logo
The products of the future are being made right here in Ohio — here's why

The products of the future are being made right here in Ohio — here's why

Axios01-04-2025

Ohio has a rich legacy of manufacturing goods across the state — and as 2025 continues, major companies are beginning new projects in the Buckeye State.
Here's why: Ohio's central location is one of its greatest assets for manufacturing companies.
With easy access to 60% of the U.S. and Canadian populations, an Ohio location can keep a company's supply chain running quickly and smoothly.
Ohio offers companies quick and easy access to shovel-ready sites throughout the state.
Companies benefit from partnerships with Ohio's educational institutions and workforce development network including universities, technical centers and community colleges, creating a robust pipeline of skilled workers for manufacturing and technology roles.
Why now: With supply chain disruption top of mind, C-suite manufacturing leaders value Ohio's strategic approach to reshoring vital technologies, including semiconductors, EVs and related technology, and other products.
The proof: Ohio has the nation's third-largest manufacturing workforce with 687,353 jobs — 5.3% of the total national manufacturing workforce.
Ohio's manufacturing GDP in 2023 was $131 billion, making it the fourth largest in the U.S.
What you need to know: JobsOhio is a company's competitive advantage — the team is available as a resource to guide the long-term growth and success of next-generation manufacturers looking to locate or expand in the state.
A nonprofit economic development corporation with its own private funding, JobsOhio can provide companies with financial assistance more quickly than publicly funded models.
How it's done: The organization helps companies leverage the state's manufacturing expertise, innovation and workforce to make the products of the future.
From site selection to workforce development, JobsOhio helps companies meet the needs of global manufacturers with its best-in-class business climate, superior workforce and vast manufacturing supply chain.
Some examples: Since 2022, major companies have partnered with JobsOhio to grow operations in the state, including:
Intel, which selected Ohio to manufacture semiconductors.
Honda and LG Energy Solution, which came to the state to build next-generation battery technology for electric vehicles and other products.
Joby Aviation, which selected Ohio to manufacture the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxis of the future.
Plus, plus, plus: In January, Anduril Industries chose Ohio to build an advanced manufacturing facility — "Arsenal-1" — in Pickaway County to build cutting-edge military drones and other national defense products.
The project will create 4,000+ new jobs over 10 years, making it the largest single-job creation project in Ohio's history.
Arsenal-1 is projected to add nearly $1 billion to Ohio's GDP.
In other words: JobsOhio's expert guidance and access positions Ohio as the premier state for a company's next major manufacturing project.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

New Details On F/A-18 Super Hornet's Troubled IRST Pod
New Details On F/A-18 Super Hornet's Troubled IRST Pod

Yahoo

time44 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

New Details On F/A-18 Super Hornet's Troubled IRST Pod

More details have emerged about the problems the U.S. Navy is facing with its ill-starred podded Infrared Search And Track system, or IRST, an important capability planned for its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters. The latest issues to be highlighted come after TWZ previously reported on delays caused by production quality problems with the system and a Pentagon assessment of 'significant reliability problems during operational testing,' which emerged earlier this year. The latest status update on the ASG-34A(V)1 IRST pod is provided in the Weapon Systems Annual Assessment that was published today by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The centerline-mounted IRST pod is intended to provide the F/A-18E/F with a long-wave infrared sensor — the Lockheed Martin-developed IRST21 — that can search, detect, and track airborne targets. Very importantly, it is an ideal tool for detecting stealthy targets, which are proliferating. The IRST sensor assembly is installed in the front portion of a redesigned FPU-13/A centerline fuel tank. According to the GAO, each pod costs $16.6 million. For the full background on the pod, you can read our interview with the Super Hornet program manager responsible for it, back in 2020, here. The GAO report notes that, although the IRST pod achieved initial capability on schedule in November 2024, including delivery of the first lot of low-rate initial production pods, a full-rate production decision has been delayed. At one point, a determination on full-rate production was planned for January 2025, but this was missed 'due to delays incurred during flight testing.' As a result, the program has now breached its baseline schedule for the second time in three years. 'IRST officials told us that operational tests were delayed by two months due to software defects that caused IRST pods to falsely report overheating,' the GAO notes. Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) officials told the GAO that the problem 'was relatively easy to fix and would likely have been addressed during developmental testing had the program allocated more time for that testing.' Thanks to those operational testing delays, the publication of the DOT&E report that informs the full-rate decision production slipped until March 2025. A corresponding decision is now expected sometime this month. Until then, the program is somewhat in limbo, although it has achieved some good results, notably demonstrating 'capability at tactically significant ranges during operational testing.' This has been tempered, however, by how often the pods failed during that same testing. DOT&E officials told the GAO that the pods were 'extremely unreliable.' While we previously knew of issues with reliability, today's report confirms just how bad these are. Although 'the program improved pod reliability as it made software updates, [it] only managed to achieve 14 hours mean time between operational mission failures — short of the 40 hours required.' Not surprisingly, the DOT&E determined that deploying the IRST pods without improving their reliability would transfer risk to the Navy's fleet. Of course, this is bad news for the Navy, and for the F/A-18E/F community specifically, with IRST sensors — which can detect and track objects from a distance and in environments where radar may be ineffective — is increasingly seen as a vital air combat tool. Seemingly ever since it was first flown on a Super Hornet in late 2019, the IRST pod has faced issues. A previous GAO report, in 2023, noted that 'between 20 and 30 percent of the manufactured components [in the IRST pod] failed to meet performance specifications due to microelectronics issues.' These problems persisted more than four years after limited manufacturing had begun and served to delay the launch of developmental and operational testing. The same 2023 report also described how 'staffing challenges' at a critical software development contractor were leading to holdups in the program. Then came a DOT&E report, which looked at the results of tests involving Infrared Optimized Configuration (IROC) pods, described as 'operationally equivalent' but designated for flight test. IROC pods were used for operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) between April and September 2024. This report noted that 'operational test events were adversely affected by IRST Block II system reliability failures' and concluded that the pod 'demonstrated significant reliability problems.' 'Throughout the test period, IRST Block II suffered from hardware and software deficiencies, which required the aircrew to restart the pod multiple times,' the DOT&E report said. 'Troubleshooting and repair often exceeded the abilities of Navy maintenance crews and required assistance from Lockheed Martin.' In the meantime, however, earlier iterations of the pod have already been deployed on operations, carried by Super Hornets in the Middle East, with photos emerging of this appearing in late 2020. As the Navy awaits the decision on whether or not to pursue full-rate production, there's no doubt about the utility of an IRST pod — provided that it works. The specific advantages of the IRST pod are something we have discussed before, including with the Super Hornet program manager: 'Very importantly, the IRST pod provides an entirely passive capability, relying exclusively on the infrared spectrum to detect and track airborne targets, including those at far beyond visual range. With no radio-frequency emissions, the target won't be alerted to the fact that they've been detected and are being tracked. At the same time, the IRST does not give away the location and presence of the host platform. This kind of sensor also provides a vital companion to the Super Hornet's AN/APG-79 radar, functions of which may well be compromised in a heavy electronic attack or radar-denied environment.' Meanwhile, similar kinds of sensors have been found on fighters operated by potential adversaries for decades. China and Russia operate tactical fighters such as the Su-35 and Su-30 Flanker series that incorporate IRST sensors as standard. In Western Europe, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen E, for example, also offer them. Closer to home, the U.S. Air Force has already put equivalent sensors on its F-15Cs and F-16Cs, making the delays to the Navy's program all the more puzzling. On the other hand, we don't know exactly how reliable the Air Force's IRST pods are, and we do know that there are substantial differences between the Air Force and Navy versions, although they both use IRST21 as a base the fact that a functioning IRST capability can be integrated on even older platforms without too much difficulty is also evidenced in the contractor-operated adversary community, which is increasingly flying fast jets with IRST sensors to better replicate potential threat aircraft. On the other hand, it should be recalled that not all IRST sensors offer the same level of capabilities, with significant differences also in terms of depth of integration and fusion between different types and aircraft, especially over time. This applies especially to the higher-end IRST pod for the Super Hornet and some of the cheaper off-the-shelf options that are now available. Threat aircraft with IRST capabilities continue to proliferate, but so do the kinds of threat platforms for which a sensor of this kind would be most useful to counter. China, especially, is making rapid developments in stealth technology and advanced electronic warfare, two areas that make the introduction of an IRST sensor all the more compelling. These kinds of infrared sensors are immune to radar-evading stealth technology and are not affected by electromagnetic jamming and other electronic attacks. For Navy Super Hornets, a fully functional ISRT pod would help to detect and target advanced Chinese platforms in a future conflict in the Pacific theater. At the same time, these pods can significantly boost the flight crew's situational air-to-air 'picture' in conjunction with more traditional sensors. As noted previously, there has been some good news with the latest iteration of the IRST pod, specifically the fact that it has, in a test environment, demonstrated that it can detect targets at long ranges. Furthermore, it can translate this data into stable system tracks that would be suitable for weapons employment. With its clear potential, it's certainly alarming for the Navy that it is still being kept waiting for the vital capabilities promised by the IRST pod. Contact the author: thomas@

Council approves hime in pauper attorney funding
Council approves hime in pauper attorney funding

Yahoo

time44 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Council approves hime in pauper attorney funding

The Daviess County Council approved a hefty increase in funding for pauper attorneys in the Daviess Circuit Court. Just six months into the year Daviess Circuit Court Judge Greg Smith went before the council looking for an increase of $150,000 to cover pauper attorney fees for defendants in his court. Council President Marilyn McCullough says there are several reasons for the increase. 'They have had more cases than expected this year,' she said. 'They have been through about 240 cases so far this year and they still have a large number to go through.' Among the issues in circuit court is the change of judge in Daviess Superior Court to former prosecutor Dan Murrie. That has resulted in a slate of cases being kicked to other judges and courts. 'Part of that is that we had a backlog of cases and we are getting caught up on those. Some of those had to be transferred over to Judge Smith because Judge Murrie had been the prosecutor when the cases were filed,' said McCullough. 'Some of those he cannot preside over. We might wind up saving money out of superior court pauper fees.' Courts around the country and in Daviess County fell behind on many of their cases during the COVID outbreak. While there has been a concerted effort to catch those up, that time is still impacting the courts. 'The judges and prosecutor have done a great job,' said McCullough. 'They are trying to streamline processes and try new things to try and clear the backlog created by COVID.' McCullough says she feels the county is approaching the end of the backed up cases. 'We expect this additional appropriation to cover the rest of this year,' she said. 'The courts are clearing out these cases and the end appears to be in sight.' In other business, the council approved a change in the language for the Daviess County Visitor's Bureau form to include questions on number of rooms available and the average daily rate on those rooms. The council tabled taking any action on the CF-1 reports from businesses that are currently holding tax abatements from the county. Council members were wanting more information to see if the companies are complying with the promises they made to receive those tax breaks. The council received an update on a plan to use a kiosk to help probationers during the regular check-ins. They also denied a request for $2,800 in additional funding for inmate needs at the county jail. Daviess County Sheriff Gary Allison said he was hesitant to spend money out of the commissary fund, but will do it that way. The council also accepted a $28,000 grant from the state of Indiana. Central Dispatch Director Julie Riker said the grant would cover 100% of the cost to upgrade the emergency services mapping system. 'It's not going to cost us any money, so that is great,' said McCullough. 'We do need the update.'

Business leader says BC Ferries' hiring of Chinese shipyard is 'informed decision'
Business leader says BC Ferries' hiring of Chinese shipyard is 'informed decision'

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Business leader says BC Ferries' hiring of Chinese shipyard is 'informed decision'

VICTORIA — A business leader on ferry-dependent Vancouver Island says BC Ferries made a "strongly informed decision" in hiring a Chinese shipyard to build four new major vessels. Both the NDP government and B.C. Conservative Opposition have criticized the choice of Chinese state-owned China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards to build the new ferries. Bruce Williams, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, said the Chinese contract in the best interests of all who rely on BC Ferries, adding that BC Ferries needs more capacity to meet growing demand. "So, this is very timely, and it's a good thing to have this happen," Williams said. The decision is also making waves in Ottawa, where Conservative MP Jeff Kibble, whose riding neighbours Victoria, asked Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland whether Ottawa would make a $33-million federal grant to BC Ferries conditional on buying Canadian-built ships. Freeland said she "absolutely" shared concerns about procurement at all levels, but noted that the ferry agreement was not a federal contract. Williams said few companies around the world have the capacity to build vessels of such size, and BC Ferries did "due diligence" for years in a global procurement process that did not receive any Canadian bids. "So, at this point, I think it's in the best interest of all the people, who rely on BC Ferries … especially up and down the coast in communities that are very reliant upon it," he said. Williams said he would like to see a fifth vessel added to the contract to meet growing demand. The independent BC Ferry Commission rejected a request by BC Ferries earlier this year to add a fifth major vessel to the contract, saying it is "neither essential nor affordable." "It's too bad the fifth one hasn't been approved by the Ferry Commissioner, but it's great to see this, because the fleet is aging," Williams said. Dan McGreer, an adjunct professor in UBC's Faculty of Applied Science, previously worked for a firm that did some of the early concept development for the new ferries, but he wasn't involved in the contract. McGreer couldn't say why BC Ferries chose that shipyard. "But I suspect that the advantage the Chinese shipyard had is a lower cost," he said, noting Chinese wages in the shipbuilding industry are "significantly lower" than in Canada. "I know that BC Ferries did evaluate their capability … and I believe they were comfortable that the shipyard could build the ships," McGreer said. McGreer said their quality from Chinese shipyards "is reasonably good," but construction needs to be "carefully" monitored. "I think some of the European (shipyards) do have a longer experience and a higher reputation for quality, but I think the Chinese yards do deliver a product with reasonable quality." Canadian shipbuilder Seaspan said in a statement after the request for proposals was issued last year that shipyards and their suppliers in Canada can't compete with countries that have low wages and lower safety and environmental standards. The B.C. Conservatives have called on Premier David Eby's government to cancel the contract that was announced on Tuesday, while accusing the premier of abandoning Canadian workers. Opposition transport critic Harman Bhangu said in a statement that the "deal is fully within the government's control" because BC Ferries board chair Joy MacPhail is a former NDP cabinet minister. 'Premier Eby put on a big show of not stopping in China on his trade mission to Asia,' Bhangu said. 'Then the NDP sends billions of dollars to a state-owned shipyard in China.' Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth said Tuesday that he raised concern with BC Ferries about the contract, but notes that the operator is an independent company that makes its own operational decisions. The provincial government is the sole preferred shareholder in BC Ferries and it receives public funding, and Williams said the purchase decision was not a government decision. When asked about Farnworth's comments, Williams said his organization is "politically agnostic" in reserving comment. "But I think that the most important thing to remember is that BC Ferries will have a team on site … in China, overseeing the project," he said. The four new major vessels will offer 52 per cent more space for passengers and 24 per cent more space for vehicle compared to the vessels they are replacing. The ferries will also feature diesel-battery hybrid propulsion systems that could fully run on electricity in the future, propellers that minimize underwater noise that impacts at-risk whales. The first of the four new vessels is scheduled to enter service in the spring of 2029. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025. Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store