JobsOhio President Leads Flexible Electronics Roundtable at Kent Displays

Mark Kvamme, director of Job Creation under Ohio Gov. John Kasich and JobsOhio president, visited Kent Displays July 26 to lead a roundtable discussion about growth optimization strategies for FlexMatters, the Northeast Ohio flexible electronics cluster, and their impact on job creation in Ohio. Changes to the Ohio Third Frontier initiative were also discussed.

The event provided the opportunity for members of the FlexMatters cluster to discuss how individual growth strategies, collaborative activities, and state assistance can be best leveraged to maximize cluster growth and drive regional economic development.

Dr. Albert Green, Kent Displays CEO and Flexmatters Steering Committee chair, and Kvamme were joined by more than 30 other business and education leaders in the roundtable discussion. Participants included representatives from JobsOhio, NorTech, Valtronic Technologies, Crystal Diagnostics, NeoMed, Alpha Micron, Quality Electrodynamics, the University of Akron and Kent State University.

During the roundtable discussion, Kvamme said Ohio may be on the verge of a “manufacturing renaissance” led by industries such as advanced materials, biomedical, and several others. Kvamme specifically cited Kent Displays as one of the first companies within the FlexMatters cluster to implement a fully operational production line for advanced materials in the state; this revolutionary roll-to-roll line is used to manufacture Reflex LCDs used in Boogie Board eWriters and Skin Flik Color Changing Cases for iPod touch devices. The popularity of these products helped Kent Displays double revenue and employment from 2009 to 2010, and revenue is expected to double again in 2011.

Dr. Green led Director Kvamme on a tour of the Kent Displays manufacturing facility prior to the roundtable, during which the two discussed the upcoming installation of a second roll-to-roll production line that will be partially funded by an Innovation Ohio loan. The capacity increase from the new line will enable the company to double revenue in 2012 for the third consecutive year and create 40 new full-time jobs – mostly in manufacturing as well as sales and marketing, Dr. Green explained.

“The state of Ohio has played a critical role in helping Northeast Ohio become a world leader in the flexible electronics industry,” said Dr. Green. “Its on-going support will help FlexMatters members maximize their individual growth and job creation by creating more opportunities to work together toward common goals. Cluster member growth will also attract new members to the cluster which will create even more jobs in the region.”

Kvamme’s visit, the second high-profile roundtable discussion hosted by Kent Displays in 2011, demonstrates the significant growth potential for flexible electronics in Northeast Ohio.