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Federal officials tour America Makes, YBI
YOUNGSTOWN
Additive manufacturing was showcased Wednesday to federal and state officials at local institutions.
Representatives from the Appalachian Regional Commission toured America Makes, the Youngstown Business Incubator, the College of STEM at Youngstown State University and Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 396.
“We’re always interested in job creation,” said Guy Land, with the ARC.
ARC is a partnership of federal, state and local government and provides funding toward projects through its local development districts. The Eastgate Regional Council of Governments has served as the local development district for the commission since 2009.
In 2014, ARC contributed more $1 million to nine projects in the Youngstown area. That includes $125,000 in funding for YSU to purchase equipment to establish an additive-manufacturing laboratory.
“They’re an important funding source,” said Barb Ewing, chief operating officer of YBI.
Ewing said YBI is waiting to receive about $175,000 in funding this year from ARC to purchase equipment for the post-production process of additive manufacturing. The equipment would be used in YBI’s recently acquired fifth building, which was The Vindicator’s downtown office building.
ARC officials learned about the processes of additive manufacturing at America Makes, and 3-D printing at a makerspace in the Semple building at YBI.
Earl Gohl, ARC federal co-chairman, said the purpose of the visit is to see how ARC’s dollars are being used.
“We always like to see projects we invested in,” he said. “We want to know what the [next] project is two years from now.”