Canton Inc Spring 2014

Canton INC

CantonINC STARK COUNTY, OHIO | GOOD FOR BUSINESS

THE WORKFORCE ISSUE

THE SPRING

WORKFORCE ISSUE SPRING 2014

TESLA NANOCOATINGS, LG FUEL CELLS AND TIMKEN LEAD CHARGE IN UNIQUE STUDENT PARTNERSHIPS AT STARK STATE COLLEGE PAGE 20

PLUS...

EDUCATION

WORKFORCE READY

EMPOWERING STUDENTS

UNIVERSITIES OFFER CAREER-FOCUSED SPECIALTIES PAGE 28

OHIO MEANS JOBS AND O&G LEARNING PAGE 46

UNITED WAY AND JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT PAGE 53 & 56

CantonINC SPRING 2014 ISSUE Canton Inc. is an economic development publication produced through a collaboration of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce and The Repository.

CANTON REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Dennis P. Saunier President & CEO dennys@cantonchamber.org 330-456-7253 Steven J. Katz Senior vice president katzcrcc@cantonchamber.org 330-458-2062 Collyn Floyd Director of marketing and events collynf@cantonchamber.org 330-458-2071 Denise A. Burton Director of sales and membership deniseb@cantonchamber.org 330-458-2067 Kathy D. Irwin Director of accounting kathyd@cantonchamber.org 330-456-7253 David C. Kaminski Director of energy and public affairs davidk@cantonchamber.org 330-458-2059 Michael P. Gill Director, Canton Development Partnership mikeg@cantonchamber.org 330-458-2090 Joanne K. Murray Director, Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival joannem@cantonchamber.org 330-458-2050 Eric Smer Director, ystark!

330-458-2302 erics@cantonchamber.org Fran Wells Director, Leadership Stark County franw@leadershipstarkcounty.org 330-458-2094

CONTENTS

20

ON THE COVER CHIEF SCIENTIST JORMA VIRTANEN AND TECHNICAL DIRECTOR CHARLIE SIMPSON AT TESLA NANOCOATINGS. ABOVE, SIMPSON AND VIRTANEN WITH STARK STATE INTERN JOSH ARMSTRONG. PHOTOS BY SHAWN WOOD, STUDIO 7 PHOTOGRAPHY

EDUCATION FEATURES

FROM SIX COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

08 10 17 18

46 47 48 50 53 54 56 58 58 66

CEO message Stark County Parks & Nearby Attractions Economics Industrial Land & Business Parks 20 REVOLUTIONARY TESLAN Tesla Nanocoatings + Stark State College 24 A SUPPLY CHAIN OF PEOPLE LG Fuel Cells + Stark State College 27 WIND-POWERED EDUCATION Timken + Stark State College 28 FIVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS Aultman College of Nursing & Health Sciences University of Mount Union Malone University Corporate University at Kent State at Stark Walsh University Stark County Means Jobs Distance Learning in the Utica Dual Credit Students are Workforce Ready Canton Regional Chamber Celebrates 100th Year Stark Girls Have Unlimited Possibilities Art, Music, Food & Fun in the Canton Arts District Junior Achievement Area Contact Information Area Education, Business and Economic Resources Parting Shot

Bob & Linda DeHoff Alexis de Tocqueville Society members

GIVE. ADVOCATE.

VOLUNTEER. LIVE UNITED

速

Want to make a difference? Find out how.

VISIT WWW.UWSTARK.ORG

CantonINC REPOSITORY/GATEHOUSE OHIO James A. Porter Publisher jim.porter@cantonrep.com 330-580-8428 Jess Bennett Executive manager, niche products jess.bennett@cantonrep.com 330-580-8474 Kelsey Reinhart Editor, niche products kelsey.reinhart@cantonrep.com 330-580-8318 Therese D. Hayt Executive editor teri.hayt@cantonrep.com 330-580-8310 Patrick Mackie Advertising manager patrick.mackie@cantonrep.com 330-580-8430 Molly Ott Advertising consultant molly.ott@cantonrep.com 330-580-8422 CONTRIBUTORS Judi Christy, Collyn Floyd, David Kaminski, Joan Porter, Shawn Wood Executive Committee, Board of Directors Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce CHAIRMAN Philip D. Fracassa, The Timken Co. SR.VICE CHAIRMAN William C. Shivers, Huntington Bank VICE CHAIRMAN Brian Belden, The Belden Brick Co. VICE CHAIRMAN John A. Murphy, Jr., Day Ketterer Ltd. VICE CHAIRMAN Mark Fleiner, LG Fuel Cell Systems TREASURER D.William Allen, Pro Football Hall of Fame IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Karen M. Brenneman, Hall, Kistler & Company LLP PRESIDENT AND CEO Dennis P. Saunier, Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce CORPORATE SECRETARY Steven J. Katz, Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce

AD INDEX 02 03 04 05 06 06 07 09 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 19 23 25 26 30 32 33 37 37

Innis Maggiore The Repository Schauer Group Inc. United Way of Greater Stark County Pro Football Hall of Fame ArtsinStark DeHoff Realtors Utica Summit Diebold Inc. Canton Palace Theatre Gervasi Vineyard WKSU Maloney + Novotny LLC Putman Properties NAI Spring CSE Federal Credit Union Harrison Paint Company AultCare Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce Kempthorn Motors Canton Development Partnership The Belden Brick Co. Krugliak,Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Co., LPA Voices of Canton (VOCI)

39 Huntington Bank 41 Goodwill Industries 43 CBRE, Commercial Real Estate Co. 45 Stark State College 49 Mercy Medical Center 49 Canton Charge 51 Kent State University at Stark 52 Dominic Fonte 56 Alco Mandala Products 57 University Center at Kent State University at Stark 57 Eye Centers of Ohio 59 Aultman PrimeTime Health Plan 60 Young Truck Sales Inc. 60 Canton Sign Company 61 Standard Plumbing & Heating 61 Terry’s Tire Town 62 Aultman College of Nursing 63 Northeast Ohio Medical University 63 Selinsky Force 65 Hammontree & Associates 65 Canton/Stark Convention & Visitors’ Bureau 67 Grabowski & Co. 68 Aultman Hospital

For information about how to advertise in this publication, please call Patrick Mackie, business development manager, at 330-580-8430 or patrick.mackie@cantonrep.com.

CantonINC is published by GateHouse Ohio Media, 500 Market Ave. S, Canton, OH 44702, 330-580-8300. CantonINC is protected by federal copyright law, which gives the publication

CEO MESSAGE CantonINC

STARK COUNTY’S MODERN ECONOMY

WORKFORCE

elcome to issue this facility, Timken engineers can simufour of Canton late the conditions faced by enormous Inc., designed in wind turbines that work with windmill 2012 to display the blades hundreds of feet in the air to genbusiness and community erate electricity. These simulations help strengths of Canton and Stark Timken to improve its wind-industry County. products. And at the facility, Stark State This fourth issue of our semiannual students studying wind energy technolobusiness magazine is primarily about gy attend classes. workforce. It is about how our businessStark State is not the only institution of es and educational institutions cooperate higher education in Stark County that is to develop the knowledge workers that developing tomorrow’s our modern economy knowledge workforce.

It is about how our This issue also takes a requires. businesses and Our cover story look at: educational describes a series of partUniversity of Mount institutions nerships between Stark Union’s new engineercooperate to State College and three ing program; Kent State develop the business research and at Stark’s effort to put development operations. knowledge workers undergraduates into that a modern Tesla NanoCoatings, business continuing eduwith a laboratory on the economy requires. cation programs at its Stark State main campus, Corporate University; is using carbon nanotubes to create a rev- Walsh University’s mission of encouragolutionary coating — a paint — with ing the growth of the broadband commuamazing properties that fight metal corro- nications network in our community; sion. In the process, Tesla is providing Aultman College of Nursing and Health work opportunities for Stark State associ- Sciences’ attention to health care profesate degree students and University of sions; and Malone University’s strength Akron doctoral students in polymer engi- in developing the adaptable thinkers that neering. come from a strong liberal arts educaNext door to Tesla NanoCoatings is the tional experience.

Stark State Fuel Cell Prototyping Center, We also give you a broad look at the the home of LG Fuel Cell Systems. The community and its quality-of-life feaStark State students studying fuel cell tures, which make Canton and Stark technology can intern at LG Fuel Cell County a great place to live as well as Systems. These interns are an important work. element of the company’s workforce, and Thank you for opening this issue of nearly half of the interns have gone on to Canton Inc. We hope you enjoy it work full-time at LG Fuel Cell Systems. throughout.

Then, up the road, the Timken Co. and Stark State have partnered to develop Timken’s Technology and Test Center. At

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8

Dennis P. Saunier President and CEO Canton Regional Chamber

James A. Porter Publisher and CEO The Repository and GateHouse Ohio Media

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES ABOUND AT

STARK PARKS

CantonIncMagazine.com

BY COLLYN FLOYD

10

With lush foliage, rolling hills, and picture-perfect lakes, Canton/Stark County is an outdoor enthusiast’s wonderland.

CantonIncMagazine.com Photo courtesy of Dale Zutavern 11

STARK PARKS CantonINC

hile the region may be best known as “Ohio’s Golf Capital” (and for good reason — Stark County alone has more than 20 courses!) there is an abundance of open-air activities for “greens lovers” of all varieties.

One of the region’s most treasured assets

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is the Stark Country Park District, or “Stark Parks” for short: a system of parks offering more than 100 miles of biking, hiking, walking and equestrian trails; activities including boating, fishing and geocaching; and more than 700 educational classes and events each year.

Since the park system opened its gates in 1967 with just two parks and 31 acres of

land, its mission has been to “acquire, preserve and develop natural areas accessible to all residents of Stark County for purposes of passive recreation, conservation, education and outdoor nature appreciation.”

Today, Stark Parks is making good on that mission by managing 7,000 acres of land, 14 parks, and 100-plus miles of trails, as well as one of the longest sections of the Towpath Trail — the Congressman Ralph Regula Towpath Trail, which connects Canal Fulton, Massillon and the village of Navarre.

Hikers and bikers from all over the state and country come to travel the entire 110-mile Towpath.

With the support of taxpayer dollars and state and local grants, the park system has been able to build a recreational infrastructure that promotes healthy lifestyles, preserves natural areas, and encourages an appreciation and protection of the local environment.

Photo courtesy of Dale Zutavern

DIEBOLD – PROUDLY SERVING THE CANTON COMMUNITY SINCE 1872

© Diebold, Incorporated, 2014. All rights reserved.

As a global organization, Diebold serves communities around the world. But since 1872, Canton has been our home. We’re proud to be a member of the Canton community, support economic development in Stark County, and welcome local top talent to join the Diebold team.

1.800.999.3600 WWW.DIEBOLD.COM

CantonINC STARK PARKS

“Young families are looking for ways to spend quality time together. Whether it's a day trip to the park to fish, canoe or kayak, or take a bike ride on the trails, it's inexpensive and close to home,” said Bob Fonte, director of Stark Parks. “I always enjoy reading the ystark! interviews with young professionals in the Canton Regional Chamber's monthly newsletter when asked what they do in their spare time. Most of them are spending time outdoors on Stark Parks trails. Many companies recognize this and are seeking areas to meet this demand.

The Towpath Trail is one of the area's most notable pastime destinations. Trails like the Hoover and Middle Branch trails are quickly becoming popular and so are the areas surrounding them.”

It's no surprise, then, that the park district's expansion has had economic benefits as well. Business districts along trails are thriving, including Canal Fulton, Canton (at Gervasi Vineyards), North Canton (Washington Square shopping area), and Massillion (Ernie's bicycle shop and others).

Each year, 2.5 million visitors from around the country flock to the Ohio & Erie Canalway, which extends from Cleveland to the village of Zoar, including 25 miles in Stark County. Nearly 1.3 million people visit

Stark Parks each year, including 200,000 visitors to its Exploration Gateway center at Sippo Park.

In addition, Stark Parks has partnered with civic organizations to strengthen different

STARK PARKS CantonINC

local points of interest within the system.

For instance, the Rotary Club of Louisville adopted the Nickel Plate Trail in Louisville. Perry Township and Stark Parks work together to maintain the community garden at Fasnacht Farm. And the Stark County District Library and Stark Parks combine services and space at their Exploration Gateway center, providing visitors with a double-dose of educational resources. And, of course, partnerships abound with K-12 schools and area colleges and universities — from nature and

wildlife programming to internships.

For five years Stark Parks has been named the “Best Park or Recreation Site” in annual voting sponsored by the Stark County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

Their growth also has been honored with awards from the Ohio Parks & Recreation Association and the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Visit starkparks.com to explore their park system, view a complete list of upcoming events and activities, or learn how to get involved.

STARK PARKS OFFERS LOCAL RESIDENTS AND VISITORS: • • • • • •

80-plus miles of walking/bicycling trails 31 miles of equestrian trails 14 parks, including 25 miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and four lakes.

700-plus educational programs and events to more than 36,000 participants 30 distance learning programs for 1,000 students across the U.S. 7,000 acres of land, including 2,800 acres open to hunting and 1,200 acres of lakes, ponds, reservoirs • Wildlife rehabilitation services • Educational programming

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS IN NORTHEAST OHIO 90

LAKE ERIE 90

Brecksville Peninsula Akron

30

Stark County

80

76

Canton 30

71

Dover New Philadelphia 77

Columbus 70

RIVER

NORTHEAST OHIO

OHIO

Akron Art Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 miles Akron Zoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 miles Cleveland Browns’ FirstEnergy Stadium . . . . . . . . 61 miles Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Brecksville . . . . . . 41 miles Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland . . . . . . . . 60 miles Hale Farm and Village, Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 miles PlayhouseSquare, Cleveland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 miles Progressive Field (home to Cleveland Indians) . . 60 miles Quicken Loans Arena (home to Cleveland Cavs) 60 miles Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland . . . . . . . . . . 60 miles Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, Akron . . . . . . . . . . 28 miles Trumpet in the Land, New Philadelphia . . . . . . . . 30 miles University Circle museums, Cleveland . . . . . . . . . 58 miles Warther Museum, Dover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 miles

Cleveland

Get the complete story. With more in-depth regional

news coverage, along with the best of NPR national and world programming.

Kent State University, Kent State and KSU are registered trademarks and may not be used without permission. Kent State University, an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, is committed to attaining excellence through the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce. 14-0101

CantonINC ECONOMICS

STARK COUNTY

ECONOMICS MAJOR INDUSTRIES

Median household income:

24.5% 18.3% 11.6%

$45,689

Manufacturing:

Median home value:

$124,200

Retail trade:

Median rent:

Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodations, food service:

$642/MO.

9.1%

Cost of living:

Professional, scientific, management:

14% LOWER

8.6%

than U.S. average Unemployment rate: (0.4% lower than national average)

MAJOR OCCUPATIONS

6.3%

HOUSEHOLDS Canton population Stark County population

Management, business, science and arts:

72,919 374,868

Median resident age

41

Age 17 and younger

22.3%

Age 18 to 24

8.7%

Age 25 to 44

23.7%

Age 45 to 64

28.5%

Age 65 and older

16.9%

EDUCATION High school graduate or higher:

88.5% 20.7% 6.8%

Bachelor’s degree:

Graduate or professional degree:

Education, health care and social assistance:

31% 25.3% 19.2% Sales and office:

Service:

Production, transportation and material moving:

16.7% WORKFORCE Total workforce: 191,456 Average commute: 22 minutes

MAJOR EMPLOYERS Affinity Medical Center Alliance Community Hospital Aultman Hospital Canton City Schools Diebold, Inc. Fishers Foods Fresh Mark Inc. GE Capital Mercy Medical Center Nationwide Insurance Nickles Bakery Republic Engineered Products Shearer's Foods Stark County government Stark State College The Timken Co.

PARKS & TRAILS

Stark County Park District includes:

7,000 80+ 31 acres of land,

miles of walking/bicycling trails and

miles of equestrian trails, in addition to the parks maintained by cities and townships

WEATHER Average January high:

Average July high:

degrees

degrees

33 82 SOURCES: U.S. Census Bureau, Ohio Department of Development, NOAA and the National Weather Service, Stark Parks, U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

CantonIncMagazine.com

INCOME AND COST OF LIVING

17

BUSINESS PARKS CantonINC

INDUSTRIAL LAND AND BUSINESS PARKS AKCAN INDUSTRIAL PARK Location: North Canton, Ohio Acres available: 15 Highway access: I-77 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: No Development contact: Dan DeHoff, DeHoff Realty, 330-499-8153

ALLIANCE COMMERCE PARK

Location: Canton, Ohio Acres available: 88 Highway access: U.S. Route 62 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: No Development contact: Bob DeHoff, DeHoff Development, 330-499-8153

ELM RIDGE INDUSTRIAL PARK

Location: Alliance, Ohio Acres available: 75 Highway access: U.S. Route 62 Zoning: Light/heavy industrial Rail access: Yes Development contact: Jim Stout, Coastal Pet Products, 330-821-2218

CANTON CENTURY PARK Location: Canton, Ohio Acres available: 65 Highway access: I-77 Zoning: Heavy commercial Rail access: No Development contact: Bryce Custer, 330-966-8800

EASTRIDGE COMMERCE PARK

Location: Canal Fulton, Ohio Acres available: 25 Highway access: State Route 21 and I-77 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: No Development contact: Ken Schalmo or Fred E. Etheridge, Schalmo Properties Inc., 330-854-4591

FORD PROPERTY Location: Canton, Ohio Acres available: 75 Highway access: U.S. Route 30

Zoning: Heavy industrial Rail access: Yes Development contact: Rafael Rodriguez, 330-438-4129

HARTVILLE INDUSTRIAL PARK Location: Hartville, Ohio Acres available: 20 Highway access: State Routes 43 and 619 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: Some potential Development contact: Mayor's office, village of Hartville, 330-877-9222

MASSILLON REPUBLIC Location: Massillon, Ohio Acres available: 350 Highway access: State Route 21 and U.S. Route 30 Zoning: Heavy industrial Rail access: Yes Development contact: Massillon Development Foundation, 330-833-3148

Call our team of professionals for all your real estate needs!

Tim Putman 330-495-0600

• Office • Retail

Wick Hartung 330-495-0601

Steve Marcelli 330-327-5834

• Medical • Industrial • Residential

Jim Bednar 330-417-9034

Weslee Heiser 330-323-1676

• Investments • Managements • Development

Blake Dutton 330-751-9102

• Site Acquisition • 1031 Exchanges

3978 Fulton Dr. NW, Canton | 330.498.4400 | info@putmanproperties.com | www.putmanproperties.com

MILLER I Location: Massillon, Ohio Acres available: 125 Highway access: State Route 21 and U.S. Route 30 Zoning: Heavy industrial Rail access: Yes Development contact: Ray Hexamer, Massillon Development Foundation and Miller Family Trust, 330-833-3148

MILLS BUSINESS PARK Location: Canton, Ohio Acres available: 100 Highway access: I-77 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: No Development contact: Dan DeHoff, Canton Commerce LLC, 330-499-8153

NAVARRE PROSPECT PARK Location: Navarre, Ohio Acres available: 300 Highway access: U.S. Route 30 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: Yes Development contact: Perry Township, 330-833-2141

NOVA EAST Location: Massillon, Ohio Acres available: 35 Highway access: U.S. Route 30 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: No Development contact: Dan Spring, 330-966-8800

PORT JACKSON Location: North Canton, Ohio Acres available: 14 Highway access: I-77 Zoning: Light industrial Rail access: No Development contact: Lisa Gould, AkronCanton Airport, 330-668-4000 Looking for more information, or for details about industrial buildings and service sector properties? Contact Steven J. Katz, senior vice president, Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce at 330-458-2062.

TEAM TESLA: CHARLIE SIMPSON,TODD HAWKINS, JORMA VIRTANEN AND JOE BARONE. PHOTO BY SHAWN WOOD, STUDIO 7 PHOTOGRAPHY

CantonINC ON THE COVER

COVER STORY

REVOLUTIONARY

TESLAN

BY DAVID KAMINSKI

and flexible.

The product, which is a leap forward in corrosion protection in military, petrochemical and other applications, is called Teslan. The company behind it is Tesla NanoCoatings. The entrepreneur behind this product is Todd Hawkins of Massillon.

The laboratory’s campus setting provides a learning opportunity for interns who are earning associate degrees at Stark State and Ph.D.s at the University of Akron to advance their educations, learn job skills in a breakthrough technology and prepare themselves for careers in engineering.

According to Hawkins, carbon nanotubes were discovered in 1985. They have mechanical, thermal and electrical properties that make them stronger than diamonds. They are the key to the undercoating of his corrosion-resistant coatings.

Helping Hawkins develop his product are Chief Scientist Jorma Virtanen, an internationally respected researcher in the fields of carbon nanotechnology and biophysics, and Technical Director Charles Simpson, who brings 28 years of experi-

In a laboratory at Stark State College, an entrepreneur and his team are creating a paint unlike any other. ence with Sherwin-Williams where he was a technical manager specializing in corrosion control coatings and testing.

Then there is Josh Armstrong, the first intern from Stark State to become a full-time employee. In the autumn, he is likely to move on to a bachelor's

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hat makes it different are the carbon nanotubes that assemble into ropelike structures that make them tough

21

degree program in chemistry or biology. “I tried college a few years ago but dropped out,” Armstrong said. Though he was highly interested in his science courses, he was far less interested in general education requirements. After a few years of work, he re-entered college at Stark State and is headed for a career in science and technology.

Also on the Tesla NanoCoatings staff are two Ph.D. candidates in the polymer engineering program at the University of Akron.

One is Lei Meng, a graduate of South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, China, who chose the University of Akron for her doctoral program. “This is a famous polymer science engineering department in a polymer business environment.” Those ingredients lead to good prospects for employment after she earns her degree.

The other is Eric McClanahan, who says, “Tesla is a place of a lot of novel ideas.” He said he was led to Tesla on the advice of Dr. Mark Soucek at the University of Akron. Last

summer, McClanahan worked for Tesla at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton at the U.S. military's Coatings Technology Integration Office.

Hawkins, the company founder, is a graduate of the petroleum geology and petroleum engineering program at Marietta College, but when he graduated, “the oil and gas business was in the dumper.” So he went to work in the military and aerospace industry and became interested in solving metal corrosion problems. That interest eventually gave birth to Tesla NanoCoatings.

The internships that Tesla NanoCoatings can offer to Stark State and University of Akron students are “an important part of our strategy for adding personnel. It is thrifty, a perfect way for us to develop proven talents,” said Hawkins. “We know we are going to grow. We need people.”

TESLA IN ACTION (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): TESLAN PRODUCT BEING MIXED; INTERN ARMSTRONG WITH TESLAN; TECHNICAL DIRECTOR CHARLIE SIMPSON RUNNING TESTS; CLOSE-UP OF CARBON NANOTUBES. PHOTOS BY MARIA VARONIS

Quality paints since 1911

PAINT COMPANY

CHIEF SCIENTIST JORMA VIRTANEN REVIEWING SAMPLES. PHOTO BY MARIA VARONIS

Hawkins and Tesla NanoCoatings have a willing partner in Stark State and its president, Dr. Para Jones.

“Todd has been incubating his product on our campus for almost two years. Todd leases office space in our Entrepreneurship Center and high-bay laboratory space in our Advanced Technology Center for product testing and continued development. Our students have worked with Todd’s engineers and product developers, and we have worked hard to accommodate Tesla's changing needs,” said Jones.

Tesla NanoCoatings is growing a revolutionary product, and nurturing new engineering talent, all from its business home on a Stark County college campus.

Todd Hawkins is the winner of the 2014 Emerge Award for Entrepreneurs in the 2014 Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce's Business Excellence Awards program.

Tesla NanoCoatings also is the winner of several industry awards for technical innovation.

i

READ MORE ABOUT HOW OTHER AREA COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ARE TACKLING WORKFORCE CHALLENGES BEGINNING ON PAGE 28.

MADE WITH PRIDE IN CANTON SINCE 1934 For more than a century we’ve manufactured a wide range of top quality paints and coatings. Our integrated Canton facility includes laboratory, production, distribution and administration services.

Call us today for: • Architectural Coatings • OEM Coatings • Industrial Maintenance Coatings • Special Purpose Coatings • Cleaners, Degreasers, etc.

• Other toll manufactured liquids 1329 Harrison Ave SW, Canton, OH 44706

330-455-5125 • 1-800-321-0680

WORKFORCE CantonINC

STARKSTATE +LG FUEL CELLS CREATE

SUPPLY CHAIN OF PEOPLE

CantonIncMagazine.com

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magine a box shaped something like an extra-long truck trailer. Now imagine natural gas entering the box and electricity leaving the box. Imagine it is enough electricity to power 1,000 U.S. homes.

How does that happen? Inside the box, the natural gas is converted into hydrogen, the hydrogen is used to power an enormous number of fuel cells. The electricity generated by the fuel cells can keep the lights burning in several neighborhoods.

In grossly oversimplified terms, this is what LG Fuel Cell Systems is developing — a megawatt-scale fuel cell system — on the campus of Stark State College. The college leases the research and development facility to the company, and the college also provides a fuel cell technology curriculum that, in turn, produces student interns.

Those interns work alongside the LG engineers, and frequently become LG employees after their Stark State education is completed.

“I think of the college as our supply chain for people,” said MARK FLEINER Mark Fleiner, CEO of LG Fuel Cell Systems. “We have had about 25 interns who have come in, and have hired 10 or more of those interns,” Fleiner said. “A couple of them have gone on to pursue engineering degrees at the University of Akron, with our support.”

Two of those interns-turned-employees are Nathan Tobias of Wadsworth and Adam Babcock of Canton. Both came to Stark State’s engineering technology program after work that proved unsatisfying to them.

Tobias actually interned with SOFCo, an Alliance company which was the original occupant of the fuel cell prototyping center at Stark State. He became an employee of SOFCo in 2005 and stayed with the company after its acquisition by Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems in 2007. LG of South Korea bought 51 percent interest in the company in 2012.

“I really like the R and D (research and development) work. It gives a person an opportunity for a meteoric rise

within a company,” Tobias said. With encouragement from the company, Tobias entered the mechanical engineering program at the University of Akron, completing his degree in 2012. He then was hired as an engineer at LG Fuel Cell Systems. “Throughout my internship and employment, I always was encouraged to continue my education,” he said.

Babcock had a bachelor’s degree from then-Malone College and five years of work experience before he entered the engineering technology program at Stark State in 2006.

He became an intern at Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems in 2007, and was hired full time in 2008 upon completing his degree from Stark State.

“From the start, it was very overwhelming. But everyone here was very gracious, teaching me, showing me,” Babcock said.

Now after seven years, he says he knows “how some of our testing systems work.” That must be so, because now he is responsible for making sure all systems function in the LG Fuel Cell Systems testing laboratory.

Babcock, also with support from the company, entered a bridge program in chemical engineering at the University of Akron, where he will complete his master’s degree this summer.

CEO Fleiner said the internship program allows LG Fuel Cell Systems to determine whether there is a match between the student and the business. The company provides the interns with “meaningful work,” Fleiner said, in building tests, crunching data, helping to manufacture fuel cells.

These interns are typically “really smart, really good with their hands,” said the CEO. “We need the brain with the talent to build.”

LG Fuel Cell Systems is in the demonstration phase of its product development. It is showing that its technology can take natural gas from Dominion East Ohio and produce electricity for the American Electric Power grid.

If all goes well, the demonstration phase will lead to field testing in 2016, then commercialization in 2017. “At some point, we are going to graduate and move off campus,” said Fleiner.

Until then, Stark State is happy to provide a home.

“Providing affordable, quality education that produces a technically proficient workforce is key to our mission,” said Dr. Para Jones, president of Stark State, “but Stark State provides added value through technology, facilities and resources that benefit business and industry and economic development in the region.”

BY DAVID KAMINSKI

CantonINC WORKFORCE

TIMKEN TECHNOLOGY AND TEST CENTER

WIND-POWERED

EDUCATION nother Stark State College researchand-development partner is the Timken Co., the region’s industrial leader. In collaboration with Stark State, Timken opened its $14 million Technology and Test Center last year. At this 18,000-squarefoot facility, Timken tests ultra-large bearing systems — up to 13 feet in outside diameter.

Who would use bearing systems that large? The windpower industry, for one. The Technology and Test Center allows Timken to simulate the harsh conditions found in wind turbines that operate several hundred feet off the ground. The Technology and Test Center also has enough flexibility to focus on other large large rotating equipment applications that are found on offshore oil rigs, mine trucks, electric mining shovels and steel rolling mills, to name a few.

“This world-class testing facility will supply knowl-

A

edge vital for the development of mechanical powertransmission component technologies in multiple industries,” said Douglas H. Smith, senior vice president and chief technology officer for Timken at the time of the facility’s dedication.

Timken’s Technology and Test Center also serves as an education site for Stark State College. It uses the facility’s upper-level classroom to instruct students in its associate degree in electrical maintenance, wind turbine major and its one-year certificate in wind turbine maintenance. There are currently about 40 students with declared majors in those two programs.

Stark State also uses the facility for continuing education classes in renewable-sustainable energy, and wind turbine classes for professional engineers who must earn continuing education units for their professional development.

CantonIncMagazine.com

BY DAVID KAMINSKI

27

FIVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

SOLUTIONS

CantonIncMagazine.com

BY JOAN PORTER

28

AREA COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES OFFER SPECIALTIES THAT FOCUS ON STUDENTS’ FUTURE CAREERS

AULTMAN COLLEGE OF NURSING

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36 MALONE UNIVERSITY 38 KENT STATE UNIVERSITY AT STARK 42 WALSH UNIVERSITY

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HEALTH

AULTMAN COLLEGE

OF NURSING AND HEALTH SCIENCES

he health care industry is undergoing dramatic change and turmoil because of the Affordable Care Act and the payment structure (established by the ACA),” said Rebecca Crowl, president of Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Canton. The college is working diligently to keep up with these changes and work through the turmoil to offer the best education possible to its students so they can work anywhere in health care.

“Our job is to respond to the needs of health care,”

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explained Crowl. “From a career and educational point of view, we are trying to stay ahead (of anticipated needs).”

From originally offering an associate degree in nursing in 2004, when the school became an incorporated college, to adding an associate degree in radiology technology in 2010, the college has continued to expand by recently adding a bachelor’s degree completion program for registered nurses.

This latest addition was in response to the call for more highly educated hospital nurses with a broader scope of knowledge to meet the needs of a complex health care system.

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AULTMAN COLLEGE (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): AULTMAN CAMPUS; STUDENT PRACTICING ON ISTAN; MCKINLEY MUSEUM EXHIBIT HONORING GRADUATE SHARON LANE (‘65),THE ONLY AMERICAN SERVICEWOMAN KILLED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF ENEMY FIRE IN THE VIETNAM WAR; AULTMAN COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH PATIENT SIMULATOR. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY COLLEGE

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The college also offers a variety of general education courses in math, English, the natural sciences and the humanities to prepare students for other health care degrees. With the ongoing changes in health care, many brought about by the ACA, students may find themselves pursuing careers in fields that were unknown as few as five or 10 years ago, such as medical informatics (electronic medical records), data analysis (predicting trends), population health management (managing the health of defined groups) or health coaching.

To stimulate interest in health care careers, Aultman College has teamed up with local schools to focus on various aspects of health care. Topics of study have included health care disparities and nutrition as well as a science camp. In addition, the college offers Camp Scrubs each summer.

Camp Scrubs is a weeklong day camp that introduces students in grades seven through nine to nursing and health care careers.

There always will be a need for health care workers. Hospitals are among the largest employers in Stark County, and Aultman Hospital is the largest. Add to the hospitals a vast number of doctor’s offices, onsite surgery centers, immediate care centers, physical therapy offices, and Minute Clinics and there are plenty of places to employ health care workers. In addition, an aging population will need more care. People who did not have insurance in the past but have it now will be able to get medical attention.

In each instance, patients will encounter health care professionals.

And Aultman College will continue to provide those skilled professionals as it anticipates and adjusts to the trends and changing needs of the industry.

ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION ome of the greatest inventions and technology upon which the world depends have been the brainchildren of engineers.

As innovative problem-solvers, engineers make our lives better. The need for engineers seems to be never-ending as each generation strives to make life better for itself and generations to come.

Engineers and scientists are important for several reasons, explained Dr. Osama Jadaan, professor and chair of the department of engineering at the University of Mount Union. First, our economy depends on them. Engineers build wealth by developing the products that keep a company in business. Typically, more business means more employment means more expendable income means more demand for products means more business.

Innovation is the keystone of engineering. Without innovation, companies and nations cannot grow economically and cannot maintain leadership roles.

Finally, engineers help keep us safe by devising the various components used in computer, physical and national security.

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DR. JAY BOYALAKUNTLA DEMONSTRATES HOW TO USE A WIND TUNNEL TO HIS MOUNT UNION MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS. PHOTO BY COCKRILL'S STUDIO

In the United States, there is a continuing need for engineers and scientists. Jadaan cited the influx of foreign nationals in those fields to the U.S. as proof that we are not graduating enough engineers and scientists in this country.

Mount Union is helping to fill that void by graduating its first engineering class this year.

The civil and mechanical engineering program at Mount Union is unique in Northeast Ohio, explained Jadaan, because the university offers smaller classes in which the focus is on the individual student. The engineering program supplements its required classroom work with the Four Pillars of Exceptional Engineering Education, he said.

The first pillar includes lab and field experiences, service learning, student competitions and real-world senior capstone design projects, such as working with MAC Trailer in Alliance to improve the performance of flatbed trailers. In addition, local companies provide internships for many Mount Union engineering students.

The second pillar requires an understanding and awareness of global issues. In their junior year, said Jadaan, students do a field engineering project in which they apply

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DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING (ABOVE): MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS WORK TO BUILD A COMPETITION BAJA VEHICLE. PHOTO BY COCKRILL’S STUDIO (BELOW) DR. HANS TRITICO EXPLAINS LAND SURVEYING TO HIS MOUNT UNION CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENTS.

their engineering skills to an infrastructure project in another country. Such projects often address clean water supplies, access to sanitation, low-cost energy, and health solutions.

The third pillar calls for engineering students to work with business majors in teams to design products going to market. This experience provides students with an understanding of the business model.

The final pillar is building effective leaders and communicators. All the technical knowledge in the world is of little use if an idea can't be explained in an understandable manner. Because communication skills are so important, “having an engineering school in a liberal arts school is a good combination,” said Jadaan.

By teaching engineering, business, and communication skills in the classroom and providing experiential learning opportunities at local companies and throughout the world, the department of engineering at the University of Mount Union is preparing students for a challenging and exciting career in engineering while at the same time producing a workforce that is needed in the marketplace.

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PHOTO COURTESY F MOUNT UNION OFFICE OF MARKETING

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LIBERAL ARTS

MALONE UNIVERSITY TEM” is the buzzword in education today. It stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. Educators in elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities focus on STEM curricula to prepare students for employment in those fields. Also in high demand are students with degrees in business.

But where does the graduate with a liberal arts degree stand when it comes to finding a job and developing a career in today’s job market?

In a “Humanities Report Card” released in September 2013 by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the findings noted that “three out of four employers say they want new hires with precisely the sorts of skills that the humanities teach: critical thinking, complex problemsolving, as well as written and oral communication.”

Study of the liberal arts does just that. According to Dr. Jacalynn Stuckey Welling, a professor of history at Malone University in Canton, the liberal arts prepare students for a variety of careers in a changing world. Studying the liberal arts gives “students a solid grounding in a variety of areas … and produces thoughtful students who can think

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STUDENTS CLIMB THE WALKWAY NEXT TO UNIVERSITY DRIVE FOLLOWING COMMUNITY WORSHIP. PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY

broadly and critically,” she said. The curriculum develops research skills and teaches students how to effectively communicate with others. “In a professional setting, you want to write well. It shows your level of education and that you were careful and attentive (in what you want to express),” added Welling.

Welling agrees that it is a tough job market right now, but says that job seekers who hold liberal arts degrees can promote themselves to potential employers by demonstrating “an awareness and appreciation for their majors and a grounding in the liberal arts studied.” In addition, they can explain how the classes they have taken will serve the company and they can produce a well-crafted writing sample demonstrating their ability to think critically and communicate their ideas. To prepare for their job search, Welling recommended that during their college years, students should intern with one or more companies, study abroad to expand their cultural knowledge, and apply what they have learned through their liberal arts education to a variety of projects and experiences.

While many businesses still demand graduates from STEM-related and business programs, many also are seek-

(FROM TOP) MUSIC PRODUCTION CLASS OFFERS HANDS ON EXPERIENCE IN A PROFESSIONALQUALITY MUSIC STUDIO;THE RANDALL CAMPUS CENTER IS A FAVORITE GATHERING PLACE FOR MEETINGS OR SIMPLY HANGING OUT. PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY

graduates with liberal arts majors or a strong background in the liberal arts to round out their workforce. These savvy business people realize the importance of hiring employees who are well-versed in critical thinking, problem-solving and communication.

Universities such as Malone, Mount Union, and Walsh, through their liberal art programs, can produce those graduates to meet the workforce needs of businesses throughout Stark County, Ohio, and the rest of the country.

SOFT SKILLS

KENT STATE STARK CORPORATE UNIVERSITY PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY

ead through the want ads or conduct a job search using Monster.com and you will find businesses seeking employees who not only have the hard skills to do the job but also have soft skills. What is the difference? Hard skills are those learned to earn a degree or acquired through experience — fluency in a foreign language, writing a computer program, designing a bridge, analyzing income and expenses.

Soft skills, on the other hand, are emotional intelligence.

A typical ad might call for specific personal characteristics, such as having “excellent communication and interpersonal skills,” being “able to meet deadlines,” being “a team player,” or “enjoy(ing) learning new skills.” Also included as soft skills are problem-solving and critical thinking, active listening and learning, time management, being a team player, professionalism, motivation, and flexibility and adaptability.

Emotional intelligence is one of the many classes dealing with soft skills offered at the Corporate University at Kent State University at Stark. All classes are taught by

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faculty members, consultants and experts in their fields and focus on real-life application of what is learned.

For over 20 years, the Corporate University has been helping businesses and nonprofits operate smarter and more smoothly and honing the skills of business people through classes and trainings. It also develops specialized programs based on the needs of the companies seeking its help, said Tina Biasella, director of external affairs and community relations at the Stark campus. They have done projects for health care, manufacturing, and service businesses. Their typical client is a small or midsize company.

Many are family-owned. Clients are mostly interested in project management, process improvement, supervisory skills, communication skills and managing performance issues, said Faith Sheaffer-Polen, director of the Corporate University.

This fall they will be opening up the Corporate University to undergraduate business and communication students, making Kent-Stark the only campus in the area offering corporate education to its students. Plans are to include students from other fields of study in the future.

“Our clients want people who are prepared for the

EDUCATION CantonINC

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KENT STATE, CONTINUED

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workforce and the demands of the workplace,” said Sheaffer-Polen. She hopes companies will jump in and provide scholarships for the students to attend the classes.

“We want this to become the norm,” she added.

“Students have the knowledge (in their fields of study),” said Biasella, “but they don’t always have the soft skills.”

Some of the basic skills that don’t seem to be apparent in undergrads include knowing how to dress for the workplace, getting to work on time, and proper business communication, said Sheaffer-Polen. In addition, the university will be exploring what businesses can do to make the transition from college to the workforce easier for the new employee.

By mixing select undergrads with business people in the classes, it will “give the students an opportunity to interact and mix with people in the workforce and get an idea of what it is like in the ‘real world,’ ” said Sheaffer-Polen. “It will be a great opportunity for them (the students) to network,” added Biasella. “They could eventually be working with these (business) people.”

To further expose undergrads to a business setting,

Sheaffer-Polen plans to take individual students to client meetings (if permitted by the client) when university staff is collecting information and touring facilities as part of assessing the needs of the company. This will give the students “another educational opportunity to see and hear what difficulties the companies are addressing and what behaviors they want to see in (their) employees,” she said.

With the inclusion of undergrads in the corporate classes and through real-life experiences this fall, the Corporate University will become an integral part in preparing students to be a part of the future workforce.

INTERIOR RENDERING OF THE INTELLIGENT COMMUNITY FORUM INSTITUTE GLOBAL LEARNING CENTER PLANNED AT WALSH’S CAMPUS

WALSH UNIVERSITY

INTELLIGENT COMMUNITY PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY

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CHING-CHIH LIAO, DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL,TIACHUNG CITY,TAIWAN (LEFT) AND LOUIS ZACHARILLA, CO-FOUNDER OF THE INTELLIGENT COMMUNITY FORUM (RIGHT) AT THE 2013 SYMPOSIUM AT WALSH UNIVERSITY.

efore the 1970s, business was conducted face-to-face or by telephone, telexes, faxes and mail. That all changed when high-speed communications carriers began connecting the world’s economic centers with fiber-optic networks and Internet access became the norm in many parts of the world. A global economy began to take shape. As the global economy gained more importance, so did Internet access.

The economic welfare of communities throughout the world has become more dependent upon the Internet.

Limited access to a top-notch broadband system for highspeed communication can curb economic growth.

Here in Stark County, many community leaders believe that greater broadband access and width are necessary to

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improve the area’s economy, said Jacqueline DeGarmo, director of the Institute for the Study of the Intelligent Community Transformative Learning and Research Center at Walsh University in North Canton. The wider the bandwidth, the greater the information-carrying capacity. Wider bandwidth allows more people to use the Internet without interruption. Not only could it attract more businesses, it could generate new businesses.

“We need to support innovators and create the most attractive environment for business. For us, that starts with the ability to connect,” DeGarmo said.

Broadband is an integral part of creating an “intelligent community.” “Intelligent communities” are connected communities. They exemplify what will be needed to compete in a global economy and thus sustain the community.

These communities boast a knowledge workforce.

EDUCATION CantonINC

INTERIOR RENDERINGS (ABOVE AND TOP TWO BELOW) OF THE INTELLIGENT COMMUNITY FORUM INSTITUTE GLOBAL LEARNING CENTER PLANNED AT WALSH’S CAMPUS.

MAYOR DAN MATHEISON OF STRATFORD, ONTARIO, CANADA, JACQUELINE DEGARMO, INSTITUTE DIRECTOR,WALSH PRESIDENT RICHARD JUSSEAUME, AND LOUIS ZACHARILLA, CO-FOUNDERS OF THE INTELLIGENT COMMUNITY FORUM. ALL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY WALSH UNIVERSITY.

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Knowledge workers acquire, process and use information; they think for a living. With broadband, knowledge workers collaborate with other knowledge workers around the world to form networks of expertise that lead to innovation, which results in new and improved goods and services.

“Intelligent communities” promote digital inclusion. Leaders in “intelligent communities” will create policies and find funding to extend broadband access to everyone, including those who have been excluded due to poverty or geography. With greater broadband access, schools would be ensured access to the most current resources, thus providing more educational opportunities to students.

“Intelligent communities” market their areas as great places to live, work and build a business. “It will reduce the ‘brain drain’ and create a ‘brain gain,’ ” DeGarmo said.

Can Stark County become an “intelligent community”? It has a good start with the Institute for the Study of the Intelligent Community launched at Walsh University in 2012 by the Intelligent Community Forum, a New-York based nonprofit think tank whose purpose is to prepare communities for the changing economic, social and learning landscape.

As the first of several planned institutes, the one at Walsh serves as a regional resource center for all communities “interested in reinventing themselves using broadband technology” and will link them to more than 120 partner communities around the world. The institute also plans to create a “community exchange” program with other institutes throughout the world for scholars, students and community leaders. Finally, the institute also will study new models to train teachers to prepare students for a global economy.

In addition, a global learning center is being designed at Walsh as a laboratory where “business people, educators, and community leaders can come together to solve problems in an innovative, interdisciplinary way,” DeGarmo said. It also will serve as a resource for generating entrepreneurial ideas, a center for global literacy and connectivity, and a base for the institute’s outreach.

EMPLOYMENT CantonINC

OHIO MEANS JOBS IS THE NEW NAME FOR EMPLOYMENT SOURCE HERE IN CANTON AND IN NEW PHILADELPHIA.

ew name. Same important service to employers and workers. The workforce development agency for Stark and Tuscarawas counties, known for years as the Employment Source, has been relabeled Ohio Means Jobs.

In recent months, state government directed all the U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Investment Act programs and offices to adopt the same name. The agency serving Stark and Tuscarawas, with executive offices at 822 30th St. NW in Canton, provides the same high-quality service it always has. Its Tuscarawas County office is at 1260 Monroe St., Suite 35, New Philadelphia.

The former Employment Source is regarded as one of the best WIA agencies in Ohio. It serves all manner of job seekers, with resume coaching, extensive job search materials and job training opportunities. Workers who need new training to meet new job demands are frequent clients. But new college graduates and professionals in transition are just as welcome.

That having been said, Ohio Means

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Jobs in Stark and Tuscarawas counties has a primary orientation to serve the needs of employers seeking skilled workers. Economic development organizations such as the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce frequently put together employers and the local Ohio Means Jobs staff to help meet talent needs.

The Canton Regional Chamber and the Employment Source, along with a host of other nonprofit, education and government agencies, formed the Business Resource Network. Its goal is to help existing businesses stay here and grow.

The BRN does so by providing a single point of contact for information about grants and loans, worker training, exporting strategies and technology.

The executive director of Ohio Means Jobs in Stark and Tuscarawas counties is Jennifer Meek Eells. Deputy director is JoAnn Breedlove. For more information, call: the Stark County office at 330-4339675 or the Tuscarawas County office at 330-364-9777. Learn more about the Ohio Means Jobs services at www.eswork.com. Learn more about the Business Resource Network at www.thebrn.net.

STARK COUNTY MEANS JOBS

BY DAVID KAMINSKI

CantonINC EMPLOYMENT

DISTANCE LEARNING IN THE UTICA JULIA A. STRAWDER, SHALENET CASE MANAGER, AND DANIEL SCHWEITZER, REGIONAL HUB COORDINATOR FOR SHALENET NORTHERN HUB, REVIEW CURRICULUM FOR AN INTRODUCTION TO PETROLEUM INDUSTRY CLASS THAT WILL BE OFFERED COMPLETELY ONLINE TO DUAL-CREDIT STUDENTS AT AREA HIGH SCHOOLS IN FALL 2014.

ual credit, distance learning and Utica Shale come together this fall in a new workforce development program for high school students throughout the area. As part of its ShaleNET oil and gas technical education program, Stark State is offering its Introduction to the Petroleum Industry class online to high school students at Timken Senior High School in Canton, Marlington High School in the Alliance area, R.G. Drage Career Technical Center in Massillon and Buckeye Career Center in New Philadelphia.

Stark State is one of four community colleges in the United States offering coordinated oil and gas technical education through the ShaleNET program. The others are Navarro College in Texas, Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport and Westmoreland Community College, southeast of Pittsburgh.

As a dual-credit class, Introduction to the Petroleum Industry, also known as PET 101 in the Stark State College course listings, will count as credit toward students’ high school graduation and three hours of credit toward posthigh school education at Stark State.

In this early phase of the distance-learning program, the online instructors at Stark State will be Julia A. Strawder, ShaleNET case manager, and Daniel Schweitzer, regional hub coordinator for ShaleNET Northern Hub. There is a limit to the number of online students that a Stark State instructor can have at one time. But with other faculty members involved in the future, said Schweitzer, “there is no practical limit on the number of students we could serve.”

The online course was tested this spring at R.G. Drage, and with one R.G. Drage teacher, said guidance counselor Kim Bartholomew. With an R.G. Drage teacher now familiar with the curriculum, the school will be able to explain the opportunity to students in programs such as welding, precision machining, diesel mechanics and building construction — all of which have practical application to oil and gas work.

R.G. Drage is preparing students in these areas of study for possible interest in oil and gas-related work by offering them SafeLand training. SafeLand is basic environmental health and safety training for onshore oil and gas work, a first step in preparing for work in an industry with extreme levels of safety consciousness.

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EDUCATION CantonINC

DUAL CREDIT STUDENTS ARE WORKFORCE READY IN STARK COUNTY en years ago, Stark County educational leaders saw a problem.

The world required more and more educated workers, and Stark County’s posthigh school educational level was low.

Something had to be done.

Actually, several things were done. And many of them revolve around dual credit, a set of varied opportunities that allow high school students to take college-level courses and earn college credit.

With the support of business leaders, Stark County’s public high schools, the county Educational Service Center, the privately funded Stark Education Partnership, and the county’s colleges and universities began to knit together a system of dual-credit opportunities.

Dual credit produces many good outcomes. It shows students, and their parents, that they are capable of college work. It offers this opportunity for little to no expense to the student.

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And it can dramatically reduce the cost of college for students.

Early on, dual credit created a few concerns, but none of them materialized, according to Dr. Adrienne

from taking career tech courses, and it did not.”

As The Repository reported earlier this year, less than half of the students graduating from Stark County high schools in 2001 attended college.

Now 63 percent pursue higher education.

In large part, dualcredit programs stimulated students to realize college was a real possibility in their future.

According to data compiled by the Stark Education Partnership, Stark County has the second highest dual-credit enrollment of any county in Ohio.

Last year, more than 1,500 students took advantage of the opportunity to earn college credit while in high school. Another 560 high school students enrolled in courses on college campuses.

Two-year associate degrees, which can lead to well-paid technical occupations, are on the rise. The county’s two major cities, Canton and Massillon, and the county overall exceed state and national averages on associate degree attainment.

With a 3 percent gain since 2000, today 21 percent of Stark County residents have

earned a bachelor’s degree

or higher,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill, president of the Stark Educational Partnership. “People thought dual credit would deter students from taking Advanced Placement courses, and it did not.

People thought it would deter students

BY DAVID KAMINSKI

256 students have graduated from high school under the Early College program, and 144 of them earned a two-year associate degree from Stark State during that time.

And associate degrees can be bridged into four-year bachelor’s degrees.

“With a 3 percent gain since 2000, today 21 percent of Stark County residents have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher,” O’Neill said.

In addition to dual credit, Canton established Early College High School in 2005 on the Timken Senior High campus in downtown Canton. Partners were the Canton City School District, Stark State College and the Stark Educational Partnership. It is one of the most successful early college high schools in the country.

According to Canton City Schools, 256 students have graduated from high school under the Early College program, and 144 of them earned a two-year associate degree from Stark State during that time. One hundred percent of the students earned at least one semester of college credit.

From the first graduating class, some Early College graduates of Stark State have gone to four-year colleges and universities and have started as juniors, saving two entire years of time and money.

All this has led to “a huge change in expectations” for students and their parents, O’Neill said. And it has created a community in which young people are increasingly workforce-ready.

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CHAMBER 100 CantonINC

A CENTURY OF LEADERSHIP MESSAGE FROM CANTON REGIONAL CHAMBER PRESIDENT AND CEO DENNIS SAUNIER n 2014, the Canton Regional Chamber of tional goals as well as goals for the future (see sidebar).

We have teams in place for each goal and have already Commerce celebrates our 100th anniversary of advancing economic growth and commu- begun rolling out our initial objectives. We have also identified a key internal staff member to “champion” each goal, nity development in Canton/Stark County. who will be tasked with working across This milestone has given our organizadepartments internally, as well as identifytion the perfect opportunity to assess ing and leveraging partners externally, to where we’ve been, where we’re going, and help ensure each goal stays on course. how we can better serve our members and Our strategic plan is broad and ambithe region in years to come. tious. An excellent question was raised In January, several months of hard work during one of the four public sessions: how and planning came to fruition when our can the Chamber expect to board of directors approved a accomplish these goals with a comprehensive, forward-lookSIX KEY ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS staff of 48? The simple answer is ing strategic plan, which will that we can't, if we choose to serve as a guiding document for STRATEGIC GOAL A: work alone. Thankfully, workour organization. This five-year Advance Unified Regional Economic Development ing in a “silo” has never been plan will help us begin the next STRATEGIC GOAL B: our intention. Our plan requires century of Chamber leadership Help Employers and Education Institutions to community partners and leaders, with a compelling vision, uniStrengthen Workforce Readiness both new and old, to join in our fied direction, and measurable STRATEGIC GOAL C: effort and help us take our plan goals, and provide a road map to Support the Development of the Urban Core beyond words on a page. help advance our region’s ecoSTRATEGIC GOAL D: As we begin our second cennomic growth and visibility Advocate for our Regional Travel Industry tury as an organization, we want The strategic plan will also Infrastructure Expansion to celebrate a remarkable 100 steer our organization through STRATEGIC GOAL E: years of Chamber leadership, the combined challenges and opportunities that surely lie Create a Public Policy Advocacy Voice for the Region but also look toward our future STRATEGIC GOAL F: ahead. with a fresh perspective and Reinforce a Chamber Culture of Collaboration, renewed focus. We can’t wait to With the help and input of more Integration, and Service Excellence get started on the many goals, than 350 participants, including collaborations, and initiatives our members, government officials, community leaders, Chamber staff, volunteers, and we have for our membership, Canton/Stark County, and business owners of all sizes, we established six key organiza- the surrounding region this year and beyond.

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DOMINIC FONTE 330.418.1535 DominicFonte.com

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CantonINC WOMEN

he mission of United Way Women’s Leadership Council is to provide a forum for our members to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences, provide networking opportunities, offer educational and cultural programs, enhance the growth of our members as leaders and decision-makers and make a positive contribution to the next generation of women leaders and our community.

Women’s Leadership Council members have a special focus for their work: youths graduating and continuing their education beyond high school.

Nowhere is that mission more compelling than in the Girls Have Unlimited Possibilities (Girl UP) program.

Girl UP features a morning of activities for middle school girls from Canton City Schools (CCS) that introduces them to careers not traditionally filled by women.

According to Laurie Moline, 2013-14 chairman of the Women’s Leadership Council, at the most recent Girl UP event held Feb. 1 at Timken High School, about 40 girls rotated through stations such as welding, building technologies, videogame design, automotive tech, forensics and multiple engineering fields.

In addition, a parent track also was offered, with presentations and activities designed to help parents or guardians learn how to support their child’s goals.

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Following the career stations, participants were treated to lunch, a panel discussion on career and college planning, a confidence-building activity led by Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, and finally, a fashion show coordinated by Plato’s Closet, with tips to help girls look and feel their best.

United Way Women's Leadership Council is a group of dynamic business and community women leaders who are committed to advancing the common good and improving people’s lives by taking a leadership role in advancing United Way’s work, advocating for issues important to our greater community and making a personal financial commitment.

The members of United Way Women’s Leadership Council are a diverse group of female community and business leaders who are dedicated to making a difference in the health and welfare of greater Stark County. More than 300 women leaders annually contribute $1,000 or more to United Way of Greater Stark County and are engaged in meaningful change in our community.

Women historically have been leaders of social change through their personal passion, time and talent.

Engaging the power of women, members of Women’s Leadership Council educate, inspire and enrich our community while serving as philanthropic role models, mentors and leaders in Greater Stark County.

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BY JESS BENNETT

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Photo by Mike Nasvadi

ART, MUSIC, FOOD & FUNIN THE CANTON ARTS DISTRICT

BY JUDI CHRISTY

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here’s no doubt about it. One of the best parts of summer is getting out, letting loose and exploring the local scene.

That’s why it’s a great time to grab the gusto of summer, ride its coattails and follow the fun that’s happening in the Canton Arts District.

With an abundance of art, music, food and festivals, there’s a little something for everyone.

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FIRST FRIDAYS Beginning its eighth consecutive year July 4, the First Friday celebration is the must-do for families, singles, no-nesters and newbies. Always beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Canton Museum of Art with a mini art show/sale and live entertainment, this is a good “first stop” to the evening. July’s First Friday, appropriately themed “Independence Day,” will end with a citywide fireworks display. In between, the Canton Woman’s Club is

hosting a steak fry, the main stage on Fourth Street NW will rock with bands spanning the patriotic spectrum including local favorite New Wave Nation, and your favorite art galleries will be open with all-American sales. Outside vendors, selling popcorn, ice cream, lemonade, T-shirts, jewelry and more, will line the district sure to be donned in red, white and blue splendor.

August’s First Friday will welcome visitors for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival, and locals participating in the seventh annual Chalk the Walk — this year, with a pigskin patina.

Tour the district to see 15 local artists take to the streets and sidewalks with chalk pastels and, maybe, pick up your own bucket of chalk to add to the collection.

Don’t miss Elec Simon’s drum circle at Courthouse Plaza, a must-do at summer First Fridays.

There’s plenty more fun in store this

fall, too. First Friday happens year-round, rain or shine.

THURSDAYS THROUGH SATURDAYS Lest we forget that the weekend has more than one day, downtown businesses will be open — all summer long — Thursday through Saturday evenings.

Date night through late night, you can catch an art film or a Hollywood hit at the Canton Palace Theatre, or stop in at Journey Art Gallery, the Hub Gallery and Studios, 2nd April Galerie, Canton Glassworks and the Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography to see the latest exhibit (such as the Vivian Maier show opening in

Howland Theatre), also home to off-thewall small stage shows that either will tickle your funny bone or tamper with your temperament in this black-box venue. Grab an adult beverage at Grapes in a Glass, Cork and Canvas or Picciano’s, then satisfy your caffeine craving at one of the district’s three kitschy coffee shops; Carpe Diem, Cultured Coffee or Muggswigz — featuring open mic nights, poetry slams and live music.

JUST PARK AND TRY! Canton has the most walkable arts district in Ohio, with free street parking after 6 p.m. — plenty of time to trot around see-

ing the eclectic mix of public art including a big yellow duck, a tread-bare rhino, a pink octopus emerging from the Imperial Room and, after Aug. 1, the first installation of an 11-part public project that commemorates the birth of the NFL. 24/7 Want more? There’s an app for that. Well, actually a website. The newly designed, easy-to-navigate, visually stimulating CantonArtsDistrict.com is a home-screen staple for anyone wanting the “downtown lowdown.” Find up-to-date information for the Canton Arts District, map out your adventure, and get exploring!

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July). Hear live music at Canton’s historical music block (on Cleveland Avenue NW between Second and Fourth streets) every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Bands from around the country, as well as your local favorites, stop at the music block to play. And grab a gourmet steak, grilled cheese, brew or burger at one of the local eateries including Lucca, Buzzbin, George’s Lounge, or Cheese Louise — the newest kid on the block, featuring gourmet sandwiches and weekend comedy shows. Scared Scriptless, Canton’s only improv troupe, takes its once-a-month show to the lower level of 2nd April Galerie (a.k.a. the Kathleen

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ACHIEVEMENT CantonINC

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT

BY JESS BENNETT

B GLENMOOR COUNTRY CLUB CHEF INSTRUCTS STUDENT IN FOOD PREPARATION

THE CONDUIT BETWEEN THE EDUCATION & BUSINESS COMMUNITIES

y focusing on education and economic and youth development, Junior Achievement of East Central Ohio programs contribute to the vitality of our community and the availability of a well-educated work-

force.

JA volunteers are trained to provide additional value to help connect the relevancy of staying in school by sharing their own life experiences while teaching JA curriculum. They help students focus their career choice, develop work readiness skills to obtain employment, consider the possibilities of starting their own company and learn budget and saving skills necessary to manage their personal finances — empowering them to own their economic success.

“It is inspiring to see Junior Achievement helping young people to foster business skills at such a young age,” said Ohio Congressman Bob Gibbs (R) at the 2013 Junior Achievement Company Program of the Year Competition with Viking Enterprises Division 12 JA Student Company from North Canton High School. “These are the types of resources that need to be readily available for high school students across the country.”

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Junior Achievement gives young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future and make smart academic and economic choices.

Junior Achievement’s volunteerdelivered, kindergarten-12th grade programs foster work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, and use experiential learning to inspire students to develop career and college readiness skills to reach their potential.

With the help of more than 826 volunteers in 640 classrooms during the 2012-13 school year, 13,379 JA students connected the relevance of what they were learning in school to the real world of work.

The demand for Junior Achievement has never been greater.

Classes are provided at no charge to school districts in Stark, Tuscarawas and Carroll counties served by Junior Achievement of East Central Ohio.

For more information about Junior Achievement of East Central Ohio, visit www.jaonline.org.

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CONTACT INFO CantonINC

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

AREA CONTACT INFO ALLIANCE

JACKSON TWP.

MINERVA

Mayor: Alan C. Andreani Alliance Area Chamber: www.AllianceOhioChamber.org Alliance Area Development Foundation: www.AllianceADF.com City of Alliance: www.CityofAlliance.com

Board of Trustees President: Todd J. Hawke Jackson Township: www.jacksontwp .com Jackson/Belden Chamber: www.JBCC.org

Mayor: James Waller Village of Minerva: www.ci.minerva.oh.us Minerva Chamber: www.Minerva Chamber.org

LAKE TWP.

NORTH CANTON

Board of Trustees President: John Arnold Lake Township: www.laketwpstarkco.com Lake Township Chamber: www.lakechamber.com

Mayor: David J. Held City of North Canton: www.NorthCantonOhio.com North Canton Area Chamber of Commerce: www.NorthCantonChamber.org

CANAL FULTON Mayor: Richard Harbaugh City of Canal Fulton: www.CityofCanalFulton-oh.gov Canal Fulton Chamber: www.DiscoverCanalFulton.com

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CANTON

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Mayor: William J. Healy II City of Canton: www.Canton Ohio.gov Canton Regional Chamber: www.CantonChamber.org

HARTVILLE Mayor: Richard A. Currie Village of Hartville: www.hartvilleoh.com

LOUISVILLE Mayor: Patricia Fallot City of Louisville: www.LouisvilleOhio.com Louisville Area Chamber: www. LouisvilleOHChamber.com

MASSILLON Mayor: Kathy Catazaro-Perry City of Massillon: www.MassillonOhio.com Massillon Area Chamber: www.MassillonOH Chamber.com Massillon Development Foundation: www.MassillonDevelopment.com

PLAIN TWP. Board of Trustees President: Scott Haws Plain Township: www.PlainTownship.com Plain Township Chamber: www.PlainTownship.com

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AultCare: A plan developed with the community in mind Success is a Reflection of Dedicated, Hard-Working Staff In 1983, Aultman Hospital President Richard Pryce called in his young personnel director Rick Haines. “Rick, I have a project for you,” said Pryce. “We need to start our own health plan, our own insurance company.” The goal, said Pryce, was to develop a quality plan with low premiums. The premium savings to companies, both agreed, would benefit the community.

Haines, who joined Aultman in 1981, had been part of a team working to reduce costs in the hospital.

Pryce foresaw Medicare reducing its payments to hospitals, Haines said, and he wanted Aultman to be ahead of Medicare’s cost-reduction curve.

This was the first component to starting AultCare.

After a year of development, AultCare launched in 1985 with its first member – Aultman Hospital employees. From there, it expanded as an administrator of self-insurance plans for several local businesses. In 1989, AultCare added a fully insured product, mainly to serve small businesses.

By 1994, it grew to cover more than 60,000 people. Today, AultCare has more than 2,200 employer members and covers more than 420,000 people, including more than 20,000 PrimeTime Health Plan members who benefit from AultCare’s Medicare Advantage Plan.

Its structure remains the same, said Haines, who is President and CEO of AultCare. “Offer high-quality insurance coverage at an affordable price by capitalizing on Aultman’s low-cost structure and utilizing a local network of high-quality Primary Care and Specialist physicians who are dedicated to the health care of this community.”

That structure allowed the goal to be reached, said Haines. “If employers are paying less for health care, they can invest in their companies, they can hire more people,” he said, and that is good for this community. If it is good for this community, it is good for AultCare and Aultman and the local physicians.”

The key to reaching the goal was to operate on slim margins when compared to traditional for-profit

insurance companies. Since 1989, AultCare’s profit margin has been less than 0.2%, purposely kept low, said Haines, so the savings could remain in the hands of local companies and residents and be used to benefit the local economy.

By many measurements, AultCare has been successful. One number in particular – retention rate of members – reflects how the community has embraced the company’s health insurance products. Annually, 95 percent of customers continue with AultCare. The retention rate for national insurance companies hovers around 75 percent. “We have a great insurance company, working with a great hospital and a great group of physicians,” said Haines, “and that is how you keep customers and benefit the community.”

Haines says the staff is AultCare’s best asset. “AultCare began with a group of dedicated employees and it continues with them,” said Haines. “Our success reflects their hard work. They handle more than $728 million in claims annually, with 99.9 percent accuracy.

More than 7,500 calls per week flow into our service centers and that staff treats each one as if a neighbor is calling; after all, we are Stark County’s only local health insurance company, so the caller very well may be their neighbor.”

As the health insurance world changes, AultCare finds itself as the local resource for companies and residents trying to understand health care reform. In 2013, for example, more than 4,000 area people have attended AultCare informational meetings about health care reform.

AultCare adapted to the everchanging health care industry in the 20th century and into the 21st century. It began as a local business and stayed that way by being innovative. It is something that makes all AultCare employees proud.

“As the years go by, we will continue to make strategic changes to keep our local business viable,” said Haines, “because we know if we do that it will contribute to the viability of the community in which we all live.”

LOCAL COLLEGES Quality: our driving force since 1954

Please call or visit one of our family of companies: Young Truck Sales, Inc. - 1-800-362-0495

New & Used Freightliner/Isuzu Sales, Parts & Service

AULTMAN COLLEGE OF NURSING AND HEALTH SCIENCES 2600 Sixth St. SW Canton, 44710 www.aultmancollege.edu Phone: 330-363-6347 Fax: 330-580-6654

Young Volvo - 1-800-308-0838

New Volvo Sales, Full Service Leasing, Parts & Service

JayMac Body & Frame - 1-866-601-7654

Full Service Body Shop, alignment & paint specialists

Young Trailer Repair - 330-479-8992 Trailer repair & rehabilitation

Please visit us on the web: www.youngtrucks.com

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY AT STARK 6000 Frank Ave. NW North Canton, 44720 www.stark.kent.edu Phone: 330-499-9600

MALONE UNIVERSITY 2600 Cleveland Ave. NW Canton, 44709 www.malone.edu Phone: 800-521-1146

UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION 1972 Clark Ave. Alliance, 44601 www.mountunion.edu Phone: 800-992-6682

STARK STATE COLLEGE 6200 Frank Ave. NW North Canton, 44720 www.starkstate.edu Phone: 330-494-6170

WALSH UNIVERSITY 2020 E. Maple St. North Canton, 44720 www.walsh.edu Photo: 800-362-9846 | 330-490-7090

EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Stark County’s first choice for installation and service of commercial and industrial HVAC systems, piping and plumbing, and full-service

LEADERSHIP STARK COUNTY Leadership Stark County, a department of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, engages and educates Stark County’s community leaders through a range of programs tailored to meet business and community needs. LSC works with community organizations to identify, prepare and position graduates for leadership within these organizations.

The result is a core of motivated leaders with a lifelong commitment to community trusteeship. www. LeadershipStarkCounty.org, 330456-7253.

STARK CTY. EDUCATIONAL SERVICE CENTER The Stark County Educational Service Center is committed to meeting Stark County school district needs by providing quality educational support and services for more than 60,000 diverse, wide-ranging students in Stark County. StarkCountyESC.org, 330-492-8136.

STARK EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP The Stark Education Partnership Inc. is a nonprofit education reform support organization in Stark County, crossing the lines of 17 public school districts.The partnership collaborates with educators, business and community and civic leaders to create and respond to opportunities that will add substantial and measurable value to education. www.EDPartner.org, 330-452-0829.

YSTARK! ystark!, a department of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, is Stark County’s dynamic young professional initiative.The organization works to attract, retain and engage young professionals, ultimately developing an involved and educated workforce for area businesses through programs, networking opportunities, and educational engagement. ystark! program highlights include the Twenty under 40! awards and the Fellowship Program with local businesses. www.ystark.org, 330-4567253.

boiler and chiller work.

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EXCELLENCE IS STANDARD Standard Plumbing & Heating has worked on nearly every Stark County landmark and institution.

Standard Plumbing and Heating 435 Walnut Ave., SE, Canton, Ohio 44702

CANTON/ STARK COUNTY BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES CANTON REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization of nearly 1,600 institutions and individuals dedicated to the advancement of the economic, industrial, professional, cultural and civic welfare of Stark County. Since 1914, the Chamber has worked to advance business and develop community through partnerships, programs, services and events to achieve economic growth for Canton/Stark County. www.CantonChamber.org, 330-456-7253.

CANTON DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP The Canton Development Partnership, a department of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, is a coalition of area development organizations and city government that share an interest in downtown Canton’s continual improvement, revitalization, image and quality of life for its citizens. Partner organizations include Canton Regional Chamber, Downtown Canton Special Improvement District, Downtown Canton Land Bank, Canton Tomorrow, Inc., and city of Canton. www.DowntownCanton.com, 330-456-7253

CANTON/STARK COUNTY CONVENTION & VISITORS’ BUREAU The Canton/Stark County Convention & Visitors’ Bureau, a department of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, is here to assist you in your travels to our area.Whether you are organizing a tour group, a convention or sporting event, we have professional staff members ready to assist in your planning.The CVB services the community by attracting tourists, convention and meeting planners and sporting events to the Stark County area and operating the Visitor Information Center. www.VisitCantonStark.com, 800-552-6051.

CITY OF CANTON Canton is home to well-known national landmarks such as the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Wm. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum and national monument, and the National First Ladies’ Library and Research Center. Mayor William J. Healy II is aggressively pursuing new companies and businesses to the city. Canton has a wide variety of attributes that make the city a smart location for companies of all shapes, sizes and industries to locate in, and the city has programs that provide incentives for business location, relocation or expansion. www.CantonOhio.gov, 330-489-3283.

IDEACROSSING IdeaCrossingÂŽ is a free online resource that connects entrepreneurs in Northeast Ohio with the resources necessary to turn innovative ideas into thriving companies, and established businesses into growing ones. By connecting entrepreneurs with vital resources, as well as providing private online collaborative environments for their engagement, IdeaCrossing can help facilitate connections between entrepreneurs, investors, business mentors and service providers. www.ideacrossing.org/neohio/crc

SHALEDIRECTORIES.COM ShaleDirectories.com is an online directory that connects oil and gas industry operators, their employees and families with local business.

ShaleDirectories.com provides a comprehensive list of local businesses that can serve the E&P companies and oil-field service companies in the Marcellus and Utica Shale region. www.shaledirectories.com.

SHALEMART.COM Local source for Ohio shale and other related business directories. ShaleMart.com focuses on providing local resources for the shale and energy worker market. Users are the men and women employed in the shale job industry who need resources and are often new to the area. www.shalemart.com

STARK AREA REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY SARTA provides more than 2.4 million rides a year in Stark County through fixed route and Proline services. Its goal is to ensure that Stark County residents, including employees, students, seniors and disabled individuals, have access to a quality transportation system that is both reliable and affordable. www.SARTAOnline.com, 330-47-SARTA.

Selinsky Force offers unsurpassed customer service and wide-ranging capabilities in industrial construction, plant maintenance, refractory, rigging and hauling, equipment rental and pulverizer services.

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RESOURCES CantonINC

STARK COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

The Stark County Association of Realtors®, proudly serving the Realtors®, homebuyers, and home sellers of Stark County, Ohio, strives to enhance the ability and opportunity of its members to conduct their business successfully and ethically, and to promote the preservation of the right to own, use and transfer real property. www.StarkRealtors.com, 330-494-5630.

JOBSOHIO

STARK COUNTY BUILDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION The Building Industry Association of Stark County is a nonprofit trade association affiliated with the Ohio Home Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders. Chartered in 1945, the BIA represents and promotes the interests and concerns of the building industry and the community. The organization provides Stark County consumers and businesses with a directory of member builders. www.BIAStark.com, 330-494-5700.

STARK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

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Stark Community Foundation has been the community's trusted partner in giving for nearly 600 individuals, families, businesses and communities that have created funds to impact the lives of others through the most effective philanthropy possible. Since 1963, the foundation has granted more than $111 million to nonprofit organizations.

Stark Community Foundation ranks in the top 10 percent of community foundations in the United States today. www.StarkCF.org, 330-454-3426

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STARK ENTREPRENEURSHIP ALLIANCE The Stark Entrepreneurship Alliance is a virtual network to assist startup, early-stage and small/medium-size companies in the Stark County area. Their goal is to be a single point of entry for companies seeking assistance in their formation, growth and sustained viability. www.starkentalliance.com, 330.543.7637

JobsOhio is a private, nonprofit corporation designed to lead Ohio’s job-creation efforts by singularly focusing on attracting and retaining jobs, with an emphasis on strategic industry sectors. JobsOhio is your ambassador. www.JobsOhio.com, 614-224-6446.

MAGNET MAGNET, the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, supports, educates and champions manufacturing, with the goal of transforming the region’s economy into a powerful, global player.The organization helps manufacturers adopt innovative techniques, and increase productivity and global access. www.magnetwork.org, 800- 669-2267.

BUSINESS RESOURCE NETWORK The Business Resource Network aggregates resources to bring Stark,Tuscarawas and surrounding county businesses specialized services, funding through grants and loans and staffing options any company can access and use to do business better. www.thebrn.net, 855-669-4726.

SCORE SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. www.CantonRegional.

SCORE.org, 330-244-3280.

SBDC The Small Business Development Center at Kent State University at Stark is a fully funded nonprofit organization devoted to helping small businesses grow and individuals start new small businesses through training programs and consultation sessions. www.CantonSBDC.org, 330-244-3290.

MINORITY BUSINESS The Stark County Minority Business Association fosters development and growth of minority-owned businesses. www.TheABCDinc.com, 330-455-6385.

OHIO MEANS JOBS Ohio Means Jobs, formerly The Employment Source, is northeastern Ohio’s premier workforce development and training center, connecting job seekers with employers by providing numerous resources. www.ESwork.com, 330433-9675.

REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND FOR FUTURE The Fund for Our Economic Future is a collaboration of philanthropic organizations and individuals that have united to strengthen the economic competitiveness of Northeast Ohio through grantmaking, research and civic engagement. www. FutureFundNEO.org, 216-456-9800.

JUMPSTART, INC. Jumpstart provides intensive assistance and service to Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs, and selectively invests in the highest-potential companies. www.JumpstartInc.org, 216-363-3400.

TRADE CONSORTIUM The Northeast Ohio Trade & Economic Consortium is a multicounty regional economic development partnership that works collaboratively in the region with the goal of attracting capital investment and jobs to Northeast Ohio through the administration of Foreign-Trade Zone 181. www.NEOTEC.org, 330-672-4080.

OHIO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AGENCY Working with partners across business, state and local governments, academia, and the nonprofit sector, the Ohio Development Services Agency works to attract, create, grow and retain businesses through competitive incentives and targeted investments. www.Development.Ohio.gov, 800-848-1300.

TEAMNEO TeamNEO serves companies and site consultants by acting as the single point of entry into the 16-county Cleveland Plus region, and then works with counties and communities to ensure seamless attraction into Northeast Ohio. www.Cleveland PlusBusiness.com, 216-363-5400.

STARK COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCES ASSOCIATION Whether you are new to the human resources field or have years of experience, Stark County Human Resources Association is a local starting point for networking, information, professional development and continued support of excellence in human resources.The organization, founded in 1944, is an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management. Stark.SHRM.org, 330-451-8670.

STARK COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY The Stark County Port Authority helps to provide the Greater Stark County area with an economic development tool for new capital investment, job creation and retention.The organization helps create and preserve jobs through a wide variety of financing, real estate and foreign trade zone programs. www.StarkCoOhio.com, 330-453-5900.

STARK COUNTY SAFETY COUNCIL The Canton Regional Chamber, with support from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, administers Stark County Safety Council, one of the top councils of more than 80 in the state of Ohio.

The safety council provides a forum for safety and health information, education and networking in Stark County, through leadership, innovation, facilitation, programs and support. www.StarkCounty SafetyCouncil.org, 330-456-7253.

STARK DEVELOPMENT BOARD The Stark Development Board is a private, nonprofit corporation created to help local companies grow and expand. In addition, it actively seeks to attract new business investments to Stark County, one of the most economically viable areas in Northeast Ohio, as well as to advocate for workforce development. www.StarkCoOhio.com, 330-453-5900

STARK REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION Stark County Regional Planning Commission improves the quality of life in Stark County and its communities through an effective regional forum characterized by communication, collaboration, facilitation and planning assistance.The organization includes metropolitan planning, community development and engineering departments. www.Co.Stark.OH.us, 330-451-7389.

TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATOR ALLIANCE Housed on the campus of the University of Mount Union,TA2 looks to incubate companies to that of successful enterprises while connecting students to the real-world environment of startup, early-stage, and successful business operations.TA2 accommodates both physical and virtual companies along the startup and early-stage business development process. www.techalliance2.com, 330-829-6804

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UTICA SHALE Aerial photo taken as trucks move gravel at a drilling site in Carroll County.

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PHOTO BY SCOTT HECKEL

PARTING SHOT CantonINC

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© 2013 The Aultman Health Foundation. All rights reserved.

“A”-Class Care Means We’re Healthier, Together.

THERE ARE HOSPITALS. THERE ARE INSURERS. BUT THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE THIS. We created the Aultman system to provide everything you need to be healthier … and with more than a dozen facilities, you can get it all close to home. Just ask a patient care provider from one of our 43 medical specialties or an AultCare customer service specialist or a student training for a health care career.

The Aultman team of nearly 5,000 employees, 535 doctors, 93 resident physicians, 300 health sciences students and nearly 1,000 volunteers joins together — and together with you — for a very healthy outcome.

Healthier, together.™

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