Company chief pushes state on behalf of manufacturers

SUMMITVILLE -- State officials are beginning to give more attention to the crisis that Ohio manufacturers face, said David Johnson, who recently was named chairman of the board for the Ohio Manufacturers' Association.
Johnson, president of Summitville Tiles, said he was encouraged by a manufacturing summit that state officials held earlier this year to listen to manufacturers explain their struggles. The state has lost 200,000 manufacturing jobs in the last four years, he said. Johnson, who has been on the trade group's board for six years, said he intends to continue pushing for reforms of tax laws and workers' compensation.
Manufacturers pay too large of a percentage of the state's tax burden, he said. He would like to see the tax code carry better incentives for investments in new technology. Workers' compensation costs are too high, he said. He's pushing state officials to find better ways to reduce fraud and to remove legal fees from cases.
Johnson's term lasts two years. The association, which has 22 people on the board of directors, represents 1,800 companies on issues before state legislators and regulatory agencies.