Major Expansion Planned at Akron-Canton Airport Akron-Canton
Airport officials announced a ten year, $110 million project
which will open the airport to international and transcontinental
flights. The largest component of the project is a $60 million
runway extension which will extend the runway to 8,200 feet.
The longest direct flights are currently to Denver and Las
Vegas and this runway extension will enable flights to anywhere
in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The runway extension is scheduled
to be completed by 2010. Included in the total project would
be a customs and border patrol facility to handle the international
flights. Additional improvements include the following: expanding
the upper-level concourse and adding three gates, increasing
parking space by 50 percent, improving the aircraft parking
and several aviation areas with new ramp space for private
pilots, and replacing the aircraft rescue and firefighting-maintenance
facility with a new 30,000 sq.ft. structure. To read more
about the expansion, click
here for the Canton Repository
article.
Ohio Ranked No. 1 Choice for Capital Investment Site
Selection Magazine, one of the nation’s leading location
assistance publications, has awarded the State of Ohio the
2007 Governor’s Cup Award. The No. 1 ranking for Ohio was
based on the number of private capital investments for new
or expanded facilities that involved an investment of at
lease $1 million, created a minimum of 50 new jobs, or added
at least 20,000 sq.ft. of new floor area. According to Site
Selection’s rankings, Ohio had 399 facilities that met these
criteria. Illinois came in second at 362. Ohio’s Governor
Ted Strickland had this to say: “In Ohio, we are taking aggressive
steps to ensure that this state remains business friendly.
From already enacted tax reform to ongoing public-private
partnerships aimed at transforming the state’s business climate,
we’re making it easier for companies to compete in a global
economy.” To read more about the award, click
here for the
Site Selection Magazine article.
Rolls-Royce Awarded Third Frontier Grant Rolls-Royce
Fuel Cell Systems, headquartered on the campus of Stark State
College of Technology, was awarded a $1 million Third Frontier
Grant this past week. The grant was awarded for the development
of a High-Pressure Stack Block Test System that would be
placed in a Fuel Cell Power Module Overhaul Facility. Rolls-Royce
is developing a mega-watt scale solid oxide fuel cell for
stationary power generation. Both Stark State College and
the Stark Development Board were collaborators on the grant
request. The creation of this facility will assist Stark
State in developing its fuel cell technician training program.
They will assess the training needs of facility personnel
and incorporate them into future curriculum. The Stark Development
Board will be working with Rolls-Royce and Stark State College
of Technology on the development of the Overhaul Facility.
To read about Rolls-Royce’s grant award and other Third Frontier
Fuel Cell awards, click
here.
Stark State College Awarded Two Significant Grants Stark
State College of Technology will receive a $2 million grant
from the U.S. Department of Labor and a $1 million grant
from the Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program. The Department
of Labor grant will be used to prepare students for careers
in high-growth, high-demand health occupations in Stark and
five surrounding counties. This employment-focused competitive
grant brings together 21 business and community partners
who will collaborate with Stark State on the education and
training project. This ECHO (Expanding Capacity in Health
Occupations) Project is focused on meeting current and projected
health worker shortages in the region. Congressman Ralph
Regula and his staff were instrumental in securing the grant.
The $1 million Choose Ohio First Program grant will be used
to provide scholarships in science, technology, engineering,
mathematics, and medical fields (STEM). Stark State will
be partnering with three other Northeast Ohio institutions
to attract and graduate about 800 students in STEM fields
in five years. The group’s proposal demonstrated innovation
in the areas of student learning communities, early academic
intervention, and redesigned science modules. To read more
about these awards, click
here.
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