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| 09.21.07 |  |
| The CEO's Corner - Ohayô, NEO ! |
 Twice a year, Team NEO holds a "State of the Region" event. On October
9, we had our largest attendance yet, more than 150 of our region's business,
community and civic leaders. These events are part of our continuing
effort to show you the whole picture - a true view of the economy of the
16-county Cleveland Plus region and the many positive steps being taken
across the region to accelerate our economy.
One of the features each time is called "What's Hot, What's New. It is often not easy to stay up with all the important developments around the region, so we ask Team NEO's operating partners to send us the most important developments. You can see this, and the full presentation, by going to xxxxxxxxxxx. Building on what's NEW, we also have now started monthly email newsletter blasts to xxxx business investment decision makers across the county. We have a lot of good news to spread and we are in a constant battle to keep the Cleveland+ 16-county region top of mind when businesses are thinking about a new investment location. Take a look at how we present ourselves and the great story the region has to tell by going to xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. At each of our State of the Region events we also show how we are doing in our business attraction efforts. With 2007 being Team NEO's first year focusing exclusively on attraction, we were not sure what to expect. So we projected ramping up over 3 years to the level of activity experienced by some of our well-established competitor regions. We are excited that after nine months, we are already closing in on goals we set for 2008 and 2009! Northeast Ohio is indeed Getting in the Game! The featured topic of our October 9 event was the Regional Economy. Team NEO released the third edition of our Quarterly Regional Economic Review. Click here to download the full report. Here are a few highlights:
Sandy talked about the important role of innovation and education in driving regional economic growth. She described research done by the Bank which found that states that were engaged in high levels of patenting activity per-capita—one measure of innovation—and states that had more educated workforces—as measured by educational attainment—grew faster. Noting that these state-level patterns also hold true for our regional economy, Pianalto said, "While we still are an innovative state and Northeast Ohio has been at the forefront of Ohio's innovation industries, we need to redouble our efforts to develop a highly skilled workforce. This is especially true if we plan to expand our presence in emerging industries such as information technology, biomedical sciences, and advanced materials." The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland's insightful research on this topic can be accessed by this link. I recommend you take a look. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx As always Ned Hill was provocative. His team is updating their look at the sectors that are growing in the region and two that continue to stand out are Financial Services and Chemistry-related companies. It has long been Ned's belief that the field of chemistry is the underlying technology behind many of the historically strong businesses In Northeast Ohio. Ned also unveiled some unfinished research looking further at educational attainment and regional growth. We all can look forward to more on this in the future. So, how is the State of our Region? Like we keep saying.... We aren't as good as we want, but we really ARE better than we think! 
Tom Top |
| Team NEO Highlights |
| Team NEO Welcomes Tom Sudow |
| Team NEO is pleased to announce that Tom Sudow has joined the organization
as Vice President, Attraction. He will focus on attracting cardiovascular-related
businesses to the Cleveland Plus region. Most recently, Sudow was Executive
Director of the Beachwood Chamber of Commerce and has been highly innovative
and successful in attracting businesses to that city, including more than
20 international companies in the last three years.
His hiring is a direct result of the new initiative announced by Team NEO and Cleveland Clinic to accelerate the region's growth as a hub of biotechnology innovation, by attracting bioscience and medical device companies to the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center (GCIC). The State of Ohio awarded $60 to Cleveland Clinic, in collaboration with the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation (FRDC) and more than 20 biomedical and academic institutions - including Case Medical Center, The Ohio State University, the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Toledo - to develop a GCIC in Cleveland. The GCIC is a product development consortium designed to develop and commercialize new cardiovascular products that will be brought to market both by established partner companies and new, investor backed enterprises that the GCIC will help to create. The GCIC intends to be a recognized value added participant in key segments of the $400 billion cardiovascular sector. Click here for the full release on this announcement. Top |
| Link to Cleveland Plus e-newsletter |
| As we've mentioned in previous newsletters, Team NEO, along with our partners,
is dedicated to building relationships and top-of-mind awareness with
multi-industry business investment decision makers and their advisors.
We do this through communications, including timely updates on the Cleveland
Plus region. For the latest edition on how we're letting this important
audience know the good things happening in our region,
click here.
Top |
| Regional Business News |
| Continental Airlines Announces Major Expansion |
| Continental Airlines, along with Mayor Frank G. Jackson and Governor Ted
Strickland, recently announced details of plans to grow its capacity at
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport by 40 percent over a two-year
period. The plan includes more than 80 flights into Cleveland Hopkins
International Airport, with more than 30 options for nonstop flights to
20 new destinations. The company expects to hire 700 employees to its
2,200 Cleveland employees.
Click here for additional coverage on this exciting news of growth in our region.
Top |
| Canton-Massillon MSA Ranked No. 1 for Business Attraction |
| Expansion Management, a publication that strives to educate its readers on how best to evaluate
and compare communities and sites for business requirements, has named
the Canton-Massillon MSA as the number one midsize metro company for relocating
businesses. The publication, in conjunction with the National Policy
Research Council, looked at the facility relocation activity of 19 million
companies over the past eight years to determine the most popular destinations
for relocation businesses.
Read the complete article here.
Top |
| InfoCision Management Plans Major Expansion in Bath Township |
| InfoCision Management Corporation, along with the City of Akron announced
that they have reached an agreement on the construction of an expanded
corporate headquarters in Bath Township. The company's current workforce
of more than 700 employees is expected to grow to 1,000 with the expansion
of its headquarters.
Greater Akron's collaborative efforts played a key role in retaining InfoCision. The team provided site selections services, competitive analysis, and coordination of presentations to key decision makers. While the process took more than two years, in the end the Greater Akron Chamber along with the City of Akron successfully helped InfoCision with their expansion, allowing them to grow in the region. For the full release on this announcement, click here. Top |
| Northeast Ohio tops Inc. 5,000 List |
Solon-based MemberHealth topped Inc. Magazine's list of the nation's fastest-growing
private companies. The company, who provides Medicare Part D prescription
drug coverage, had 20,128.9% revenue growth from 2003 to 2006! Revenues
grew to $1.2 billion from $6.1 million in 2003. Other companies in the
Northeast Ohio region include Turning Technologies of Youngstown, the
fastest growing business-to-business software company in the country,
coming in at 18th overall on the list. Other top growth companies include:
Top |
| 2007 Medical Innovation Summit |
|
State of the Heart: Cardiovascular Technologies
The Medical Innovation Summit will be held October 1-3, 2007 at InterContinental Hotel & Bank of America Conference Center. Join Sidney Taurel, Eli Lilly, George Buckley, 3M, Bill Hawkins, Medtronic, Stephen Hemsley, UnitedHealth Group, Tony Zook, AstraZeneca and many other CEOs, top venture investors, medical leaders and network correspondents as they highlight new technologies, economics and trends in cardiovascular technologies. Also featured will be the Cleveland Clinic's annual selection of the "Top 10" health care innovations, interactive surgeries and in-depth debates on industry challenges. 900 senior industry executives, entrepreneurs, investors and clinicians will attend the 5th annual Medical Innovation Summit on the Cleveland Clinic campus. Paid registrants are eligible to win an all-expense paid trip to Ireland and visit to Canyon Ranch. Click here for more information and to register. Top |
| CAAO Minority Access to Capital Roundtable |
| The third annual CAAO Minority Access to Capital Roundtable Program will
take place on October 11, 2007 from 5:30 - 8:30 pm at the Northeast Ohio
Regional Sewer District, 3900 Euclid Ave. The mission of this program
is to thoroughly educate minority entrepreneurs on all of their funding
options and to aid in building relationships between the funders and minority
entrepreneurs in Northeast Ohio. For more details and information on
registration,
click here.
Top |
+ August 2007 + |
Once again, we'd like to Pass the Plus with the below monthly newsletter which is intended to spread some of the good news (the pluses) of the Cleveland Plus region.  Cleveland Plus is catching on! Whether it's with the help of our city mayors,
chambers of commerce, young professionals, convention and visitors' bureaus,
companies, organizations - or The President of the United States — people
are passing the Cleveland Plus spirit.
That's right - Cleveland Plus made an unexpected national debut when President George W. Bush came to Cleveland on July 11. During his address, President Bush held up one of the new CLE+ European-style bumper stickers. The photo graced the pages of a number of newspapers, national news Web sites and the Yahoo home page. (Want a sticker of your own? E-mail your contact info to clevelandplus@yahoo.com) Now it's your turn to spread the Cleveland Plus spirit. Here's a riddle: what do you and newly signed Cleveland Browns' quarterback Brady Quinn have in common? You should both be practicing your passes! Pass the Plus! Remember to forward this monthly e-newsletter along to your friends and colleagues. Visit us on the Web at clevelandplus.com Keep reading for more information on:
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| Cleveland Plus News |
| Regional hospitals ranked in 2007 Best Hospitals Study |
| U.S. News & World Report recently named its best hospitals in America for 2007. Among the 5,462 that were evaluated, only 173 were included in the final rankings. The Cleveland Clinic captured the fourth spot on the study's Honor Roll and received recognition for all specialties. In addition, University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Akron's Summa Health Systems also achieved notable rankings. To view the study, click here. |
| Brain Gain: Study shows grads aren't leaving |
| Contrary to popular perception, the Cleveland Plus region is experiencing a brain gain. This is according to a study recently released by the Ohio Board of Regents, which reports that 75 percent of Ohio college grads are choosing to stay in the area following graduation. In fact, Ohio's brain gain is 2 percent higher than most states. Click here to view the full study. |
| YSU Receives $2 Million from U.S. Department of Defense |
| A $2 million appropriation from the U.S. Department of Defense has been secured to create the National Center of Excellence for Industrial Metrology and Three-Dimensional Imaging at Youngstown State University. The Youngstown Business Incubator and Youngstown-based M-7 Technologies and Zethus Software have been named as the three prime external collaborators for the new center. |
| Cleveland is second most affordable housing market in U.S. |
| According to a recent survey by Forbes Magazine, Cleveland ranks as the nation's second most affordable housing market. These rankings are determined by two key factors, including the median home price compared to the median household salary and the percentage of homes sold in the first quarter of this year that were affordable to the median income-earning household. Click here to learn more. |
| Highland Heights and Twinsburg make CNN Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to Live |
| Congratulations to Highland Heights and Twinsburg - both in the Cleveland Plus region - for making CNN Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to Live! In fact, there were more ranked cities in the Cleveland Plus region than in 29 states in the nation. Other notables included Kent ranking within the top 25 for singles and Maple Heights, Garfield Heights and Boardman as cities with the most affordable housing in the country. To view the complete results, visit CNN's Web site here. |
| The Akron Art Museum Now Open |
| The Akron Art Museum unveiled its new building and look after a 10-day extravaganza. The opening activities included a community sneak peek, member events, a media preview and a gala attended by more than 1,500 people. The Washington Post was in attendance at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening on July 17. Washington Post reporter Philip Kennicott writes, "The Akron Art Museum is a fascinating building and a major addition to the landscap..." To read the full story, click here. For more information on the Akron Art Museum, click here. |
| CBS' "The Early Show" Broadcast a Success! | ||
No amount of rain and wind could stop Cleveland Plus fans from showing
their spirit at CBS' "The Early Show" on July 27. Long before the sun
came up, Girl Scout troops, members of the armed forces, employees from
area companies and local spectators crowded the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame and Museum with homemade signs, hats and t-shirts. Many Cleveland
Plus fans showed their regional pride with fantastic Cleveland Plus signs
and big smiles! A big Cleveland Plus THANK YOU to those who helped pass
the plus onto a national audience!
How are you Passing the Plus? Send an email to arobinson@landaupr.com with your name, contact info and a picture or explanation of how you are promoting Cleveland Plus, and you may be featured in the next issue of the Pass the Plus e-newsletter. |
| Place of the Month |
| Amish Country, Ohio |
| Amish country is comprised of Holmes, Knox, Coshocton, Tuscarawas, Wayne,
Richland, Ashland, Geauga and Stark counties, the latter five being included
in the Cleveland Plus footprint. Approximately 40,000 residents call this
area home, making it the world's largest Amish/Mennonite settlement.
Visitors can sare in the quiet beauty and simplicity of the lifestyle and landscapes by strolling by or stopping in the area's many shops and farms, which flourish with quality woodworking, textiles, furniture and more. Ample opportunities abound for visitors to take in what Amish Country may be most famous for - its amazing homemade baked goods, cheese and other treats. How to get there: Different parts of Amish Country can be reached by I-71 and I-77 as well as several other routes including US-250, US-30 and US-36. Click here to view a county map displaying major roadways, making it easy to see which route will be needed in order to visit the scenic byways, antique shops or restaurants. Find your plus: Butler Institute of American Art + Cleveland Institute of Art + Cleveland Museum of Art + Akron Art Museum + Canton Museum of Art + GuitarMania + Allen Memorial Art Museum + Ashtabula Art Center + Yankee Peddler Festival + Artists Archives of the Western Reserve + Buzz Gallery + Orange Art Center + Solon Center for the Arts + Valley Art Center + The Bonfoey Gallery |
| Want your group, business or organization to learn more about Cleveland
Plus? Email
hKessen@LandauPR.com to book a Cleveland Plus representative to speak at your next event.
We need your help! The Pass the Plus e-newsletter is looking for "Regional Reporters" to keep us updated on regional events, organizations, activities, awards and/or issues in your area. Please contact Lexi Robinson at aRobinson@LandauPR.com if interested. For more information:
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