286: Inside Cleveland’s Manufacturing Ecosystem: How Local Execution Drives Regional Growth

American manufacturing’s next chapter is being written one region at a time, and Northeast Ohio is one of the places setting the standard.

In a region like theirs, the institutions and programs are moving in sync, and that builds into something bigger than any plant could pull off alone. That’s why we’re hitting the road on the Rust Belt Renaissance tour to find more places where modern technology and industrial innovation are helping to revive the area. On the first stop, we’re live from Collision Bend Brewing in Cleveland with seven leaders from across the Northeast Ohio manufacturing community, working out how a region of 7,700 manufacturers turns local action into national impact.

We split the conversation into three short parts: Matt Duplin (Manager, TransDigm Advanced Manufacturing Center, Cleveland State University), Kyle Zeller (NSF Engine), and Adam Artman (Executive Director, Manufacturing Works) open with what regional action actually looks like on the ground, covering the role of public universities, federal programs like the $160 million NSF Engine award, and the peer-to-peer learning behind the ManuFuture program.

Greg Schumacher (Director of Manufacturing, NOVAGARD) and Mike Yost (Manufacturing Excellence Program, Manufacturing Works) turn the theory into a case study, walking through the CESMII Smart Manufacturing Roadmap that Greg’s team finished in six weeks at zero cost.

Jillian Kupchella (Director of Marketing, CESMII) and Jonathan Wise (Chief Technology Architect, CESMII) close the conversation with what comes next nationally, including the three technology needs that every digital project should think through.

This episode is for any manufacturer wondering how to make the most of the resources closest to them.

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3 Quick Things from this Episode

1. ‘People first, process strong, technology enabled’ is the operating language Greg Schumacher’s team at NOVAGARD built around their CESMII Smart Manufacturing Roadmap. The framework compressed a project that normally takes twelve weeks down to six, because the people and the processes were ready well before any new technology landed in the plant.
2. Peer-to-peer pressure beats vendor pitches when manufacturers are making technology investment decisions. Adam Artman shared a live example of a CFO who had been stalling on a roadmap until another manufacturer pointed at the same roadmap on the wall and asked what he was waiting for. That kind of pressure from a peer in the same shoes is what gets projects over the line.
3. The CESMII Smart Manufacturing Roadmap is taught all over the country, not just in Cleveland. Mike Yost noted that around 100 certified roadmap professionals are working with manufacturers nationally, and the toolset is intentionally low-cost and education-led rather than consulting-heavy. A Tri-C grant brought the cost of NOVAGARD’s entire roadmap down to $0.

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Tweetable Quotes

• “We’re a public university, and so we should be servicing the public and the manufacturers in our region. The advanced manufacturing center is that space.” — Matt Duplin
• “Something like this doesn’t just get spun up overnight. It’s the result of years and years of work together. It speaks to the confidence that our federal government has in our region to compete on a global scale.” — Kyle Zeller
• “What’s unique about Northeast Ohio, every time I meet with someone, is always the same. It’s this willingness to share. It’s the willingness for the sum to be greater than the parts.” — Adam Artman
• “We have connected our PLCs, and that data — real time, in engineers’ hands, in operations’ hands — we have unleashed the data. We are making decisions faster, smarter, with the right information.” — Greg Schumacher
• “We talk about smart manufacturing like a destination. It’s really just a tool for the leaders to lead. The leaders are the ones that own it and drive it.” — Mike Yost
• “I feel very fortunate to live in a region that is so put together. From a national scale, we’re hoping to implement things like this across the nation.” — Jillian Kupchella
• “Technology is an enabler. It’s a means to an end. It is not the end. Just buying technology isn’t gonna solve your problems.” — Jonathan Wise

Please Scroll Down for Recommended Resources from this Episode

 

Recommended Resources

• Manufacturing Works, the membership-based organisation that serves as the connective tissue across Northeast Ohio’s manufacturing ecosystem
• CESMII, the Smart Manufacturing Institute and national authority on smart manufacturing, behind the roadmap toolset and the I3X interoperability framework 
• NSF Engine, the federal place-based innovation programme behind the $160 million regional award Northeast Ohio is competing for 
• ManuFuture, the peer-to-peer manufacturing learning programme developed in partnership with Purdue University 
• TransDigm Advanced Manufacturing Center at Cleveland State University, the research-oriented, public-university partner serving the Northeast Ohio engineering pipeline 
• MAGNET, the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network supporting manufacturers across the region 
• Tri-C (Cuyahoga Community College), source of the grant that fully funded NOVAGARD’s Smart Manufacturing Roadmap 
• NOVAGARD, silicone adhesives, sealants, and PVC foam manufacturer featured as the case study 
• Fathom, sponsor of the Rust Belt Renaissance tour and a network of seven regional manufacturing companies 

Connect with Everyone

Matt Duplin | Kyle Zeller | Adam Artman | Greg Schumacher | Mike Yost | Jillian Kupchella | Jonathan Wise