos helped Lincoln gain recognition as one of overcome that challenge,” says Mapes.
the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere®
for four years running. And it shapes every aspect This includes raising awareness of great
of how the company treats its people. Lincoln has manufacturing careers, sponsoring tuition for
not laid off a single employee in Northeast Ohio employees, and getting involved in innovative

46 47
 Here's the Leadership We Need to Lead
the World in Smart Manufacturing

i t m e n t
Comm
NORTHEAST
Shift our
Help our companies collective
earn the right to win gaze to
with optimized internal building the
operations, winning future.
workplace cultures, people-
first talent plans,
differentiated products/
services, and enough Bold leadership and radical
scale to innovate
and grow.
Commit to fixing
collaboration can drive real
broken workforce
systems, adopting
change. We are exponentially
technology faster than
anywhere else, and
stronger when we come together
Radically
Advocate for
the infrastructure
building an unbeatable
innovation collaborate to in powerful partnerships. If we all
ecosystem. change the
investments
manufacturing needs to systems and break pull in the same direction we will
thrive – world-class down the barriers
transportation, utilities, that hold us get to a better future, faster.

Courage
high-speed internet, back.

Collabora
and roads.

tion
Trade risk-
aversion for Align our
Pivot from activities, agree
entrepreneurial individual
risk-taking. on outcomes, and
initiatives to push progress in the
Celebrate the powerful same direction.
courageous leaders partnerships.
who galvanize
Create mission- support in their own Focus on
driven funds to companies and collaborations that
facilitate leadership across the region to are already working to
transitions and keep drive real change. drive change such as
manufacturing jobs here Sector Partnerships
when companies can’t and the SMART
make the changes Manufacturing
needed to Cluster.
succeed.

Make bold
investments
in talent,
innovation, and
technology.

48 49
 Dr. Ethan Karp with
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine
and Lt. Governor Jon Husted.

THE PIVOT WE NEED

Individual Initiatives 4 Powerful Partnerships

The Path Forward: Doing the Work

This is a vision for the future of manufacturing in working together to solve systemic problems because
Northeast Ohio. But at the heart of it, it’s not really we all believe that manufacturing is our future.
about manufacturing. It’s about making life better
for every person who lives here. It’s about growing This vision is bold. It’s aspirational. And it’s ours to
our industry so we can live up to our full economic build. We estimate that if we succeed, we can create
potential and grow the region’s prosperity. 3,000 new advanced manufacturing jobs every year.
That’s 30,000 direct jobs in the next decade, which
If we lead the world in smart manufacturing, here’s would support 120,000 indirect jobs in the community.
what our future can look like. Our talent shortage Achieving this would increase Northeast Ohio’s
becomes a talent influx. People are lined up for manufacturing GRP an estimated $10 billion by 2030,
manufacturing jobs, and we are the capital of providing a $40 billion boost to the regional economy.
manufacturing education in the United States. We
put everyone to work. Our plants are as diverse as our To get there, we all need to do the work. Like LeBron
cities. Manufacturing is a career of opportunity. It gives James said when he came home to Cleveland, “In
more people a pathway to prosperity. We are no longer Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned.
the Rust Belt, we are the Technology Belt. We adopt You work for what you have. I’m ready to accept the
Industry 4.0 faster than our competition – giving us challenge.”
huge productivity, quality, and lead time advantages.
We lead with ideas and innovation. Northeast Ohio is Our challenge is clear. We need to do the work. We
the first choice for manufacturing startups and has one need to stand up and use our individual and collective
of the highest rates of R&D in the country. As a result, leadership influence to make manufacturing and our
we become a hotbed for investment. And all of this is community better. We need to lead boldly so that
powered by partnership – companies and communities Northeast Ohio can lead the world.

50 51
Bringing the Blueprint to Life Our Targets
TALENT TRANSFORMATION INNOVATION LEADERSHIP

5 YEARS
1. SHARE • Join our campaign to broadly share the Blueprint across the region.
• Help us win hearts and minds and galvanize our community towards 100% increase in 20% of manufacturers 2x the number of 2x increase in talent
action. graduates from piloting advanced manufacturing-related transformation, and
advanced manufacturing manufacturing startups receiving motivation investment
2. ALIGN • Join us as a Blueprint Champion.
programs technologies external funding
• Align your messaging and actions around the four key themes of Talent,
Transformation, Innovation, and Leadership. 2x increase in the
• Help foster collective action and build a unified vision of the journey and 3x increase in 100% increase in $10M increase of seed number of collaborating
destination ahead. manufacturing adoption of advanced stage investment organizations as
companies on ‘Best manufacturing technology in manufacturing measured by participation
3. COLLABORATE • Actively work to tie together existing and future manufacturing initiatives.
Places to Work’ list by manufacturers startups in alliances, councils and
• Use the Blueprint as a forcing function to link initiatives, connect the dots
on funding, reduce duplication and waste, coordinate messaging, and clusters
push collective progress in the same direction. 3,000 additional
manufacturing jobs $45M invested in support
4. ENGAGE • Come together as manufacturing leaders to lead initiatives and filled by women and of diverse ownership
provide overall Blueprint oversight. The Blueprint is meant to advance
people of color transitions
manufacturing, so manufacturing leaders must drive it forward.
• Convene a group of leading manufacturers to oversee the Blueprint – a
group we have named the Manufacturing Innovation Council. 20% increase in people
of color and women in
5. MEASURE • Set collective targets for success and make sure our strategies, tactics, manufacturing executive
and initiatives build towards achieving those goals. pathway positions
• Work with the Manufacturing Innovation Council and other stakeholders
to measure and monitor our progress so we stay on track for success.

TALENT TRANSFORMATION INNOVATION LEADERSHIP

10 YEARS
All manufacturing 30,000 new advanced 2% in manufacturing Manufacturing
jobs filled upon manufacturing jobs related GRP growth employment equals
demand created (above national the diversity of the
average) population

“We need bold manufacturing leaders who take

risks, invest in talent, technology and innovation.
We need leaders who grow and advance their
companies so we can all benefit. And as a region,
we need to think about ways to turn chaotic
individual initiatives into powerful partnerships.
Our Vision for Success
Partnerships that move us in the same direction.
Because we really are exponentially stronger
when we come together.” 3,000 new advanced $10B increase in $40B boost to the
manufacturing jobs manufacturing GRP regional economy
Dr. Ethan Karp, President & CEO, MAGNET every year. by 2030 by 2030

(Source: MAGNET analysis)

52 53
Make it Better
Learn More: www.makeitbetterohio.org
Join Us: blueprint@makeitbetterohio.org

Copyright © MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network