It would be nice if downtown could pick-up a few of the small but growing IT firms that are/will be looking for new homes.

 

Are IT firms hot again?

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Looking for signs of life in Northeast Ohio's information-technology industry?

 

A handful of area IT firms - ranging from the small and scrappy to the well-established - are on the prowl for larger office space. A handful more already have moved. Could it be a resurgence after the dot-com bust that left Cleveland high and dry in the 1990s?

 

Henry J. Gomez covers technology for The Plain Dealer. He writes regularly on his Web log at www.cleveland.com/weblogs/techlink. Contact him at

 

[email protected] or 216-999-5405.

 

 

 

 

These are all great and I'm sure there are plenty more that haven't been mentioned.  I'm thinking about a tech corridor in the "real warehouse district" in St. Clair-Superior...there are a few projects on the back-burner right now that could be jump-started with a wave of tech-firm growth and new demand for creative office space.

Funny you should mention that area. I had an article about live-work spaces in Thursday's paper, and how some progress in spurring more could really spur areas like St. Clair-Superior (and give more entrepenuers a home, literally, and an inexpensive start).

KJP,

 

You really need to keep us up to date about your articles.  Can't you register a new username (oh, say PJK) and mention when and where one of your articles has been printed? ;)  I'm not going to subscribe to 5 different Sun newspapers, but I am considering a subscription to the West Side Sun News.  Is that the best bet to find your articles?

Usually. Most appear in the West Side Sun News (covers from downtown west to West Park), Brooklyn Sun Journal (Old Brooklyn, Brooklyn Centre and Brooklyn) and Sun Herald (West Shore suburbs). But they can sometimes also be printed in any of the 23 other Sun papers....

Oh, you just want us to buy all of them!  You should get some sort of commission or something!  Anyway, I haven't seen last week's WSSN yet and I'm curious about this article, so maybe I should get it before it's off the shelves!  How do they decide which ones get posted online anyway?  Some Sun papers have far more articles online than others...

I am a new subscriber to the West Side Sun News! 

Thanks Wimwar. Now you can tell me what to do since you now pay 0.00000000001 percent of my salary!

 

Oh, you just want us to buy all of them!  You should get some sort of commission or something!  Anyway, I haven't seen last week's WSSN yet and I'm curious about this article, so maybe I should get it before it's off the shelves!  How do they decide which ones get posted online anyway?  Some Sun papers have far more articles online than others...

 

If I can borrow a quarter from you, yell heads or tails, I'll show you. Don't expect to get the quarter back though. Remember, I work at Sun.

 

I was with a friend of mine from Chicago at Tower City today and he saw the WSSN at the newstand near the hotel walk-through. He bought a copy to read on the bus to Kent. I guess he really needed a nap. That copy had the live-work article in it, as well as a large artice about the Innerbelt (including a map on which I accidentally typed the label of the "Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption"). Of course, we got some calls about that! Oh well. When you make a mistake as a reporter, 50,000 people get to see it....

As promised, here's the live-work article, which ran last week (11-17)...

 

</b1>By KEN PRENDERGAST

Staff Writer

 

When Tiffany Mosher and Rich Hall moved into their live-work space at a near-downtown warehouse last year, they thought they had found the perfect place. She, an artist, regularly works at home while he, a mechanical engineer, sometimes does. Plus, they love the view of downtown from their roof.

 

Although they knew that they would be living illegally, they didn't realize what that would mean. They aren't alone, as there are more than 300 live-work residents downtown who are also living in buildings not zoned for residential uses.

 

 

Well, as positive as this makes local efforts sound, it does indicate yet another constraint that we have do deal with that is handed down from our friends in Columbus.  I understand that codes such as these are in place for the protection of lives and the prevention of disaster, but as the article mentions, some of them are just ridiculous.  It's a positive sign, though, that Joe Cimperman is working diligently at this in his own neighborhood...and that he's on board with Frank Jackson...

Tenth Floor bought by Mass. company

 

By CHUCK SODER

 

12:15 pm, February 1, 2008

 

Interactive marketing company Tenth Floor Inc. in Cleveland has been acquired by a Massachusetts software company in a transaction that could approach $4 million in value.

 

The acquisition will allow Tenth Floor to access resources provided by Bridgeline Software Inc. (Nasdaq: BLSW), said Tenth Floor CEO Tony Pietrocola. Those resources include centralized finance and human resources teams as well as a low-cost development team in Bangalore, India.

 

Web developer lands $500,000 investment

 

By CHUCK SODER

 

4:30 am, February 4, 2008

 

Web development company O-Web Technologies Ltd. in Cleveland has been awarded a $500,000 investment from Lee Zapis, president of Zapis Capital Group LLC in Westlake.

 

O-Web will use the money to develop a new version of Onosys, its web-based food ordering system, and to expand its sales and marketing efforts.

Tenth Floor bought by Mass. company

 

By CHUCK SODER

 

12:15 pm, February 1, 2008

 

Interactive marketing company Tenth Floor Inc. in Cleveland has been acquired by a Massachusetts software company in a transaction that could approach $4 million in value.

 

 

Ahh yes, Tenth Floor Interactive: On the second floor of a building with 7 floors.

 

(sincere building)

From Crains:

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20080303/FREE/539770767/1088

 

Israeli IT companies to visit region

 

By JEFF STACKLIN

 

2:23 pm, March 3, 2008

 

Representatives of 15 Israeli financial information technology companies plan to visit Northeast Ohio as part of a two-day trade mission to the region next week.

 

The representatives plan to meet with executives of local banks, insurers, software integrators and developers.

 

 

Here's a company that's growing aggressively in the region, and outside of the region as well.

 

Software firm Noteworthy cuts key deal

Purchase of Phoenix software outfit to give its health records product a competitive lift

 

By CHUCK SODER

4:30 am, February 25, 2008

 

Noteworthy Medical Systems Inc. in Mayfield Heights seems to be following the advice of its new “Achieve More” slogan.

 

The provider of electronic health record software has agreed to acquire a Phoenix-based company with a complementary software program, and will market their combined product with the help of a much larger sales staff.

 

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080225/SUB1/688753891

 

dBusinessnews:

 

 

OneCommunity Announces New Headquarters; Significant Growth Prompts Move to Warehouse District

 

Cleveland -

 

OneCommunity, a local nonprofit dedicated to fostering economic development and civic progress by leveraging information technology, opened its new headquarters on November 3rd at 800 W. St. Clair Avenue, Suite 200, in Cleveland’s Historic Warehouse District. The 7,900-square-foot space in the 130-year-old Joseph and Feiss Building features brick walls, bright, sunlit offices, and collaborative work areas for team members and meetings with community stakeholders.

 

OneCommunity was founded five years ago and has grown to over 40 employees in the past 18 months as it has been awarded a number of major initiatives including the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, OneClassroom, and the FCC Rural Health Care Pilot Program grants. OneCommunity continues to invest in the expansion and enhancement of the regions Broadband capabilities making it more available to the underserved urban and rural communities while overseeing the Cuyahoga County’s network services, saving taxpayers tens of millions of dollars locally.

 

Although the OneCommunity headquarters has moved, the organization will maintain a Euclid Avenue presence at Idea Center by establishing a 2,300-square-foot “think tank” to house tech demonstration and collaborative space for community technology initiatives.  The organization also has an Akron presence with the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, located at One South Main Street.

 

“OneCommunity is pleased to extend its participation in two of Cleveland’s core urban revitalization projects, the Euclid Corridor and the Warehouse District, resulting in a net gain of 10,200 square feet in occupied space,” said Charles Berry, OneCommunity’s COO.  “It’s an exciting time for Cleveland, and we hope that our involvement in these efforts will help spur additional investment and accelerate economic development in our great city.”

About OneCommunity

OneCommunity is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering economic and civic progress through the innovative and collaborative application of information technologies. OneCommunity connects more than 1,000 public and nonprofit institutions via its fiber-optic broadband network – one of the largest and fastest in the world – and leverages public and private partnerships to lead 21st-century programs in health care, education, government and economic development. OneCommunity helped Northeast Ohio earn recognition as a Top 7 Intelligent Community from the Intelligent Community Forum. ICF also honored OneCommunity President & CEO Scot Rourke as Visionary of the Year for 2008. To learn more, please visit www.onecommunity.org.

 

About the Knight Center of Digital Excellence

The Knight Center of Digital Excellence provides world-class resources and on-site guidance to create connected communities by helping develop strategies and utilize information technologies to drive civic progress and economic development through sustainable broadband access programs. The Center was formed through a partnership between OneCommunity and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. To learn more, please visit www.knightcenter.org.

 

 

[/quote]

 

hooray

Jobs in high-tech industries have been rising in Northeast Ohio, NorTech report shows

by Marcia Pledger/Plain Dealer Reporter

Wednesday May 20, 2009, 6:32 PM

 

Jobs in high-tech industries have been rising in Northeast Ohio and statewide, despite the economic downturn, a new report shows.

 

About 9.1 percent of the nearly 2 million jobs in Northeast Ohio last year were in high-tech industries, according to NorTech, a coalition dedicated to expanding that segment of the local economy.

 

 

More at Cleveland.com http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/05/jobs_in_hightech_industries_ha.html

Nationally-Recognized Northeast Ohio Tech Company Growing and Hiring        

Posted by marin2008   

 

One of the region's most successful - yet little-known - technology companies is poised to triple in size from 15 to 45 employees in 2010. 

 

Currently, the company's growth is outpacing its ability to hire qualified knowledge workers for high-end technology and sales positions. "I have a lot of faith we can do this again in Cleveland but we need the community's help. Sure, we could set up shop in the more tech-friendly cities like San Jose, Calif. or Seattle, Wash., but we are committed to our home town," Reynolds says.

 

http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=160775&Itemid=58

A press release posted at:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/northeast-ohios-flexmatters-cluster-attracts-14-million-in-2010-115313559.html

 

Northeast Ohio's FlexMatters Cluster Attracts $14 Million in 2010

 

CLEVELAND, Feb. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Northeast Ohio's flexible electronics cluster experienced significant growth in 2010 by attracting $14 million in capital from public and private sources, according to a recent analysis by NorTech. This cluster of interconnected businesses, suppliers, service providers, and institutions, named FlexMatters(SM), is focused on low-cost manufacturing of electronic devices printed on flexible plastic materials. Based on Northeast Ohio's industrial and research strengths in polymers and advanced materials, the FlexMatters Cluster is emerging as a producer of flexible electronics products sold globally.

 

Recent funding was awarded to the following FlexMatters Cluster members:

 

+ $6 million private equity series B investment to Blue Spark Technologies, Inc., a leader in developing flexible, printed, "green," proprietary power source solutions for battery-powered printed electronic systems. The funding will allow Blue Spark to focus on ramping up manufacturing to support market successes in multiple projects and accelerate new applications that require thin, printed, disposable batteries.

 

+ $3 million matching grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Technology Innovation Program (TIP) to Kent Displays, Inc. The developer and manufacturer of Reflex™ No Power LCDs for consumer and OEM markets, was awarded one of nine projects selected from a total of 110 applicants nation-wide. Kent Displays will use the funding to develop manufacturing processes to optimize its production capabilities and lower costs for Reflex flexible LCDs.

 

+ $499,514 contract from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to NorTech, Northeast Ohio's regional technology-based economic development organizations serving 21 counties. NorTech will use the funding to focus on small business growth and job creation in the region's flexible electronics industry.

 

Other FlexMatters Cluster members that received funding in 2010 include AlphaMirror, Inc., Akron Polymer Systems, GrafTech International and Five Star Technologies.

 

Northeast Ohio is home to companies and research institutions with technical expertise in polymers and advanced materials, flexible displays, printed sensors and circuits, flexible photovoltaics, and organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology, all of which are developing a new class of flexible electronic devices. The region's companies currently produce a variety of flexible electronics products, which include electronic writing tablets, switchable eyewear, printed batteries, and medical implants for various markets such as the consumer, military, industrial, advanced energy, and healthcare markets.

 

Albert Green, Ph.D., CEO of Kent Displays said, "Kent Displays had a very successful 2010 with the introduction of our first consumer product, the Boogie BoardTM LCD Writing Tablet. We significantly increased manufacturing capacity and jobs to meet demand. The recent grant award will allow Kent Displays to develop major innovations around our manufacturing processes for Reflex flexible LCDs, strengthening our competitive position and ability to enter and expand markets."

 

Gary R. Johnson, Blue Spark President and Chief Executive, said, "We were delighted to secure additional funding in 2010 to enable Blue Spark's continued growth and success. This funding will help us to increase production of our patented printed battery technology and allow us to enter new global markets, while keeping our headquarters in Northeast Ohio."

 

The FlexMatters Strategic Roadmap outlines strategies and action plans to accelerate the cluster's growth. In an effort to execute the roadmap's growth strategies, NorTech launched a cluster membership program to connect cluster organizations with funding, revenue and technology partnership opportunities, a regional industry database, and networking events.

 

Rebecca Bagley, president and CEO of NorTech said, "We are building a robust innovation cluster in Northeast Ohio that is going to put our region at the forefront of the global flexible electronics industry. The capital attracted this past year proves that we have strengths and assets in this sector. It's NorTech's role to seek additional opportunities and funding to help accelerate the growth of the FlexMatters Cluster."

 

"NorTech's efforts to organize a formal flexible electronics cluster are a tremendous testimony to the industry's emergence," said Michael Ciesinski, CEO of the FlexTech Alliance. "Northeast Ohio's strong manufacturing sector is a real asset in the flexible electronics industry and can provide a unique competitive advantage."

 

NorTech is a regional nonprofit technology-based economic development organization serving 21 counties in Northeast Ohio.   As a catalyst for growing Northeast Ohio's emerging technology industries, NorTech is leading efforts to develop regional innovation clusters that create jobs, attract capital and have a long-term, positive economic impact. NorTech FlexMatters is a cluster initiative established in 2006 to grow the region's flexible electronics industry.

 

www.nortech.org

Media Contact:

Kelly South

Sr. Director, Communications

(216) 241-8458

[email protected]