CMPND

Third Frontier Accomplishments Add UP

Thursday, 29 April 2010 19:11

Ohio Third Frontier Banner Consultant organization, SRI International, issued a report on the progress of the Ohio Third Frontier (OTF) during a joint meeting of the Ohio Third Frontier Advisory Board and Commission. Despite a tough year for everyone’s economy in 2009, SRI noted that the $681 million that the State has invested from 2003 to 2008 on OTF activities has resulted in $6.6 billion of economic activity; 41,300 total jobs; and $2.4 billion in employee wages and benefits. According to the impact study’s figures, Ohio has garnered nearly a $10 return on every dollar of the State’s investment, with the expectation of increased impacts in the years to come. This figure is especially gratifying because initial expectations were for OTF funds to have a return ratio of 3-to-1, and the actual return is approximately 10-to-1.

Envirez: Meeting Market Demand for Biobased Products

Thursday, 29 April 2010 18:25

Envirez Material Flow There’s almost a decade of market history for ENVIREZ, a biobased unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) developed by Ashland Performance Materials, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc. Today’s ENVIREZ resin can be used to make a wide array of building materials including tubs, furniture, doors, windows, countertops, and facades and could be the enabling technology for creating an industry-leading sustainable building materials cluster in Ohio.

Biobased materials a growing niche in non-residential buildings

Wednesday, 28 April 2010 18:19

Non-residential buildings are a particular niche in which there is growing interest in using biobased materials in place of their petroleum-based counterparts. Recently, the Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center (OBIC), through its Material Flow program, conducted a survey to help quantify opportunities and interest related to the potential markets for biobased products within Ohio and the nation. The survey was designed to 1) probe overall interest in biobased building materials as substitutes for petroleum-based non-residential building products; 2) assess general awareness of biobased building materials; and 3) determine the level of willingness to pay a premium for biobased building materials. (with “design” as the verb, I think #1 and #3 are very similar)

Adapting to Opportunity and Demand in Plastic Manufacturing: The Minco Group

Wednesday, 28 April 2010 17:25

The Minco Group, consisting of Minco Tool and Mold, Inc. and All Service Plastic Molding, Inc. (ASPM), is located in Dayton, Ohio, currently employs 300+ dedicated people, and is growing. They have a basic philosophy that has kept them agile and healthy: Whatever is needed for completion of a task, from product development through point-of-sale shipment, or any segment of activity in-between, The Minco Group is the source for resolving project requirements through its time-tested combination of technology and dedicated personnel. While a can-do attitude is not always the magic bullet for a company’s success, the 50-year-old Minco Group has turned that philosophy into action.

High Performance Natural Fiber Composites Poised for Progress

Thursday, 29 April 2010 18:19

Any time since mid-2009, a growth rate of 5.4 percent has sounded mighty good. That number happens to be the expansion rate for the global market for reinforced and filled plastics. Or, to say it another way, it amounts to 25 billion pounds of sales for high performance composites, most of which could be a target market for advanced natural fiber composites (ANFC). One central Ohio company, Natural Fiber Composites Corporation (NFCC), is an active participant in this market due to its proprietary technology for pre-processing commercially available bast fibers for manufacturing ANFC materials. These ANFC materials can be compounded into thermoplastic pellets for various injection molding, compression molding, and extrusion product applications in important market areas including building and construction, automotive, packaging and industrial goods..

Material Flow Survey of Biobased Residential Building Materials

Wednesday, 28 April 2010 18:04

The Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center (OBIC) recently conducted a survey to assess development intent and potential future interest in biobased residential building products within Ohio and across the nation. The survey was designed to provide data that could project the potential for substituting biobased residential building products for their petroleum-based counterparts. Of particular interest were such materials as paint, foam sealant, fiberglass doors, garage doors, fiberglass windows, sofas, and countertops. An interactive survey was developed by OBIC and implemented by Harris Interactive. Questions were structured to assess homeowner attitudes regarding green products and to determine willingness to pay more for building products that incorporate plant-based raw materials. The survey was sent to homeowners in Ohio and across the entire United States.

Why Diversification Matters

Wednesday, 28 April 2010 17:16

Take the case of Venture Plastics Inc. in Newton Falls, OH. Here’s a company that is 40 years in business and it’s doing well despite the economy. “Our two custom injection molding plants are working around the clock, six or seven days per week to supply products to dozens of clients,” says Steve Trapp, Venture President. “New business has been really strong since the second quarter of 2009,” he reports. Venture’s executives quickly point to a major reason for their success: diversifying their business.