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Ohio Secretary of State Husted tours tech center in Warren

WARREN — Among entrepreneurs seated Wednesday at the conference table at the Tech Belt Energy Innovation Center could be at least one who “hits it out of the park,” said Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted.

“They could be the next big thing, with 300, 1,000, 5,000 employees even,” Husted said. “Creating an environment in which innovation can can grow and flourish is important.”

Husted, who is running for Ohio governor, toured the downtown Warren incubator, known as TBEIC, before sitting down for a roundtable discussion with representatives of the startups that occupy the center.

“What is happening at TBEIC is reason to be hopeful,” Husted said.

The facility is the only incubator in the state that focuses on energy. Although it is open to non-energy businesses, it is primarily geared toward helping energy-related companies get started.

John Pogue, TBEIC president / board chairman, told Husted that launching the center has been a struggle because people in the Mahoning Valley see the area as a manufacturing center and not comparable to California’s Silicon Valley that is known for its computing and electronics industries.

“The idea of innovation and entrepreneurship is unique to them,” Pogue said.

TBEIC opened in January 2015 in the 27,000-square-foot building that formerly housed the S.S. Kresge Co. Department Store. The $3.3 million project was funded in large part by public money, including a $2.2 million U.S. Department of Energy grant and a nearly $1 million, two-year Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit.

The site, nearly at capacity, has 13 tenants. But, said Dave Nestic, adjustments could be made to make room for more.

“Out goal is to work with people, to see businesses get started and grow,” said Nestic, program adviser and executive-in-residence at TBEIC.

Along with office space, the facility offers a conference area, meeting rooms and demonstration areas. Rick Stockburger, TBEIC’s chief operating officer, said he expects ground to be broken during the winter holiday season for a shared resource center with a lab for companies to research, test and certify products.

Earlier this year, the center, which also has more than 80 portfolio companies, secured funding from the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Appalachian Regional Commission to develop the shared resource center.

Stockburger said Husted’s office reached out to TBEIC and wanted a closer look at what’s been taking place there.

“At end of day, this was about building awareness not only for TBEIC but for Warren, the Mahoning Valley and some of the innovative things happening here,” Stockburger said.

Husted said the economy and education are critical to the future of the state. “I’m trying to spend as much time as I can out there and see the great innovative things going on across Ohio and what we can do to support them, help them and to also share my ideas from what I’ve learned that might be helpful to them as well,” Husted said.

Husted asked TBEIC leaders to be proactive with elected officials and government leaders.

“When you see things beginning to emerge, please make sure we’re responsive to those opportunities,” he said. “But first we need to be made aware of them. We can’t be responsive if we’re not aware.”

vshank@tribtoday.com

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