The First Dollar

The milestone is one worth marking, especially on a building project that started out as a 100% speculative build.

Today, the Port Authority received an electronic fund transfer representing the first income on the new Horton Building.  The new building was deemed substantially complete and ready for move-in thirty days ago and the first lease payment was due June 1.

Ohio in 1861

I installed "The Civil War Today" app on my IPad.  Two things about Ohio stand out in my first glance through the app.

Here's what Ohio looked like in 1861 on one war-era map.

My town, Newark, shows up pretty prominently on here, showing that the war, alone, was not what put Newark on the map.  Newark was a stand out before then.

Today, Newark is among the top 20 largest cities, by population, in Ohio and remains a standout place.

It's also noteworthy that May 26, 1961 was when General McClellan's Department of Ohio crossed the Ohio River on it way to the first ground skirmish of the war in western Virginia.  So, yes, the movement of Union troops for the first ground engagement began in Ohio.

Bucking Traditions

Memorial Day is the traditional start to higher gas prices.

What are you paying? I just filled up at a price 12% lower than I paid two tankfuls ago.

Headline: Say Goodbye to the Rust Belt

Ed Morrison's latest piece on economic development has a sub headline that grabbed my attention.  His New Narratives in the Great Lakes|Say Goodbye to the Rust Belt post recites some regional approaches to re-writing the view of a region defined by the pejorative "Rust Belt" term.

His piece is worth a read.  So is his map, similar to the one linked to above.

Ed's map covers nine states and parts of Canada under the heading "The Industrial Heartland of North America."  Don't call it "Rust Belt" though.

Taking a Summer Vacation

Scott Rassmussen tweeted Thursday:  "38% Plan to Take a Summer Vacation This Year."  His poll results are here, and they are interpreted as as a sign of slowed economic recovery. 

I'm not so sure the problem isn't in the polling instead.  Here's an example:

My family is going to Minnesota this Summer to see my mother-in-law.

If Scott called my wife, she'd call it a summer vacation.

If Scott called me, I wouldn't.

I suspect more people are going somewhere for the Summer, but they choose to call it something other than a vacation.

A High School Class on Globalization?

Impressed.

That's what I was coming away from the Globalization class presentations at Licking Valley High School that I was privileged to sit in on and judge this week.

Yes, a high school class on globalization.  Imagine.

Principal Wes Weaver and Superintendent Dave Hile teach the Globalization class.  Some people might be impressed that two administrators are getting out from behind their desks and actually teaching a class.  That's impressive in its own right, but that's not what impressed me most.

The students were a mix of grade levels and not just the elite students grade-wise.  I liked that too.

The students were handed laptops at the start of the quarter where they did all their work and collaborated in preparation of their presentations using Google Docs and online tools.  Sounds like the real world is working its way into the class room in a big way.  I think Licking Valley is on to something here.

The class read The World is Flat as their text.  Everyone should read that book at least once, including me.

Pragmatic scholars tell us that, in our presentations, its 95% how you say it and 5% what you say.  So, yes, it was impressive that these students' recognized that context is as important as content.  The whole first page of the judging criteria was on context-related items like eye contact, posture, enthusiasm, and the like.  They nailed it.

The content was darn impressive too, though. 

Frankly, the level of dialog about JobsOhio, CAT tax, Ohio's infrastructure, and Ohio's political climate in Licking Valley High School that day rivals that of the Statehouse on any given day.  I've now been to both places.  I know.

It's clear that the most educated group of people in Licking County about Ohio's Third Frontier program are in Hanover.  I hope they share their knowledge with the rest of us so Licking County gets closer to its much-deserved fair share of this state-funded program in the future.

The most impressive thing was that there are now a classroom full of people in Licking County who are armed with the knowledge that makes them prepared for a global, real world.  That's impressive indeed.

Is it Attention Deficit or What?

It may be a latent case of ADHD on my part or something.

As much as I try to focus on a topic on this blog, I can't quite get there.  I want to focus on economic development topics that appeal to the masses--employment, suburban development, GDP, globalization, and manufacturing--but I can't quite get there.

I do blame myself, but my audience is somewhat to blame too. 

Here's the Blogger Stats' "top 5" blog postings based on the number of pageviews in the past year.  Of course, if you click on these you only contribute to the lack of focus.

1. An Amuse-Bouche Trend?  18 months ago, I noticed a trend of restaurants providing a delicious, free appetizer start to a meal.  Unfortunately, with the economic recovery now at hand, I haven't noticed it happening at all.


2. A Good Old-Fashioned Bond-Burning Ceremony The Port Authority marked a milestone of our land bank property achieving debt-free status.  Apparently, other people are looking for what to do when they burn their bonds too.

3. Advocating for Godfather 4  The Godfather movies are a personal passion of mine.  I'm glad to see this one get some attention.  We need another Godfather movie.  We really do.

4. Feeling the Pulse of the Homesick Pizza, Joel Kotkin, and hometown all in one.  Not sure what the draw is on this one except everyone is homesick for their hometown pizza and everyone should be wanting to read more about Joel Kotkin.

5. I Bought a Bike Without a Banana Seat Odd.  Isn't it?

Oh well.  I'll just keep being the poster child for attention deficit.

On This Date in 1993. . .

I was at the game where this, one of the biggest bloopers in Major League Baseball history, occurred.

Rangers outfielder Jose Canseco caused a routine fly ball to become a home run when the ball hit off his head and over the wall at old Cleveland Stadium. 

Admittedly, from the stands, I couldn't tell what happened and didn't fully know what had happened until I got home and saw repeats on the news.

Manufacturing Decline Chart

The Enterprise Blog over at American.com had a headline that counters the normal fare there--Chart of the Day: The ‘Decline of Manufacturing’ Is a Global Phenomenon.

The chart gives a look at the manufacturing share of GDP.  In fact, as a share of GDP, manufacturing has declined in both the U.S. and the World.  In fact, that decline is a big reason that some people are fond of reporting and believing that manufacturing is dead.
 
You have to read the whole thing to get the point--manufacturing is alive!

A Timely Effort

Two members of Congress have joined forces to create http://www.housemanufacturingcaucus.com/ as a place where the new House Manufacturing Caucus calls home.

One of the originating two members, Tim Ryan, is from Ohio.  Ohio members of Congress are also among the original members of the caucus the day I typed this, including Betty Sutton, Bob Latta, Marcy Kaptur, and Steve Stivers.

Sounds like a great idea and a timely effort to support the revival of U.S. manufacturing.

I won't claim to know an ounce of the politics behind this thing, but that's a pretty bi-partisan mix from Ohio, at least.

For my part, I was glad to become the 52nd member of their Facebook page too at http://www.facebook.com/HouseMfgCaucus.

An I-71 World Series?

I-71 is the interstate highway that connects Cleveland and Cincinnati.

At one end, my Cleveland Indians have the best record in baseball.

At the other, Cincinnati is coming off a darn good 2010 season and are in the hunt in 2011 too.

Friday night's interleague game at Progressive Field had the feel of a Red-Indians World Series game more than a mid-season one.  Who sees a six inning no hitter evaporate that quickly?  Who wins with a rookie's first at bat and a bunt with two outs?

Has me dreaming of an I-71 World Series. 

Think what that would do for Ohio's economy too.

Today is World Metrology Day 2011

Today is World Metrology Day.  No, not a weather-related day.  That word is metrology.

On this date in 1875, the Metre Convention was signed and established a worldwide approach to the science of measurement.  In English, metrology is defined as the science of measurement.

This year's celebration, being its the International Year of Chemistry, focuses on the chemical aspects of metrology.

The Port Authority will mark the occasion at the Aerospace Center as metrology is an important component of what our customers do  every day.

The Air Force Primary Standards Laboratory is a metrology lab operated for the Air Force by Bionetics and overseen by the AFMETCAL program.  These are located at the Aerospace Center where the capabilities have been for 49 years.

Combined with the metrology capabilities of the Boeing-Heath operation, its fair to say there's no larger aerospace concentration of metrology in the world than right here in Heath, Ohio.

Interesting enough, the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture, with its headquarters in Western Licking County, is home to another world-renowned metrology lab for weights and measures.

So, join us in celebrating World Metrology Day here in Licking County.

Sharing Bad News For A Reason

It's a gloomy day here and will be for awhile. 

Boeing - Heath will let 62 people know of a permanent layoff at the Aerospace Center in Heath tomorrow.  See the news report at NewarkAdvocate.com. 

The last thing I ever want to do is share bad news.  I know that bad news gets a life of its own without help from me. 

However, our Port Authority's concern is with the families impacted by this news. It's my hope that by spreading the word it helps better match soon-to-be job seekers with companies in the region looking for highly talented people like those employed by Boeing.

That's why we posted the story on our Facebook page today.  We want to be of help in at least some small way matching job seekers with job creators.

Have a need for engineers and technicians at a location in Central Ohio?  Call me.

Why Do This?

Someone asked why I do this blog.

There are a lot of reasons but the main one is I like writing and I see a chance for my writings to influence thinking about important topics.

I write about manufacturing because I think the average American is more likely to believe manufacturing is dead.  I want to spread the word that manufacturing is alive!

I write about the importance of suburbs, particularly in Ohio, because I think some people devalue their importance to our state's growth and development.  Too often, state officeholders focus on the big cities because its easier to work with a small number of organizations than a larger number.  I want to fuel the people who help those officeholders see things differently.

Where Manufacturing Goes in Ohio. . .the 'Burbs

March saw Site Selection magazine award its Governor's Cup for 2011 to Texas.  Ohio was second after winning it multiple times in previous years.

Winning of the Governor's Cup has become a source of pride for the state's development folks over the last 20 years and a benchmark for states to measure their development success.

I recently completed a review of the 2010 numbers from the on-line version of the state's "Ohio Private Investment Survey" report, a report Ohio's Dept. of Development publishes of projects meeting the magazine's criteria for the year.

The report reveals at least 92% of the business investment projects that where considered manufacturing-related were outside of the 3C's.  In fact, 83% were outside of the three most-populated counties in Ohio.

That is, 152 of 184 business attraction and expansion projects labeled manufacturing came from outside of the three most-populated Ohio counties of Hamilton, Cuyahoga, and Franklin.  In fact, only 15 total manufacturing projects showed a Cincinnati, Cleveland, or Columbus address in the report.

Further, the numbers reveal where Ohio development comes from too.  Though more than 60% of the 304 projects in Ohio were manufacturing-related, the report recognizes distribution, office, R&D, and other investments as well.

It shows that more than 71% of all projects on the Ohio Private Investment Survey happened outside of the "3C" counties.  That number is similar to the 2009 (73%) and 2008 (74%) numbers.

All this just further validates that Ohio's future rests on the success of its suburbs.

Suburban Angst Building in Ohio?

Tom Suddes writes a must-read column that runs pretty much every Sunday in The Columbus Dispatch and often in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.  Yesterday's column about redistribution of taxes collected in the suburbs could add some strength to an already-building suburban angst. 

I think Tom, once again, has his finger on the pulse of a bubbling issue.  Policy makers ought not dismiss his insights so easily.

It's true what he says.  Collectively, the suburbs are where Ohio's income taxes are collected in greatest numbers.  Suburbs are also where the vast majority of Ohio's business growth is occurring too.

Yet, policies continue to focus on just the opposite.

Too often, over the years, state-funded programs for "regions" in Ohio turn out to really just be big city programs imposed on a wider geographic area in name only.   It's just one more example where the concentration of power in Ohio rests in the big cities while the growth and development of the state occurs in the suburbs.

How long can this unfair and unwise mismatch continue?  How long will the suburbs let the angst build?

Thirty Years Since Perfect Game

May 15, 1981 was the date of Len Barker's Perfect Game for the Cleveland Indians. This MLB.com video captures the feel of that game very well.

The actual attendance was 7,290, but the number of people who say they were there is larger by three times the size of Cleveland's Municipal Stadium.

I won't lie.  I wasn't there.

I did, however, watch it on television on Cleveland's Channel 43 from the first pitch to the last, when Center Fielder Rick Manning caught the ball and jumped for joy along with me while I sat in my parent's basement.

What a memorable game. It's hard to believe its been 30 years.

A Changing World

My daughter does this all the time. She replies to my emails with a text message.

Today, my mother did it.

It is a changing World.

China Labor Shortage is Reason to Invest in U.S.

United Nations population predictions at China-profile.com

We've all been conditioned to fear China as a competitor against the U.S. for its growing manufacturing prowess and production abilities fueled by a 1.3 billion population.

Much time has been spent looking at the recent past in China as a predictor of the near future there.  Wall Street followed those predictions and has invested heavily in manufacturing in China.

Now this.

The Wall Street Journal reported on China's labor shortage issue this week.   The issue is gaining steam out there as if it were new news.

It should be of no surprise.  China's shortage of production-age population has been a demographic fact looming large for some time.   The United Nations' population predictions have shown it coming.

The fear of inflation was the focus issue of the report.  Inflation is a legitimate fear, but that's not the point. 

The focus could just have easily been on what it means for manufacturing in the U.S.  The issue is whether Wall Street will see China's growing labor shortage for what it is--a reason to invest in manufacturing in the U.S. instead.

Giving Timely Advice That Matters

A colleague told me a story yesterday that brought a chill to my spine, but got me thinking about the art of giving timely advice that matters.

John's son had completed an unremarkable year in college and was working for his uncle for the Summer.  His uncle owned a successful, small business and lived in a very nice home with a comfortable living.  The uncle had never completed college.

John's son decided he was going to drop out of college and, like his uncle, pursue a different route to dreams of success that didn't involve college.  He confided in his uncle his plan.

His uncle let him have it. 

The uncle really berated him on that decision and told him the boy would never be successful with that approach.  He called him a quitter.  He really took the risk of sacrificing his relationship with his nephew to make sure his point got across.

That night, coincidently, the uncle had a fatal heart attack at age 45.

John's son changed his mind about his drop-out decision and, now in his third year in college, is thriving and well on his way to a productive college career and a brighter future.

Now, that's, timely advice that mattered.

Thanks for sharing, John.

Manufacturing is Alive!

The 79|Seventy Advanced Materials Corridor is fueling the new catch phrase--Manufacturing is Alive!  

The Columbus Dispatch reported Sunday on the expansion and general good news story of Momentive Performance Materials in Hebron.  They've gone from 80 to 245 employees in the middle of the Recession.

Yesterday, both NewarkAdvocate.com and WHIZ-TV reported on a new contract for ArmorSource, maker of composite armor military helmets.  New contract means new jobs.

State Industrial Products, Kaiser Aluminum, Meritor, Samuel, and Goodrich also have good news coming out of the Corridor.

Yes, indeed, Manufacturing is Alive!

Turn The Tables

My wife called my iPad all sorts of un-nice things.  She doesn't like my frequent multi-tasking while on family time or during her time with me. 

She didn't realize the entertainment and productivity value of the iPad.  I don't need to tune in to Fox News, I just scour the internet on my iPad.

I can flip through Flipboard for the latest on Facebook or Twitter.  No need to sit at a computer screen.

No amount of reasoning was going to convince her the value of the iPad.

So, I turned the tables.

I bought her one.

NFL in Columbus, Still a Mess

CBS carries the AFC and, therefore, most Steelers games.  You wouldn't know it if you are a Steelers fan living in the Columbus television market, though.  That'll be true in 2011 too, assuming there is a 2011 NFL season.

10TV acknowledges, in past online statements, that the Steelers' fan-base is as strong in Columbus as the two Ohio teams' fan bases.  However, that has never changed the fact that either the Browns or Bengals are the teams that get first dibs on Columbus broadcast airtime.

The 2011 NFL season schedule was recently published, and I added Steelers games to my calendar and added up the games I hope to see on my television.  It won't be a great year to see games on the typical networks.

Here's my observations:

• Steelers fans in Central Ohio will see, at most, ten games and, potentially, as few as seven in the 16-game regular season.
• Columbus CBS-affilliate 10TV won't likely carry a single Steelers game that doesn't involve the Browns or Bengals and won't carry any single Steelers game until Week 10 in mid November.
• NBC, with affilliates in both Zanesville and Columbus, may carry as many Steelers games as the NFL's contracted main AFC network, CBS.
• The oddest week is Week 8.  The Steelers play in Pittsburgh at 4:15 p.m. against the Patriots.  Sounds like a great week for a CBS double-header, right?  Wrong!  NFL schedulers will also offer up the Browns and Bengals in NFC-hosted games at the exact same time and same CBS network.

Oh, if they only let me pick the schedule.

Countucy Dirby

My daughter returned from Louisville, KY after our Spring Break visit there with thoughts of horse riding on her mind.  Second grade spelling from sounds still gets the point across.

Today was the day to share it as today is the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby.

Put me down for Archarcharch to win.

Funny #BinLadensLastWords Tweets

I had to share these. This has absolutely nothing to do with the already wide range of things my blog is to write about, but I had to share these nonetheless.

These are the funniest tweets from yesterday's Twitter search for the hash tag keyword: #binladenlastwords.

@conn1231 May 3, 5:03pm via web RT @2Pallas And I would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids! #binladenslastwords?

@AndrOOBenson May 3, 3:36pm via Twitter for iPhone #binladenslastwords 'it wasn't me, it was my wife, here she is.'

@PerrinMaurice May 3, 3:08pm via Mobile Web #BinLadensLastWords I'LL PAY YALL *REACHES FOR WALLET*

@just_joshin_ya May 3, 2:57pm via web "And I was just saying it's been forever since we've had any visitors. Who is it?" #binladenslastwords

@just_joshin_ya May 3, 2:47pm via web "What do you mean there are dark blue beach-ball-balancing marine life outside?" #binladenslastwords

@MikeKaman May 3, 2:44pm via web RT @just_joshin_ya: "No it's cool guys. I ordered a pizza. Answer the door." #binladenslastwords

@just_joshin_ya May 3, 2:44pm via web "I love watching Die Hard in surround sound. Wait. When did we get surround sound?" #binladenslastwords

@KidCasualDTK May 3, 1:11pm via Twitter for BlackBerry® #BinLadensLastWords - luke I am your fatherr

@tohu777 May 2, 9:38pm via web #binladenslastwords "Who's banging that door? I'll bet it's those damned Jehovah's Witnesses, again!"

@dallas_ May 2 "I thought Steve Jobs said the iPhone wasn't tracking my location?!?!?!?!" #Binladenslastwords

@dallas_ May 2 "Damn you Facebook Places!!!" #BinLadenslastwords


If you laughed a little, that's all I intended.

Manufacturing Certification Program Working

It's working.

I attended the monthly meeting of the Licking County Chamber of Commerce's Manufacturers' Council today, and reports from the manufacturers proves that C-TEC's 79|Seventy Manufacturing Certification program is working.

The goal is to create a pool of workers pre-employment trained to work in manufacturing and with a manufacturing certification in hand to prove their readiness.

Three different companies reported hiring program graduates from among the first 25+ grads from last month's first graduating class. 

In an attempt to keep up with the demand, C-TEC has already started a second class.

Yep, it's working.
------------------------------
Take Action:

Licking County employers looking to hire from among the pool of C-TEC program graduates can contact C-TEC or visit http://ohiomeansjobs.com/ and search for the keyword "79 Seventy" among the searchable database of resumes.

The link to the program materials is on C-TEC's website.

I Voted

A rainy and cold May day is no excuse. Vote!

He's Gone Where the Goblins Go

Couldn't help but think of this song from the Wizard of Oz upon hearing of the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of U.S. special forces.

Here's the lyrics:

Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!

Ding Dong!  The Wicked Witch is dead.

Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.

Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead.  She's gone where the goblins go,

Below - below - below.  Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.

Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.

Let them know

The Wicked Witch is dead!

------------------------

See full - DING DONG! THE WITCH IS DEAD lyrics from ST Lyrics.

Coming Soon: Arrests at the O.U. Fests

The notorious season of [INSERT NAME HERE] 'fests hosted by students at Ohio University is upon us.   The "us" includes parents of O.U. students (that's me), O.U. alumni (not me), Athens residents, and, of course, O.U. students and their guests.

The Facebook event page for the most notorious of the notorious, Palmer Fest, is up and running.  The photo above is a direct link to the page's profile photo.  The five-word description for the event reads, simply, "Live Music!  Also, Live Fires!"  As I type this, well over 5,000 people have said they are attending.  Which was it that drew them, the music or the fires?

A scheduled riot with fires in the street and bottles thrown at police officers means you can be sure that the news media is scheduling their editorial calendars in advance for next Sunday's edition.

I suppose the City of Athens is scheduling police officers and horses, though I bet the horses would opt out if they could.

I suppose O.U. is ready, but I, personally, hope its with something more than the standard public relations message shedding blame on to the City and deflecting it away from their own student body.

I also hope I can bribe my daughter to stay away. I'm trying.