May 11, 20232 yr You have to cut somewhere when you have to pay a $230 M + fine for illegal activity.
July 31, 20231 yr "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 9, 20231 yr Husted, Akron leaders promote new polymer hub DAN SHINGLER August 09, 2023 Quote Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted visited Akron on Tuesday, Aug. 8, encouraging area leaders promoting a polymer cluster in Northeast Ohio to compete for $125 million in state funding meant for new innovation hubs in some Ohio cities. Husted, who championed the funding that was included in the recently passed state budget, has been visiting Ohio's second-tier cities, such as Dayton, Toledo and Akron, to discuss how they can best compete for the funding. ... In Akron, Husted saw support for the development of a new innovation hub that has sprung from previous efforts to develop a polymer industry cluster in Akron and across Northeast Ohio. At Tuesday's event, held at the Greater Akron Chamber's offices downtown, Husted met with about 20 different leaders, many of them heavy hitters from area industrial companies, economic development agencies and representatives of state and local government. https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/ohio-akron-leaders-promote-polymer-innovation-hub
August 12, 20231 yr Republic Steel's indefinite closure in Canton leaves hundreds jobless Ideastream Public Media | By Abigail Bottar Published August 11, 2023 "Republic Steel will idle steelmaking in Canton, leaving hundreds without work. Workers received no notice of the company’s intention to indefinitely shutter operations in Canton and Lackawanna, New York, and learned of the news through the media. These indefinite closures will end leaded steel production in the United States. Republic Steel is the only company in the country to produce and distribute leaded steel, which comes with many environmental concerns. The company had been under a court order since July related to the amount of lead it releases into the air." https://www.ideastream.org/economy/2023-08-11/republic-steels-indefinite-closure-in-canton-leaves-hundreds-jobless
August 31, 20231 yr GOJO cuts staff but says it's staying put in Akron Dan Shingler August 31st 2023 "GOJO Industries, the Akron-based maker of Purell, announced Thursday, Aug. 31, that it was laying off some salaried staff positions, but confirmed it is no longer for sale and staying in Akron. While a specific number of layoffs was not given, a company spokesperson confirmed reports that less than 10% of the company’s staff in Akron was affected. With about 2,500 employees before the cuts, GOJO was and remains a major employer downtown. The company has seen huge shifts in demand for its signature product, Purell hand sanitizer, since the pandemic struck in 2020 and caused GOJO to hire more people and open more production and distribution facilities." https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/gojo-cuts-staff-stay-akron
September 1, 20231 yr On 8/31/2023 at 12:19 PM, Luke_S said: GOJO cuts staff but says it's staying put in Akron Dan Shingler August 31st 2023 "GOJO Industries, the Akron-based maker of Purell, announced Thursday, Aug. 31, that it was laying off some salaried staff positions, but confirmed it is no longer for sale and staying in Akron. While a specific number of layoffs was not given, a company spokesperson confirmed reports that less than 10% of the company’s staff in Akron was affected. With about 2,500 employees before the cuts, GOJO was and remains a major employer downtown. The company has seen huge shifts in demand for its signature product, Purell hand sanitizer, since the pandemic struck in 2020 and caused GOJO to hire more people and open more production and distribution facilities." https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/gojo-cuts-staff-stay-akron I wonder if this has to do with a "ramp down" in hand sanitizer use post covid, or part of the resent merger/acquisition?
September 1, 20231 yr Its the former, they are no longer for sale. Which is also probably due to the decrease in demand.
September 12, 20231 yr hooray! smuckers to the rescue to save the twinkies and ho ho’s — 👍 Smucker is buying Twinkies maker Hostess for $5.6 billion By Jordan Valinsky, CNN Business Updated 9:37 AM EDT, Mon September 11, 2023 more: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/11/business/hostess-jm-smucker-purchase/index.html
September 12, 20231 yr ^LOL, transaction should be completed in a JIF. Edited September 12, 20231 yr by urb-a-saurus
September 21, 20231 yr Making it: Big ideas with tiny electronics Ideastream Public Media | By Natalia Garcia Published September 20, 2023 Maker: Ken Burns, President & Founder Business: TinyCircuits Location: Akron Twelve years ago engineer Ken Burns took his idea of creating a compact version of an already existing system to the workshop. The result, originally called TinyDuino, is “a small, little modular electronics system. Almost like Legos, where you kinda stack things together,” said Burns. This was the start of his product line and compay, TinyCircuits. https://youtu.be/8SWrDIPY4rA?si=eEhjvyaiaYXqwTwL https://www.ideastream.org/community/2023-09-20/making-it-big-ideas-tiny-electronics
October 23, 20231 yr Akron gets White House designation as tech hub for sustainable polymer development Quote WASHINGTON, D. C. – President Joe Biden and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Monday will designate Akron one of 31 “Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs” that will be eligible for hefty federal grants funded from a $10 billion chunk of money from last year’s CHIPS and Science Act. White House officials said that for too long economic growth and opportunity has clustered in a few cities on the nation’s east and west coasts. They said the tech hubs located throughout the country will catalyze investment in technologies critical to economic growth, national security, and job creation, and will help communities across the country become centers of innovation critical to American competitiveness. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/10/akron-gets-white-house-designation-as-tech-hub-for-sustainable-polymer-development.html
November 12, 20231 yr Massive electric aircraft, bigger than Goodyear blimp, has first test flight before coming to Akron Bryce Buyakie "More than 2,500 miles away from Akron in Silicon Valley, what engineers say is the world's largest airship took flight for the first time. This massive snow-white zeppelin-like ship is slated to soar across the skies and land in the Rubber City at a yet-to-be-determined time. Called Pathfinder 1, the electric prototype was created by engineers and developers at LTA Research, Lighter Than Air, to test a different form of climate-friendly air travel, according to an Akron Beacon Journal story from 2022. This comes roughly one year after LTA announced it would begin producing airships in Akron, taking the city back to its roots as a maker of blimps. The company did not respond to an email request for comments." https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/business/2023/11/10/pathfinder-1-airship-akron-after-passing-flying-tests-goodyear-blimp/71528383007/
November 12, 20231 yr 9 hours ago, Luke_S said: Massive electric aircraft, bigger than Goodyear blimp, has first test flight before coming to Akron Bryce Buyakie "More than 2,500 miles away from Akron in Silicon Valley, what engineers say is the world's largest airship took flight for the first time. This massive snow-white zeppelin-like ship is slated to soar across the skies and land in the Rubber City at a yet-to-be-determined time. Called Pathfinder 1, the electric prototype was created by engineers and developers at LTA Research, Lighter Than Air, to test a different form of climate-friendly air travel, according to an Akron Beacon Journal story from 2022. This comes roughly one year after LTA announced it would begin producing airships in Akron, taking the city back to its roots as a maker of blimps. The company did not respond to an email request for comments." https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/business/2023/11/10/pathfinder-1-airship-akron-after-passing-flying-tests-goodyear-blimp/71528383007/ Excited that they're planning on a much larger version. It will be insane seeing these things flying in Akron.
January 17, 20241 yr This is huge news Nonprofit Summa Health to be acquired by private venture capital firm https://www.ideastream.org/health/2024-01-17/nonprofit-summa-health-to-be-acquired-by-private-venture-capital-firm
January 17, 20241 yr From the article, it sounds like bad news. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 17, 20241 yr 2 minutes ago, KJP said: From the article, it sounds like bad news. Yeah I hate the idea of a huge hospital being for profit.
January 17, 20241 yr I don't mind big for-profit hospitals. But I do think we need to preserve the nonprofit ones compete to compete with and reduce prices at the for-profit hospitals. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 18, 20241 yr The conversion to for-profit is just a side effect of being bought by private equity, who are often just an arms length from corporate raiders of the 80's. Hospitals owned by private equity are harming patients, reports find https://arstechnica.com/health/2024/01/hospitals-slash-staff-services-quality-of-care-when-private-equity-takes-over
April 30, 20241 yr Akron a finalist to receive funding for a polymer industry cluster and now Canton a finalist for a workforce development fund, and only city selected in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, West Virginia, and Western PA. Hopefully we're seeing positive investments in both cities in the near future. Canton hopes to launch $100 million-plus workforce development effort DAN SHINGLER April 30, 2024 Quote Canton’s a finalist for up to $20 million in federal funding for workforce development programs. If it wins, backers say, they already have lined up an additional $96 million in matching funds to create an even larger effort. Canton found out at the end of last year that the Reconnecting Canton plan, spearheaded by the Stark Economic Development Board, was receiving a $500,000 planning grant for the effort, and that it was among 22 finalists eligible to apply for additional funding from the U.S. Economic Development Agency. The city wants the money for workforce development programs, transportation services and small business assistance. The work would focus on the city’s southeast side, where economic developers say minority communities have been negatively affected by redlining and other forms of discriminatory development, and where there are also a lot of working-age people who don’t have jobs and need training and assistance to get them. https://www.crainscleveland.com/economy/grant-could-launch-cantons-100-million-plus-workforce-effort
July 2, 2024Jul 2 Akron receives more than $50 million in federal funding for sustainable polymer tech hub Ideastream Public Media | By Abigail Bottar Published July 2, 2024 Akron will receive more than $50.5 million to develop and produce the next generation of rubber and plastics, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown announced Tuesday. ... The Akron Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub will accelerate sustainable polymer manufacturing and commercialization to tackle the environmental impacts of fossil fuel-driven polymers, according to the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration. Akron is just one of 12 such tech hubs in the country to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Brown said, totaling $504 million. The Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs were born out of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, passed in 2022. https://www.ideastream.org/economy/2024-07-02/akron-receives-more-than-50-million-in-federal-funding-for-sustainable-polymer-tech-hub Edited July 2, 2024Jul 2 by Luke_S
July 5, 2024Jul 5 University of Akron to beef up polymer sector workforce development with tech hub funding Ideastream Public Media | By Abigail Bottar July 5, 2024 Some of the federal funding will go to the University of Akron to focus on life cycle assessment training as part of its Workforce Initiative for a Sustainable Environment, said Vice President for Research and Business Engagement Sue Bausch. ... UA plans to add courses in life cycle assessment and update the current curriculum to include the topic, Bausch said. ... The university will also develop ways to provide more workforce development for continuing education and K-12 programming, including summer camps that teach kids about polymers, Bausch said. https://www.ideastream.org/education/2024-07-05/university-of-akron-to-beef-up-polymer-sector-workforce-development-with-tech-hub-funding
July 9, 2024Jul 9 Largest U.S. producer of rebar awarded JobsOhio grant to renovate vacant Akron facility Kim Palmer July 8th 2024 One of the largest international suppliers of rebar has announced plans to expand further into Ohio with the help of a JobsOhio revitalization grant to renovate a vacant building once owned by the Akron Rebar Co. The Commercial Metals Co. (CMC) plans to use the $175,000 grant to renovate a 16-acre lot at 809 W. Waterloo Road in Akron, Team NEO announced Monday, July 8. Once renovations are complete at the 32,000-square-foot facility, the Irving, Texas-based company plans to produce fabricated rebar and hire up to 50 new employees over the next five years. https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/former-akron-rebar-set-commercial-metals-co-expansion
July 11, 2024Jul 11 Akron is already starting to see the benefits of being designated a Polymer Tech Hub. Would have been nice if they decided to move their HQ up from Texas too. Maybe in due time... Texas company bringing green, bacteria-based rubber production to Akron DAN SHINGLER July 11, 2024 What’s important about these organisms, he said, is they consume methane and produce Butanediol as waste. That’s used to make Butadiene, a chief and expensive ingredient in most common types of rubber. He’s got three compelling reasons to come to Akron, he said: It’s close to Appalachian shale gas, which will serve as his feedstock and is some of the least expensive natural gas anywhere; the area has numerous companies in the rubber and tire business that are his likely customers and partners, as well as world-class academics focused on rubber and plastics; and he’s just won a portion of the region’s $51 million in federal sustainable polymer hub to be part of the local polymer cluster. Witte said the advantages of being close to the Utica and Marcellus shale gas regions are the same for his company as they are for companies that use natural gas to make other products, like ethane. https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/texas-company-uses-bacteria-advance-green-rubber-production
July 22, 2024Jul 22 Goodyear had a busy weekend.... Goodyear to move 175 jobs from Akron to Costa Rica July 22, 2024 Tire Business Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. is relocating 175 positions from its Akron headquarters to a new Goodyear location in Costa Rica, another move the tire maker said supports its Goodyear Forward transformation plan. Other employees also were laid off, further reducing the headcount at its corporate headquarters in Akron. No union workers are included in the layoffs, according to a Goodyear spokesperson. https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/goodyear-relocating-175-positions-akron-costa-rica Goodyear sells Off-the-Road tire business for $905 million July 22, 2024 DAN SHINGLER While it didn’t quite get the $1 billion price that was predicted a couple of weeks ago, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has sold its Off-the-Road (OTR) tire business to Yokohama Rubber Co., as expected. Goodyear announced Monday morning, July 22, that it has agreed to sell the OTR business unit to its Japanese counterpart for $905 million. The company noted that the transaction follows a previously announced strategic review of the OTR business as part of the Goodyear Forward transformation plan put together in late 2023 with the approval of activist investor Elliott Investment Management. https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/goodyear-sells-road-tire-business-yokohama
July 26, 2024Jul 26 Sustainable Polymer Tech Hub hopes for state funding Dan Shingler July 26th 2024 The backers and members of Northeast Ohio’s federally designated Sustainable Polymer Tech Hub hope they’re not done yet when it comes to gaining governmental support to elevate the industry in the region. Fresh on the heels of winning a $51 million U.S. Economic Development Administration grant for their effort, they now hope the state of Ohio will also find them worthy of funding – as it recently did with Toledo, when the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) awarded $31 million on July 1 to the Northwest Ohio Glass Innovation Hub centered there. ... If the polymer hub were to receive the same funding as Toledo’s glass hub, that would add up to about $82 million in state and federal funds. Add close to $20 million in matching funds from members and other backers that would come with it, and the polymer hub would have more than $100 million in funding, Anderson said, cautiously. https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/ohios-sustainable-polymer-hub-hopes-further-funding
September 6, 2024Sep 6 Akron wins again with more polymer cluster funding Dan Shingler September 05, 2024 In July, Akron won $51 million in federal funding to advance the cluster for sustainable polymer technologies and production. Now, the state of Ohio has joined in with more than $30 million of additional funding for the region’s polymer cluster. The money, which totals $31.25 million, will be used to fund the Greater Akron Polymer Innovation Hub project, led by the Polymer Industry Cluster developed by the Greater Akron Chamber. It will be augmented by $10.4 million from local partners, which include dozens of local companies involved in the sector, the chamber stated in announcing the funding. ... Backers and proponents such as Akron Chamber CEO Steve Millard hope the governmental support will drive another $68 million of investment in the industry, create nearly 2,400 jobs in the Akron area, and develop new resources for companies in the sector to share. https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/ohio-investing-31-million-akrons-polymer-cluster
November 19, 2024Nov 19 More investment coming through to Akron as a result of the Polymer Tech Hub designation. Bridgestone Americas plots out Akron's first new tire plant in 70 years November 19, 2024 05:50 AM Dan Shingler Bridgestone Americas, which employs about 45,000 worldwide, says it has begun work on a new plant in the city, at 381 W. Wilbeth Road, to produce butadiene, a key ingredient in synthetic rubber — and therefore also a key component in nearly all of the tires on the road today, not to mention at mines, farms, racetracks and other places tires are used. Bridgestone is getting a big boost in terms of public money from the Department of Energy and is partnering with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, one of the federal government’s 17 national labs across the country. The DOE reports it’s putting $9.2 million toward the project, which Bridgestone says will be a pilot plant focused on producing butadiene from ethanol. https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/bridgestone-americas-building-akron-pilot-plant
November 27, 2024Nov 27 Though this already existed, the Development Finance Authority taking this over seems well timed as they are better positioned to market this to businesses. It will hopefully offer some stability to local businesses. Takeover of Summit County’s Foreign Trade Zone could be timely switch to help businesses avoid, delay tariffs by Arielle Kass November 27, 2024 With President-elect Donald Trump pledging to increase taxes on goods from China, Canada and Mexico with the intention of bringing manufacturing back to the United States, some companies might benefit from a local opportunity that could help them delay — or even avoid — paying the higher fees. It could also make the Development Finance Authority of Summit County’s plan to take over the administration of the Foreign Trade Zone particularly well timed. The zone is now administered by Summit County; the DFA is not a county agency. ... The Summit County-based Foreign Trade Zone is a secure area that is under the supervision of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Even though it’s physically located in Ohio, for the sake of tax purposes, it’s considered to be outside the United States. https://signalakron.org/takeover-of-summit-countys-foreign-trade-zone-could-be-timely-switch-to-help-businesses-avoid-delay-tariffs-development-finance-authority/
January 16Jan 16 Some countervailing winds here; the announcement for additional funding of the Polymer Hub is very good news, but despite already announced Polymer Hub funding (some I assume would be funneled into UofA) University of Akron announced another round of cuts, including to their polymer program. Just yesterday Crain's also had a write up on Goodyear's remaining planned divestiture, it's chemical business. The long and short of that article was it could very likely mean a hollowing out of those existing chemical jobs in Akron. Hoping the momentum from these state and federal grants overcomes these potential setbacks. Akron's Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub nets another $3 million grant Kim Palmer Jan 14th, 2025 Akron’s Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub was awarded $3 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Good Jobs Challenge in the waning days of President Joe Biden’s administration. The federal matching funding, announced Tuesday, Jan. 14, will help support the Greater Akron Chamber’s Advanced Polymer and Manufacturing Excellence (APEX) program, which addresses skilled-worker shortages and training gaps in the region’s polymer industry. ... The Good Jobs Challenge funding will be used to support a partnership of regional employers, educational institutions, industry, community and labor organizations working to design and implement industry workforce strategies targeting Portage, Stark, Summit and Wayne counties. https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/akron-polymers-hub-gets-3-million-federal-funding Goodyear's next divestiture could be painful for Akron - Dan Shingler (Jan 15th, 2025)
January 16Jan 16 Here is the UofA article I was referencing in my last post. Also, free article from Signal Akron for anyone without a Crain's subscription - Akron to receive an additional $6.4 million for polymer-related job training ‘It’s like cutting my heart out …’ — Faculty, students at University of Akron react to proposed cuts by Arielle Kass and Andrew Keiper November 23, 2024 Proposed cuts of 10 polymer professors at the University of Akron have already had a chilling effect on the well-regarded program, leading to anxiety about how it will continue if the reductions become reality. ... Faculty in Akron’s polymer program said this week that the proposed cuts would be devastating to the university. But a message from the president’s office, sent to stakeholders in the program, said the university wanted to “bolster” the program by reorganizing it to include chemical engineering and chemistry. The letter said the merger of disciplines would increase faculty interaction with students and encourage multidisciplinary teaching and research. https://signalakron.org/its-like-cutting-my-heart-out-faculty-students-at-university-of-akron-react-to-proposed-cuts/
January 27Jan 27 The Hits just keep on coming...😡 Charter Communications to lay off 259 Akron call center employees... https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/business/2025/01/27/charter-communications-spectrum-akron-layoff/77976056007/
April 3Apr 3 On 3/14/2025 at 7:33 PM, JB said: Was in a meeting today, 4% worker reduction at FE and mostly return to work. The reduction was done last week. Return to the office for everyone starting in the summer. The West campus has become the HQ in Akron, so that’ll be full again. I heard a rumor that the Brecksville office will be kept for now due to everyone returning to office.
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