Emerson Industrial Automation

Having the need for more workers with specific skills is an ever-increasing trend in the work force. To meet their needs, Emerson Industrial Automation — Power Transmission Solutions decided to invest in its employees.

The company partnered with Gateway Community and Technical College to deliver customized training for employees in areas such as blueprint reading and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing. Through this training, Emerson has had huge cost savings and has received approval of Kentucky Wins funding, which covers 75 percent of the training cost for employees sent through this program.

Emerson also initiated a mini-apprenticeship program for current employees to learn machine tool trades.

Additionally, the company offers tuition reimbursement to all Emerson employees after six months of employment, so that they can further their education and benefit both themselves and the company.

When asked why Emerson was nominated as one of the best places to work, Director of Distribution and Manufacturing Joe DeVillez had a straightforward answer:

It's not quite working in the candy store. But it's close.

"We do work in an industry that is fun. It provides memories and makes people happy. That translates to our work environment," says Bethe Ferguson, marketing communications coordinator for Gold Medal Products,

The family-owned company is the largest U.S. provider of concession equipment and a supplier of popcorn, cotton candy, funnel cakes, snow cones and other classics of the midway.

It helps that the company, run by second and third generation family members of the company founder, is loyal to its workers. Remarkably, in its 81-year history, Gold Medal has never laid off an employee.

Gold Medal has a health care and benefits package that matches its name, including profit sharing, a Back-to-School Bonus program and tuition reimbursement for employees and their families.

"It's a simple philosophy: take care of employees and they will take good care of us," says Ferguson. "And, yes, we have popcorn every day here."

 

Richards Industries

The anniversary board at Richards Industries salutes plenty of employees with 20, 30 and even 40 years with the company. As Human Relations Vice President Cheryl Koopman puts it: "We have a lot of tribal knowledge."

Richards Industries, a provider of industrial valves, never had to resort to layoffs or cuts in benefits during the downturn. Loyalty to employees is enhanced with an all-in-the-family attitude that includes monthly outings, an annual recognition dinner, and chances for employees to feel empowered, or, at least vent. Employees regularly hold "Coffees with Bruce" (President Bruce Broxterman) and have frequent sharing sessions called "Moments of Truth" when an employee talks about making a difference with a client or coworker.

Koopman says the company motto of "Consider It Done" reflects the goal to treat coworkers and clients with the respect and care that one would find in a stable family environment.

"Before we hire anyone we ask, •Would I bring this person home to dinner to meet my family?'" says Koopman. "That's kind of our litmus test for bringing someone in."

Emery Oleochemicals

 

Last October marked the completion of Emery Oleochemicals' four-year journey to convert steam power systems from coal to natural gas, requiring significant capital investment.

Emery's conversion to natural gas helps greatly to reduce Cincinnati's carbon footprint. The annual result: 160 less tons of regulated chemicals, 1,500 less tons of criteria pollutants and 100,000 less tons of carbon dioxide.

Emery Oleochemicals LLC is a subsidiary of Emery Oleochemicals, one of the world's largest oleochemicals producer. The chemicals — including fatty acids, glycerine, fatty alcohols, triacetin, methylesters and ozone acids — are derived from plant and animal fats and used in biodiesel production, drilling, plastics, laundry detergent and personal care items.

Many manufacturers switched from petrochemicals to oleochemicals in the 1970s to counter the rising price of oil.The Emery trade name began in the 1840s when Thomas Emery started selling lard oil in Cincinnati.

Ransohoff—Cleaning Technologies Group LLC

For many companies, a 60 percent drop in business levels in less than a year would cause a feeling of defeat. At Ransohoff, leadership saw it as an opportunity to get aggressive and invest in new product development, which it did, introducing two new cleaning systems. "(Investing in new products) keeps us at the head of the marketplace, which allows us to at least know that we have the ability for those 2-3 years to stay ahead of the competition," says VP of Administration Chuck Meutsch, who has been with the company since 1979. "We've continuously been leaders in our industry." Ransohoff — which makes industrial cleaning equipment for the automotive, aerospace, medical and industrial markets — recovered strongly, increasing revenue 10 percent in 2011. Orders were up 74 percent in 2011, compared to 2010.

The company added 33 jobs in 2011 (an increase of 54 percent in employees since December 2010), and it is seeking to fill a dozen more open positions in engineering and manufacturing. "We've gone through a lot of hard work,"Meutsch says.

In 2008, MillerCoors' Trenton brewery took a five-year challenge to become first big brewery in the world to be landfill free. It achieved it in 23 months.

Thanks to the leadership of Sustainable Development Coordinator Kelly Harris, the brewery now recycles more than 99 percent of its waste, resulting in 5,224 less metric tons of greenhouse gasses.

"It was about doing the right thing for the community," Harris says.

Individual trash cans were removed from offices and production areas. Recycling stations were placed in centralized areas of the 32-acre brewery with color-coded cans. Pretty soon, all 550 employees embraced the philosophy of "reduce, reuse and recycle." Other examples of changes include glass mulch, and benches and picnic tables made of 100 recycled plastic.

Says Brewery VP and Plant Manager Jon Hussey: "The key was simplicity. Kelly put in a system that was very simple, very intuitive. It didn't require the whole organization to be trained. • Everyone could •get it' right away, so it was easy to follow, and use, and get behind."

Altimet—Global Scrap Management

According to Chris Hamm, president of Altimet/Global Scrap Management, the formula for the company's growth from 16 to 42 employees in the past year was simple.

"We've just stayed with what we do best, which is good customer service," Hamm says. "Then, as you grow, your customers are going to want to grow with you."

Altimet is a division of Global Scrap Management, which Hamm founded in Milford in 2003 with three employees.

The business of recycling aluminum has been so good that in 2011, Hamm started Altimet, moving into 100,000 feet of space at the former Ford transmission plant in Batavia. He installed a $3 million furnace in a commitment to invest in technology that reduces energy consumption and increases metal yield from scrap.

Governor John Kasich visited for the ribbon-cutting opening at Altimet, signing an executive order establishing the new Office of Workforce Transformation, which is designed to help workforce policies, programs and resources across state government to improve efficiency, effectiveness and accountability, combining 77 programs that were spread across 13 agencies.

In 2011, Brighton Tru-Edge Heads added 31 new jobs in direct floor manufacturing, sales and administration, and today the company has 83 employees.

Mark Lang, executive vice president at Brighton, the largest manufacturer of cold-formed vessel heads in the Americas, cited growth in three industries as the reason why the company has grown: tank-cars for rail, offshore drilling and natural gas, all of which need large tank heads to contain products.

"It was just tremendous growth • Those three big industries have taken off," Lang says.

Adds Steve Hammoor, VP of sales and marketing: "At the same time, we purchased some good additional equipment that helped us gear up the shop so when this flux of new work came in, we were already there." Brighton's sales increased more than 20 percent in 2011, and another 20 percent increase is projected for this year. All of that has led to the need for more sales people, skill enhancement for employees and capital purchases.

Growth has impacted other area businesses in supplying materials, production consumables, subcontracted activities, maintenance services and transportation.

Heads can range in size from 6 inches to as large as the client needs, and in thickness from 3/16 inch to 3 inches. They are used in the refinery, food, beverage, cryogenic, nuclear, transportation and energy markets.

Private or Public: Private

Founded: 1913

No. of local employees: 83

CEO/Vice President: Mark Lang

Web address: www.brightontruedge.com

Metalworking Group

Financially strong, profitable and still growing, Metalworking Group is a consistent and steady local company, and the past year has been no different.

"We probably added about 50 jobs and have added a lot of capital• close to $1.5 million," says Metalworking Group President Mike Schmitt.

It was this employee growth that also helped Metalworking Group's sales increase by 15 percent from 2010-2011. As a result, the company also saw growth in its customer base when they added more than 46 new customers in 2011, as well as adding jobs to their secondary facility in Hamilton, which specializes in cellular manufacturing.

Amylin Pharmaceuticals

After an investment of more than $800 million since 2006 in its West Chester facility, manufacturing began in earnest this year of Bydureon, Amylin's innovative drug that is the first and only once-weekly injectable treatment for type 2 diabetes.

The drug, approved by the FDA early this year and in Europe last year, helps diabetics manage several critical factors associated with the disease.

"It keeps blood glucose under control and helps some people lose weight through control of appetite," says Bob MacKay, general manager at the facility for the San Diego-based Amylin. "Having a medication to help control your blood sugar that still lets you lose weight with one dose a week is a real innovation. A weekly, rather than daily injection, gives a person much more control."

As a result of the drug's success, Amylin gained almost 49 percent in the first week in February alone, after the FDA approved Bydureon. They have also invested $600 million in their West Chester facility, bringing national recognition with it and developing innovative manufacturing techniques needed to put the drug's active ingredient into microsphere polymers that degrade over time.

"It has been challenging, but we have developed a very exacting, precise process," MacKay says.

It's rare when a company can boast it has developed a new technology that will double its revenues in the next three years.

That's the forecast from Meridian Bioscience Inc, the integrated life science company founded here, now with 525 employees in eight countries.

Meridian received FDA clearance in the last 18 months for two of its molecular amplification assay diagnostic platforms called "illumigene." Infectious diseases can be diagnosed in less than an hour, instead of 2-3 days.

"We were able to take a molecular technology and transform it into a very user-friendly process," says Kenneth J. Kozak, chief technical officer. "Anyone in the lab would be able to pick up one of our kits and diagnose patients with very minimal training."

So far the company's kits detect an intestinal bacteria and a streptococcus infection that may be found in women during pregnancy. Tests for strep throat, walking pneumonia and whooping couch are in late stage development.

The significant anticipated growth has led Meridian to invest $4 million in a new facility that opened last year near its main Newtown campus.

"With our new immunology-based products we have opened whole new areas to us that could not be done with traditional immunology," says Kozak.

It's not easy to cut and mill titanium, one of the toughest composite products ever developed. Enter Makino's Cincinnati Titanium R&D Center, which has developed a process that increases productivity and tool life of conventional titanium machining technologies. "Our tools and processes can mill titanium four times faster and do it with four times the tool life and cutting material," says Thomas Clark, Makino vice president.

Known as its ADVANTiGE technologies, the Makino innovation includes development of both a cutting machine and a process that monitors the milling. The technology was refined at the Mason facility of the Japanese owned company, a global manufacturer of high speed machining centers.

Clark says the demand for titanium machining has gone up exponentially driven by the aerospace industry using composite materials to form the skins of 21st century jetliners, like the Boeing 787.

"Prior to ADVANTiGE, titanium machining was a slow and cost-prohibitive process," Clark says. "We've allowed aerospace manufacturers to profitably machine titanium while expediting the overall process."

B.I.C. Precision Machine Co., Inc.

B.I.C. Precision Machine Co. started small, when three men established a family owned precision machine company that would serve local businesses in need of precision machine products.
Now, in just the past year, B.I.C. Precision Machine Co., Inc has seen a 30 percent growth.
It has more than doubled its employment in the past five years, adding highly skilled machinists and engineers. The growth has also allowed for B.I.C. to invest in new equipment and facilities.

More so than the numbers though, B.I.C. has grown its customer base because of how active its employees have become in community organizations, such as United Way. B.I.C. has also sponsored numerous fundraising events for local charities.

General Data Company

The recession didn't stop CEO/President of General Data Company Pete Wenzel from taking steps to grow his company. Rather, General Data has experienced steady growth in spite of the recent economic downturn. In 2011, company revenue was $52.1 million and the company has grown 27 percent over the past five years.

"I decided two years ago that even through the depth of the recession, 2012 would be a tremendous year for business," says Wenzel.

And he was right. In 2011, an Ohio Department of Development project provided General Data with $3.4 million of an overall $5 million needed for an expansion to open an additional 24,000 square-foot facility. General Data also added $2.5 million of new equipment to the facility and upgraded software across the entire company.

Star Manufacturing

Star Manufacturing President and Owner Mario Listo may have started his company in the middle of a recession in 2009, but judging by the company's growth in 2012, you'd never know.
Star Manufacturing is now one of the premier control panel engineering and fabrication companies in the Midwest.

Since 2011, the number of employees at Star Manufacturing has risen from 28 to 44, including part-time employees. Because of the growth, the company has been able to bring in top-notch talent. Additionally, there has been very little employee turnover.

"We've had a lot of growth because we've been proactive in bringing people on that can bring us to the next level," says Dan Houchin, sales manager. "We have some of the top engineers, and we're not intimidated by the size of a project."

Listo agrees. "A lot of our growth has been because of the different industries we've picked [to work with]. To keep up with the growth, you have to expand."

And expand, they have. Their facility size has tripled in the past nine months and this July, they are looking to add on another 7,500 square-feet.

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HALL OF FAME

Honoring the previous winners of the MANNY Awards since 2007

Company	Top Local Executive	City	State	Website	Phone	Winning Year(s)
AK Steel	James Wainscott	West Chester	OH	www.aksteel.com	(859) 442-3382 x145	2008
Amano Cincinnati	Kash Gokli	Loveland	OH	www.amano.com	(513) 697-9000	2009 & 2011
American Fan	Greg Card	Fairfield	OH	www.americanfan.com	(513) 874-2400	2011
American Micro Products	Pierre A. Paroz	Batavia	OH	www.american-micro.com	(800) 479-2193	2007
BAE Systems	Tony Russell	Fairfield	OH	www.baesystems.com	(513) 881-9800	2009
Batesville Casket Co.	Ken A. Camp	Batesville	IN	www.batesville.com	(812) 934-7500	2008
Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc.	Matthew J. Shattock	Cincinnati	OH	www.beamglobal.com	(513) 948-4704	2007
Champion Window	Donald Jones/Dennis Manes	Sharonville	OH	www.championwindow.com	(513) 346-4600	2009
CKS Solution Inc.	James Braun	Batavia	OH	www.ckssolution.com	(513) 947-1277	2009
Clippard Instrument Laboratory Inc.	William L. Clippard III	Colerain Township	OH	www.clippard.com	(513) 521-4261	2009
Cold Jet LLC	Eugene Cooke	Loveland	OH	www.coldjet.com	(513) 831-3211	2008
Comfort Care Foods	Millard Long	Burlington	KY	www.comfort-care-products.com	(859) 586-1535	2009
CONTECH Construction Products	Ronald C. Keating	West Chester	OH	www.contech-cpi.com	(800) 338-1122	2010
Coolant Control Inc.	Jorge Costa	Ivorydale/ St. Bernard	OH	www.coolantcontrol.com	(513) 471-8770	2009
D & E Machine	Kent Coomer	Lebanon	OH	www.demachine.com	(513) 932-2184	2011
Eagle Coach Company	Tim Lautermilch	Amelia	OH	www.eaglecoachcompany.com	(513) 797-4100	2011
Enerfab Inc.	Wendell R. Bell	Winton Place	OH	www.enerfab.com	(513) 641-0500	2008, 2009 & 2010
Fecon Inc.	John Heekin	Lebanon	OH	www.fecon.com	(513) 696-4430	2008
Ford Motor Company/Sharonville Plant	William Clay Ford Jr., Alan Mulally	Sharonville	OH	www.ford.com	(800) 392-3673	2009
Formica Corporation	Mark Adamson	Evendale	OH	www.formica.com	(513) 786-3400	2011
Freeman Schwabe Machinery	Greg DeFisher	Batavia	OH	www.freemanschwabe.com	(513) 947-2888	2009
Gallatin Steel Company	Tobin Pospisil	Ghent	KY	www.gallatinsteel.com	(859) 567-3100	2007 & 2008
General Data Co.	Peter M. Wenzel	Cincinnati	OH	www.general-data.com	(513) 752-7978 x2219	2007
General Tool Company	William J. Kramer Jr.	Cincinnati	OH	www.gentool.com	(513) 733-5500	2009
Ghent Manufacturing	George Leasure	Lebanon	OH	www.ghent.com	(513) 932-3445	2010
Glasshand	Steve Brauch	Woodlawn	OH	www.theglasshand.com	(513) 353-1747	2011
Gold Medal Products Co.	Dan Kroeger	Evendale	OH	www.gmpopcorn.com	(513) 769-7676	2011
Graeter's Manufacturing	Richard Graeter	Cincinnati	OH	www.graeters.com	(513) 721-3323	2010
Greg G. Wright & Sons	Carl Fries	Cincinnati	OH	www.gregwrightandsons.com	(513) 721-3310	2008
Hamilton Caster & Mfg. Co.	Dave Lippert	Hamilton	OH	www.hamiltoncaster.com	(513) 863-3300	2007
Hillenbrand Industries	Peter H. Soderberg	Batesville	IN	www.hillenbrand.com	(812) 934-8692	2007
The Hillman Company	Richard Hillman, Max Hillman, Jr.	Cincinnati	OH	www.hillmangroup.com	(800) 800-4900	2010
Innovative Labeling Solutions	Jay Dollries	Hamilton	OH	www.ilslabels.com	(513) 860-2457	2011
Intelligrated Inc.	Chris Cole	Cincinnati	OH	www.intelligrated.com	(513) 701-7300	2007 & 2010
It's A Wrap Ideas LLC	Robin Acree, Wendy Robbins	Erlanger	KY	www.itsawrapideas.com	(859) 331-6438	2009
Kaivac, Inc.	Robert Robinson	Hamilton	OH	www.kaivac.com	(513) 477-9001	2007
Lafarge North America Inc.	Bruno Lafont	Silver Grove	KY	www.lafarge.com	(859) 442-3382	2007 & 2009
LSI Industries	Bob Ready, Scott Ready	Blue Ash	OH	www.lsi-industries.co	(513) 793-3200	2010
MAG	Mo Meidar	Hebron	KY	www.mag-ias.com	(859) 534-4600	2011
Mazak	Brian Papke	Florence	KY	www.mazakusa.com	(859) 342-1700	2011
Melink Corporation	Steve Melink	Milford	OH	www.melinkcorp.com	(513) 965-7300	2008, 2010 & 2011
Mesa Industries, Inc.	Terry Segerberg	Cincinnati	OH	www.mesa-intl.com	(513) 321-4511	2010
The Metalworking Group	Mike Schmitt	Cincinnati	OH	www.metalworkinggroup.com	(513) 521-4114 x15	2008
Micropyretics Heaters International, Inc.	Anu Vissa	Cincinnati	OH	www.mhi-inc.com	(513) 772-0404	2007
Middletown Tube Works Inc.	Ralph H. Phillips	Middletown	OH	www.middletowntube.com	(800) 841-4207	2009
Mil Air	Bruce J. Burton	Milford	OH	www.milairinc.com	(513) 576-0123	2010
Multi-Color Corp.	Nigel Vinecombe	Sharonville	OH	www.multicolorcorp.com	(513) 345-1141	2008
Nilpeter USA	Andy Colletta	Sycamore Township	OH	www.nilpeter.com	(513) 489-4400	2011
Nolte Precise Manufacturing	Doug Coster	Cincinnati	OH	www.nolteprecise.com	(513) 923-3100	2008
Odom Industries	Tim Odom	Milford	OH	www.odomindustries.com	(513) 248-0287 x223	2007
Pro Mach, Inc.	Mark Anderson	Loveland	OH	www.promachinc.com	(866) 776-6224	2010
Richards Industries	Bruce Broxterman	Hyde Park/Oakley	OH	www.richardsind.com	(513) 533-5600	2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010
Rite Track	Timothy Hayden	West Chester	OH	www.ritetrack.com	(513) 645-8612	2007
Rotek Inc.	Mike Drobik	Florence	KY	www.rotek-inc.com	(330) 562-4000	2009
Rumpke Recycling	William Rumpke, Sr.	Cincinnati	OH	www.rumpkerecycling.com	(800) 582-3107	2010
Servatii	Gary Gottenbusch	Cincinnati	OH	www.servatiipastryshop.com	(877) 484-2174	2010
Star Manufacturing	Mario Listo	West Chester	OH	www.starmanufacture.com	(513) 860-3573	2011
Storopack Inc.	John Mellott	Cincinnati	OH	www.storopack.com	(513) 871-4000	2007
StratusGroup, Inc.	Robert Curran	West Chester	OH	www.stratusgrp.com	(513) 870-4040	2010
Sweco, a business unit of M-I LLC	Brenda Beers	Florence	KY	www.sweco.com	(859) 727-5116	2007
TSS Technologies	Brent Nichols	Cincinnati	OH	www.tsstechnology.com	(513) 772-7000 x1123	2008
Victory Industrial Products	Dale Freeman	Batavia	OH	www.victoryindustrialproducts.com	(513) 436-2004	2008
ZF Steering Systems	Pierre Abboud	Florence	KY	www.zf.com	(859) 568-1143	2011

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2012 CINCY MANNY WINNERS HONORED

EVENT EMCEE

Tom McKee is a reporter with WCPO-TV in Cincinnati, specializing in government, politics, business and education. After graduating from Ohio University in 1974, McKee joined WCPO-TV as a reporter for the Al Schottelkotte News. From 1978 to 1983 he was the producer for Schottelkotte's 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts, and was producer when WCPO launched Newswatch in 1983. He left TV news in 1984 and spent five years in private video production, returning to WCPO-TV in 1989 as assignment manager. In 2001, he switched gears to resume daily reporting. McKee's wife Claudia is president and owner of MMG Corporate Communication, a B2B multimedia firm in Loveland. They reside in Kenwood, and have three grown sons and six grandchildren who all live in Greater Cincinnati.

PANELISTS

Dan Hurley is the director of Leadership Cincinnati, the preeminent leadership program in the area created by the Cincinnati Regional Chamber of Commerce to develop leaders for the region. Here, Hurley is responsible for the overall direction and management of the program. He has been committed to the region for years, serving as executive producer and host of Local 12's Newsmakers and a historical and political reporter for Local 12 News since 1981. For the past four years, Hurley has also served as the assistant vice president for History and Research for the Cincinnati Museum Center. He is the author of five books, including "Cincinnati: The Queen City" and "One Child at a Time: A History of Children's Home of Cincinnati."

Pete Zelinski is a long-time editor, columnist and correspondent with Modern Machine Shop, the leading publication in North America covering industrial metalworking and CNC machining. More recently, he also became the lead editor of Additive Manufacturing, a new publication devoted to the rapidly developing digital manufacturing technologies that build up complex parts layer by layer. Zelinski is also a technology consultant and on-screen personality seen in "The Edge Factor," the online documentary show that showcases exciting manufacturing applications.

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SPONSOR SPOTLIGHTS

Since 1928, Gardner Business Media, Inc. has been the premier publisher for the heart of manufacturing in North America—the plants, shops, factories, and the people that make them work. Gardner Business Media was founded in 1928 in Cincinnati, with the introduction of Modern Magazine Shop magazine, the premier metalworking and machine tool publication in North America. Other magazines focus on topics such as automotive design & production, plastics technology, production machining, products finishing, moldmaking technology, high performance composites, and composites technology.
Since their start, Gardner Business Media has built its niche in one area: manufacturing. They bring industrial buyers and sellers together through an integrated approach to media. By striving to use different media (including publications, websites, research or in person events), the company allows its customers to do better.

For more information, visit www.gardnerweb.com or call (513) 527-8801.

Grant Thornton LLP is the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, one of the six global audit, tax and advisory organizations. The people of Grant Thornton provide personalized attention and the highest quality service to public and private clients in more than 100 countries.

Grant Thornton believes that sustaining long-term growth in successful organizations means looking at many different aspects of the business simultaneously. Financial measures, process efficiency, new ways of working and stakeholder relationships all must grow in harmony if dynamic organizations are to fully achieve their objectives. With shorter decision-making chains, more senior personnel involvement and empowered client service teams, Grant Thornton is able to take a wider view and operate in a coordinated way that's as fast and agile as its clients. It's what makes Grant Thornton able to deliver actionable and responsible advice. Put simply, it's how Grant Thornton unlocks the potential for growth in dynamic organizations.

"Growth is the dominant issue facing businesses today," says managing partner Robert Taylor. "Our strategic focus is helping clients achieve smart, quality growth in all aspects of their businesses. We successfully apply reason and instinct on behalf of our clients as we partner with them to meet challenges and achieve the growth they need to thrive."

For more information, visit www.grantthornton.com or call (513) 762-5000.

Prus prides itself on taking part in their community based on the belief that the community cannot succeed without everyone's help. Each year, Prus employees venture out to support causes that matter, including People Working Cooperatively, Adopt a Class, Little League Baseball and Boys Scouts of America.

For more information, visit www.prusconstruction.com or call (513) 321-7774.

 

TechSolve enables Ohio manufacturers to thrive in a highly competitive global marketplace by offering business solutions and resources that enhance growth, improve productivity and expand capacity.

For over 25 years, TechSolve has helped organizations implement process improvement and advanced machining solutions that create measurable top-line and bottom-line results. Their in-depth business and engineering experience across a wide range of industries allows their experts to identify and quickly prioritize the best improvement and growth opportunities for clients.

TechSolve, formerly the Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Sciences, Inc. (IAMS) was founded in 1982 by the City of Cincinnati, the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, and large industrial firms with the objective of assisting local manufacturing companies to improve efficiency in the newly competitive world market.

As the region's leading operational improvement and machining consultants, TechSolve helped Ohio companies achieve cost savings of approximately $80 million and retain and create 4,705 jobs between 2010-2011.

For more information, visit www.TechSolve.org or call (513) 948-2000.

Recognized as a leading and diversified financial services holding company, U.S. Bancorp is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association, the nation's fifth largest commercial bank.

U.S. Bancorp received accolades for being one of the safest, most respected and most trusted banking companies in the world; named by the world's most admired company by Fortune magazine in March 2011.

The company offers regional consumer and business banking and wealth management services, national wholesale and trust services, and international payments services to more than 17 million customers. Headquartered in Minneapolis, U.S. Bancorp was founded in 1863 and employs more than 61,000 people.
Even with these honors, customer service is the highest goal for U.S. Bank. This commitment was reflected further when it outranked the four largest banks in the country in overall customer satisfaction, according to an independent survey conducted by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) in 2010.

U.S. Bank is committed to assuring that communities can succeed. Community development loans aid the development of affordable housing, and provide support services for working families. Small business loans help to establish businesses and promote job creation, while mortgage lending products stabilize neighborhoods by promoting home ownership.

The employee-run Development Network Chapters connects employees with volunteer and community service opportunities. U.S. Bancorp also supports a wide range of community events and organizations, from festivals to innovative arts venues, cultural programs and professional sports, as well as numerous sponsorships.

For more information, visit www.usbank.com or call (513) 632-4141

Wood, Herron & Evans, L.L.P. aids clients in the acquisition, development, protection, licensing, defense and enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights. While general practice firms may offer some IP services, Wood Herron & Evans achieves superior results because protecting IP is their sole focus. The firm has been servicing businesses, trade associations, universities, foundations, and individuals since 1868.

Wood, Herron & Evans anticipates legal issues that might threaten or compromise IP assets, and handles negotiation and litigation effectively and vigorously when clients' rights require enforcement. Experienced attorneys and a trained professional support staff understand the value of IP assets: patents, trademarks and copyrights.

The firm focuses on in-depth involvement with clients, using its combined experience to address complex IP issues with flexible and dynamic solutions. Its approach fits and enhances business objectives, while simultaneously increasing the value provided to shareholders and owners.

Wood, Herron & Evans offers a seasoned and informed view of technology, identity, and branding in relation to the complex laws protecting intellectual property rights in business, manufacturing, entertainment, sports, publishing, electronic media and commerce.

For more information, visit www.whe-law.com or call (513) 241-2324.

 

 

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

The Clermont County Office of Economic Development was established to provide assistance to companies of all sizes that wish to grow in Clermont County. The Board of County Commissioners has initiated one of the region's most aggressive economic development programs, actively engaging in massive infrastructure improvements, shovel-ready site development, image enhancement and improved communications with the business and development community.

For more information,visit www.clermontcountyohio.biz.

The Chamber focuses its efforts on education, workforce development, international trade, leadership development and government relations at the federal, state and local level. Its dynamic business journal and networking opportunities keep members in the know, and its advocacy on behalf of its diverse membership helps bridge the gap between Northern Kentucky businesses and all levels of government.

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Inc., founded in 1969, is the leading business organization of Northern Kentucky. It is a nationally ranked Five-Star Chamber with more than 1,900 member companies representing more than 170,000 employees.

For more information, visit www.nkychamber.com.

Leadership, service and teamwork are the values at the core of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. Partnering with almost 6,000 member businesses, the Chamber aims "to grow our regional economy and community, stimulating opportunities for everyone," while helping the city become an international premier business destination. The Chamber provides numerous services to members: program and events, benefits to improve businesses' bottom lines, solutions to workforce challenges, government advocacy and more.

For more information, visit www.cincinnatichamber.com.

UC's Center for Entrepreneurship Education & Research's mission is to be a world-class center for entrepreneurship education, research and service. Founded in 1997, the Entrepreneurship Center's vision and mission is not only provide a state-of-the-art entrepreneurship curriculum and research base, but also for people in the many organizations that interact with small, entrepreneurial and family owned businesses on a daily basis. The center seeks collaborative efforts between students and faculty from across the university to remove barriers and create gateways to becoming an entrepreneur.

For more information, visit www.business.uc.edu/centers/entrepreneurship.html.