ITAC Presents the 2008 Managing Directors Forum

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
1:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Embassy Suites, Independence, OH
Get Map: www.mapquest.com

Come and meet the Managing Directors of Ohio’s international trade offices:
Australia – Argentina – Brazil – Chile – China – Europe
Hong Kong – India – Israel – Japan – South Africa
More details and registration

NEOTEC’s Ron DeBarr Appointed as Member of NODEC

KENT, OHIO, March 18, 2008 – Ron DeBarr, president and CEO of the Northeast Ohio Trade & Economic Consortium (NEOTEC), was recently appointed as a member of the Northern Ohio District Export Council (NODEC). The four-year appointment was designated by Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which oversees 58 District Export Councils (DECs) throughout the country. DECs are organizations of leaders from the local business community whose knowledge of international business provides a source of professional advice for local companies.

In his position with NEOTEC, an economic development partnership of 10 Northeast Ohio counties, DeBarr administers two programs that promote exporting and international commerce in the region: the International Trade Assistance Center (ITAC), which provides export counseling assistance to small- and medium-sized companies, and Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 181, a federal program which regionally covers multiple locations throughout the 10-county NEOTEC area and which offers significant cost savings for manufacturers marketing internationally.

DeBarr was recommended for the NODEC appointment by Sue Whitney, office director of the Cleveland U.S. Export Assistance Center (USEAC), a division of the Department of Commerce’s U.S. Commercial Service (USCS). DECs contribute leadership and international trade expertise to complement the export promotion efforts of USCS, which partners with NEOTEC’s International Trade Assistance Center on a regional level. “The appointment of Ron DeBarr to NODEC is a big plus for area exporters,” said Whitney. “Ron’s leadership and expertise in international trade, highlighted by his commitment to the ITAC and FTZ programs, will be a great contribution to NODEC as it counsels companies in their exporting efforts,” Whitney said.

Each DEC has approximately 30 members, comprised of exporters, bankers, freight forwarders, international lawyers and accountants, and others whose profession supports the U.S. government’s export promotion mission. “I appreciate the opportunity to serve our region as a member of this important council,” said DeBarr. “As a NODEC member, I will continue to work toward a stronger regional economy by assisting companies to grow through exports. I look forward to participating in trade promotion activities and contributing my expertise to make a difference for Northeast Ohio,” DeBarr said.

DECs were established by the Secretary of Commerce as directed by a presidential Executive Order in 1973 in an effort to enlist the efforts of the U.S. business community in enlarging export opportunities for American firms. Recommendations for appointment are based on an individual’s position in the local business community, knowledge of day-to-day international operations, interest in export development, and willingness to devote time to the council.

In addition to administering the International Trade Assistance Center and the Foreign-Trade Zone program, NEOTEC also works to improve regional market access through the administration of the Northeast Ohio Logistics Network, an organization of logistics and management professionals.
For more information, visit NEOTEC’s Web site at www.neotec.org  or contact Ron DeBarr, president and CEO of NEOTEC, at 330-672-4080 or via e-mail at rdebarr@neotec.org.
 

KENT, OHIO, February 12, 2008 – Ron DeBarr, president and CEO of the Northeast Ohio Trade & Economic Consortium (NEOTEC), was recently named chairman of the Grantee Committee of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ). NEOTEC, an economic development partnership of 10 Northeast Ohio counties, is the grantee of Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 181 in Northeast Ohio, which covers multiple locations throughout the region. The NAFTZ is a nonprofit trade association that works to promote and improve foreign-trade zones and their use, respond to the competitive needs of zone users, and connect global businesses with local communities through the FTZ program.
“The NAFTZ is pleased that someone as qualified and as dynamic as Ron DeBarr has agreed to lead this committee,” said Will Berry, Executive Director of the NAFTZ. “Already Ron has a couple of important new committee initiatives underway which will serve Grantees and advance the benefits of the FTZ program. We’re glad to have Ron involved in the leadership of the NAFTZ,” Berry said.
According to Berry, the Grantee community is the “lynch-pin” of the FTZ program, because grantees connect all zone activities directly with the public purpose that the program serves. Berry said that the Grantee Committee is important for a number of reasons: it works to reach out to Grantees across the country, engages Grantees in the work of the NAFTZ, undertakes projects which help Grantees remain informed of new program developments, and supports their work.
“I value the opportunity of chairing the Grantee Committee because of the direct involvement it affords me with other Grantees throughout the country,” DeBarr said. “Through the initiatives the committee is undertaking, I am able to address the needs of the entire grantee community and help make a direct impact on the continued success of the FTZ program,” said DeBarr.
In Ohio, DeBarr demonstrated the same level of leadership, having initiated the creation of the Ohio Foreign-Trade Zones Council (OFTZC) in 2005. The OFTZC unites the state’s 10 FTZ grantees in a forum of discussion and action to address issues and promote the success of Ohio’s FTZ program.

The Foreign-Trade Zone program was created in 1934 by Congress to facilitate international trade and increase the global competitiveness of U.S.-based companies. The program, designed as an incentive to encourage companies to keep investment and jobs in the U.S. and not move production offshore, removes certain costs and barriers that do not exist in foreign locations.

NEOTEC is a regional economic development partnership of 10 Northeast Ohio counties. FTZ 181 covers more than 6,000 acres at 35 sites throughout the 10-county NEOTEC region. In addition to FTZ 181, NEOTEC is administrator of the International Trade Assistance Center of Northeast Ohio, a program that provides export counseling to area manufacturers looking to grow their business through exports, and the Northeast Ohio Logistics Network, an organization of logistics and management professionals working to help improve regional market access.
For more information, visit NEOTEC’s Web site at www.neotec.org or contact Ron DeBarr, president and CEO of NEOTEC, at 330-672-4080 or via e-mail at rdebarr@neotec.org.
 

NEOTEC Honored with Award of Excellence from
Mid-America Economic Development Council

KENT, OHIO, January 29, 2008 – The Northeast Ohio Trade & Economic Consortium (NEOTEC)
recently received an award of excellence from the Mid-America Economic Development Council (MAEDC). The award was presented to NEOTEC as first place in the Existing Industry Programs category during the MAEDC annual Competitiveness Conference in December in Chicago.

The awards competition was open to economic development organizations throughout MAEDC’s 10-state area. NEOTEC was selected for the Existing Industry Programs award based on recognition for business retention and expansion (BR&E) survey reports, industry appreciation events, and/or other specific programs, projects, and services designed to retain or expand existing industry. NEOTEC’s entry featured marketing materials for its International Trade Assistance Center division (ITAC), promoting the collaborative partnership between ITAC, the U.S. Export Assistance Center, the Ohio Department of Development’s International Trade Division, and the World Trade Center Cleveland, a division of the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (MAGNET).
According to NEOTEC president and CEO Ron DeBarr, the collaboration of these four organizations has resulted in a unique model of service delivery of international business support to Northeast Ohio businesses.

“NEOTEC and ITAC are pleased to be recognized by the Mid-America Economic Development Council for our ongoing efforts to provide a high level of international trade support to area businesses through our partnership with these fine organizations,” said DeBarr. “Our marketing materials reflect the commitment with which we collaborate to expand international trade and bring economic growth to the region.”

NEOTEC is a regional economic development partnership of 10 Northeast Ohio counties. NEOTEC administers three organizations to implement its economic development strategies for the region: Foreign-Trade Zone 181 to promote international commerce, the International Trade Assistance
Center (ITAC) to provide export counseling assistance to area businesses, and the Northeast Ohio Logistics Network to help improve regional market access.

For more information, visit NEOTEC’s Web site at www.neotec.org or contact Ron DeBarr, president and CEO of NEOTEC, at 330-672-4080 or via e-mail at rdebarr@neotec.org.
 

International Trade Assistance Center and MAGNET Form Partnership  

KENT, OHIO, January 22, 2008 – The International Trade Assistance Center (ITAC) of Northeast Ohio, a division of the Northeast Ohio Trade & Economic Consortium (NEOTEC), recently entered into a partnership agreement with the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (MAGNET) to collaborate in providing international trade resources to Northeast Ohio manufacturing companies.

            ITAC promotes economic growth through exports by offering export counseling assistance at no cost to small- and medium-sized businesses in Northeast Ohio that are interested in developing international markets, and to existing exporters wanting to expand markets.  MAGNET was formed in 2006 to serve as the voice for and to the region’s manufacturers, as well as the “one stop shop” for the public and private resources needed by those companies to compete around the world.

            As part of the agreement, ITAC and MAGNET will collaborate to identify companies within the region in need of international trade assistance and provide ITAC program assistance to those companies.  ITAC services include export readiness assessment, market research, international business development, and internal training as well as assistance with export compliance and procedures, documentation requirements and international logistics issues.

            “This is the perfect partnership from a regional economic development perspective,” said Steve Paquette, president and CEO of the Stark Development Board, who serves as treasurer of the NEOTEC Board of Trustees and as a member of the board of trustees of MAGNET.  “Manufacturing in Northeast Ohio is evolving, becoming more diverse and innovative in order to compete in a global economic environment.  This collaboration between ITAC, which seeks to strengthen our regional economy through the growth of exports, and MAGNET, which serves in an advocacy role to area manufacturers, will facilitate the continued emergence of Northeast Ohio as a global player on the manufacturing front,” Paquette said.

             According to Randy Nemetz, global development director for MAGNET, the ITAC partnership will assist MAGNET in its mission to be a “one-stop shop” for manufacturers searching for the high quality services and human resources needed to compete more effectively in the global economy.  “The ITAC center will serve as a valuable resource enabling us to feed more in-depth information to manufacturers who are specifically targeting international business,” Nemetz said.  

            ITAC is funded in part through grants from the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Ohio Small Business Development Centers.  Its parent organization, NEOTEC, is a regional economic development partnership of 10 Northeast Ohio counties.  In addition to the ITAC program, NEOTEC administers Foreign-Trade Zone 181 to assist companies engaged in international commerce, and the Northeast Ohio Logistics Network to help improve regional market access.

For more information, visit NEOTEC’s Web site at www.neotec.org  or contact Ron DeBarr, president and CEO of NEOTEC, at 330-672-4080 or via e-mail at neotec@kent.edu.

NEOTEC Vice Chairman wins American Spirit Award

Rick Hale, president and CEO of Winner Aviation at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, has been recognized as a recipient of the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) American Spirit Award for representing business aviation before Congress. Hale has served as Vice Chairman of the NEOTEC Board of Trustees since 2002.
Hale received the award at the NBAA’s 60th Annual Meeting & Convention in Atlanta, September 25 – 27, along with Richard Shine, CEO of Manitoba Recycling.
Federal policymakers are considering “reauthorization” (or funding) of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and aviation system modernization. Funding proposals being promoted by the big airlines would shift billions of dollars onto general aviation and implement new, foreign-style user fees upon small and mid-sized businesses across the country.

“NBAA is honored to recognize Rick Hale and Richard Shine for illustrating for members of Congress what business aviation is all about and for explaining to Congress the real impact of user fees on small and mid-sized businesses across the country,” NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said.

Since its creation in 1994, NBAA’s American Spirit Award has recognized individuals within business aviation who exemplify excellence and service to others.
On August 1, Hale testified before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures. Hale told subcommittee members that his local area has very little commercial airline service, and his Youngstown, OH-based firm enables others to do business outside of Youngstown, while remaining located in Northeastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. “That’s important at a time when our part of the country is losing businesses at an alarming rate,” Hale said. He advocated general aviation’s support for air traffic control modernization, but called for “pay at the pump” fuel taxes rather than user fees or new taxes.
 

April 9, 2007

Progress Continues on Container Terminal on the upper Ohio River

The Columbiana County Port Authority recently let a contract to install an overhead crane at its Wellsville Intermodal Industrial Park development near Ohio River Mile 50. The successful bidder was Hohl Industrial Services, a Cleveland, Ohio-based firm. The port, consulting with Hanson Professional Services, earlier completed the sheet pile cells and crane foundations and next will install a conveyor system.

The intermodal facility is designed to transload a wide range of materials including minerals, steel products and containers that move by barge, rail and truck. The bridge crane is a 60-ton, heavy-duty Virginia Crane that has an 80-foot span. It will be shipped to the site and erected this summer, and is scheduled to be in operation by late fall.

For more information about the Wellsville Intermodal Industrial Park (IIP), visit the Columbiana County Port Authority Web site at www.ccpa-ohioriver.com. 

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March 2007 Newsletter

	FTZ 181 Sets Record
	ITAC Expands
	Global Business Development Initiative
	....and more.

Joint Office of Economic Development Announces
Richland County as New Member

KENT, OHIO, January 17, 2006 – The Northeast Ohio Joint Office of Economic Development (JOED) has announced the addition of Richland County to its regional economic development partnership. In a ceremonial signing scheduled for January 23 at the Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls, the commissioners of the nine current member counties will officially welcome Richland County as a member of the JOED and the Northeast Ohio Trade & Economic Consortium (NEOTEC). NEOTEC is the private, nonprofit organization providing regional economic development services on behalf of the JOED.
See press release for more details.

NEOTEC Becomes Host Site for International Trade Assistance Center

KENT, OHIO, April 14, 2004 – The Northeast Ohio Trade & Economic Consortium (NEOTEC) has announced the opening of a regional International Trade Assistance Center (ITAC) to offer export counseling assistance to small businesses in Northeast Ohio. The ITAC office, which will be located within NEOTEC’s offices on the Kent State University campus, was made possible through a grant awarded to NEOTEC by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Ohio Department of Development’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program. See press release for more details.
 

AKRON, OHIO, September 2003 - Summit County Launches Summit Business Partnership; Business Retention Initiative Includes Key Community and Government Representatives
At a September 2003 press conference, Summit County Executive James B. McCarthy launched the Summit Business Partnership, a systematic business retention program designed to keep and grow the companies and jobs already located in Summit County.
See the press release for more details.
 

KENT, Ohio, April 29, 2002 --  Ashtabula County has become the seventh county to join the regional economic development partnership of the Northeast Ohio Trade and Economic Consortium (NEOTEC). 

Eighty people participated in NEOTEC 2001 Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) Workshop at Kent State University November 15.