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February 2012 

in this issue
Silent Auction for the Annual Meeting
New Members
Rochling Automotive Opens their Doors in Akron
Newell Rubbermaid Expands Mogadore Facility
Akron STEM High School Prepares to Open
Akron Represented at International Medical Show
Call for 30 for the Future Nominations

105th Annual Meeting & Silent Auction

When:
March 15, 2012

5:00-8:30 p.m.
Where: John S. Knight Center
77 E. Mill St., Akron 

Register here.

 

Silent Auction
Showcase your products and services to more than 800 corporate decision makers. Proceeds benefit the Chamber's educational programs. Contact Sarah Vojtek by e-mail or phone at (330) 237-1254 to donate an item.

New Members*

101 Bottles of Beer

  on the Wall  

B S Bonyo D.O. &
  Associates
Bath Township 
Best Mold & Mfg. 
Beyond Eating 
City Yellow Cab 
Fast Lane 
First Realty Property
  Management
Five Star Aviation 
Fleet Maintenance
  Service of Ohio
  Company 
Joseph Adams
  Corporation 
  Hospital 
One of a Kind Pet
  Rescue  
Primerica - Hudson  
Psychological &
  Behavoral Consultants
Railroad Traffic Control 
Robert P. Smith
  Mortuary Service
  A. Berger 
Rootstown Chamber of
  Commerce  
Spine Align
Stinnett, Padrutt &
  Aranyosi Co.  
Three Roses Gift
  Boutique  
Village Auto Wash 
W A Miller Lease
  Consulting
Workman Industrial
  Services
 
* from January & December

 


The mission of the Greater Akron Chamber is to drive economic development and prosperity for the people of the Greater Akron Region.
Röchling Automotive Opens Its
Doors in Akron
Rochling Automotive logo

On January 11, Röchling Automotive opened its second U.S. plant. Located in Springfield Township, the company's new facility is approximately 80,000 square feet and will employ 115 workers by the end of 2012. Röchling also plans to establish co-op and apprenticeship programs with both Stark State College and The University of Akron.

Röchling's decision to locate within the Greater Akron region was made after an extensive site search throughout the Midwest region of the United States. Röchling officials acknowledged the collaborative efforts of the local development team led by the City of Akron and the Greater Akron Chamber as the deciding factors.

Justin White, project manager for Röchling Akron, praised Akron, Springfield Township and Summit County for a partnership that helped complete this ambitious construction project within a tight timeframe.

Röchling manufactures plastic parts for the automotive industry, including composites for the engine compartment, the underbody and the interior.

Newell Rubbermaid Expands Mogadore Facility


Newell Rubbermaid announced plans to add nearly 140 full-time jobs and invest over $25 million in its Rubbermaid manufacturing facility on Gilchrist Road in the Village of Mogadore. The investment will include the purchase of new machinery and equipment, as well as infrastructure improvements. Newell Rubbermaid currently employs over 700 workers at the facility.

 

"I am excited at the opportunity this expansion represents for the Village of Mogadore and Summit County, in particular the number of new jobs this project will bring to our area," stated Russ Pry, County Executive for the County of Summit. "We will continue to make job creation and economic development a priority in Summit County, and we will continue to work with our partners to enhance economic opportunity in the region."

 

The Job Retention Tax Credit was a major factor in Newell Rubbermaid's decision to invest in its current operations in the Village of Mogadore. The State of Ohio was in competition with Kansas for this major project. The Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a 75 percent, fifteen-year Refundable Ohio Job Retention Tax Credit to Newell Rubbermaid as part of the company's commitment to retaining its facility in the Village of Mogadore.

 

"Newell Rubbermaid's investment in Mogadore is yet another example of a Fortune 500 company that has reinvested in our community over the past year," stated Greater Akron Chamber executive vice president Rick Rebadow. "Their commitment to maintain and create manufacturing jobs is a strong testimonial to the business climate that both the public and private sectors have cultivated on a regional scale."
STEM High School Readies for Opening, Calls for Applications
Over the past four years the National Inventors Hall of Fame® School...Center for STEM Learning has established a track record of success. That momentum will carry into the high school setting this fall when 100 students will be the founding class at the new Akron STEM High School, located at the former Central-Hower High School near the middle school and The University of Akron campus. 

The Greater Akron Chamber and Akron Tomorrow are among the key partners that have helped STEM education in Akron receive national accolades. These partnerships have created a connection between classroom learning and realistic situation/problem-based learning that is critical to the STEM structure.
 
The Akron STEM High School is accepting applications through March 5 for 9th grade students not enrolled at the STEM middle school. Applications can be downloaded online. Current STEM students are automatically invited to enroll at the high school.
Akron Represented at International Medical Show

Medical Show

 

For the first time, the Greater Akron region was represented at the MEDICA Show in Dusseldorf, Germany. The MEDICA Show is one of the largest health care related shows in the world with a focus on both medical products and services. More than 4,500 exhibitors from 62 nations participated along with approximately 135,000 attendees. MEDICA is a truly international show with nearly half of the participants traveling from outside of Germany to attend the annual event. With the improving global economy, attendance surpassed both 2009 and 2010 figures. 

 

The City of Akron and the Greater Akron Chamber co-chaired the trade show. The Chamber also worked with Team NEO on the scheduling and staffing of more than 100 meetings. The meetings were primarily focused on medical device manufacturing companies looking to either establish or expand their presence in North America within the next three to five years.

 

The "Akron, USA" booth was the result of a unique partnership that included not only representatives from economic development organizations but also NI Medical, a privately held biotech company based in Israel that has established in North American headquarters in the Akron Global Business Accelerator.

 

Nearly 40 investment-grade leads and prospects resulted from the meetings, and a large number of companies, including many booth walk-ups, requested information regarding the Greater Akron region. The Greater Akron Chamber and the City of Akron provided a wide range of materials that were incorporated onto a promotional disc specifically made for distribution at the MEDICA Show to prospective leads.

 

"Considering it was our inaugural year, the MEDICA Show was extremely productive. We look forward to continuing our participation in the years to come," stated Akron City Council President Marco Sommerville. "One of Mayor Plusquellic's priorities is strengthening and supporting our biomedical cluster, and attending the MEDICA Show allows our community to communicate directly with international companies looking to invest--and create jobs--in Akron."
Call for 30 for the Future Nominations
30FTF Generic
Each year the Greater Akron Chamber celebrates young professionals (ages 25-39) whose stellar contributions enhance their workplaces and our region. We are looking for nominees who display leadership, team building and creativity in overcoming obstacles.
 
Nomination forms can be found online. The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 30.
 
Contact Angela Presutti by e-mail or phone at (330) 237-1263 for more information.