Youngstown Business Incubator opens building to serve new additive manufacturing companies

“Our goal is to make Northeast Ohio the centre point of additive manufacturing,”

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A non-profit resource provider is accelerating additive manufacturing in Northeast Ohio with the opening of a building for new companies to enter the industry.

Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI) works to facilitate innovation through collaborative partnerships and operate in the Manhoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. The new building, a fifth on YBI’s campus, will provide a platform for new additive manufacturing companies to begin functioning.

Barb Ewing, YBI’s Chief Operating Officer, hopes the company’s growth can contribute to the area’s emergence as a hotbed of 3D-printing activity. The new building will open in March, after renovations began in June 2016.

“Our goal is to make Northeast Ohio the centre point of additive manufacturing,” Ewing said.

Previously owned by the Youngstown Telegram, before the newspaper’s 1936 acquisition by The Vindicator, the building was sold to YBI in 2015. YBI relied on financial support from a range of partners, receiving $3 million from the US Economic Development Administration, $1.5 million from the state and $500,000 from the city to pay for renovations. Ewing believes the building is perfect for additive manufacturing equipment because of its sturdiness.

In addition to providing new companies with the facilities to start up, YBI is also offering naming rights for donors. Two area philanthropists have already come forward. The high-bay manufacturing space will be called the ‘Murray & C. Kenneth Fibus Advanced Manufacturing Lab’ and the first floor manufacturing area will be called the ‘Samuel A. and Judy B. Roth Manufacturing Floor.’

“The community has always been very supportive, and (we are) very thankful for that,” added Ewing. “This is another opportunity for them to not only assist us, but have a very nice recognition. There’s a naming opportunity for the building as a whole and the classroom spaces.”

So far, YBI has one company committed to using the building’s facilities and a number of others interested. Space in the building will be divided depending on how much each user company needs. The basement and part of the first floor is set for classroom use where, through YBI’s partnership with America Makes and Youngstown State University, those interested in 3D printing can be trained to use equipment. Space on the second and third floors will support the additive manufacturing companies.

“Obviously, the opening of the fifth building is going to be huge for us,” said Jim Cossler, YBI Chief Executive Officer and Huntington Bank entrepreneur in residence. “We are out of space. It’s going to be the centre for 3D printing and additive manufacturing.”

YBI, which originally worked with software start-ups, entered the additive manufacturing sector with the coming of America Makes. Now, the non-profit organisation works with 20 additive manufacturing companies across Northeast Ohio. The first additive manufacturing hub in the US, created by President Barack Obama’s administration, came to Youngstown in 2012.

“We never realised how quickly we would get start-up activity,” Cossler added. “The (space left by The Vindicator) is going to be absolutely critical to continue that growth.”

Along with the opening of this new building, YBI are also committed to building on its entrepreneurship programme. In recent years, YBI has been committed to finding what their clients need, before they need it. A recent example of this is an onsite accountant, which YBI will provide for start-ups this year.

Additionally, YBI also plans to submit proposals for Ohio’s Advanced Manufacturing Program, and continue the good work of its Women in Entrepreneurship programme. 

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