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YBI to add fifth building in 2017, continue growth
By Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
Inside the newest Youngstown Business Incubator building is a green wall. It’s the green color that the downtown incubator is known for – and it’s fitting.
The green represents the growth and the tech future of a city that’s shaking off the rust and adding some fresh color.
By March, the fifth building on the incubator’s campus, at the corner of Boardman Street and Vindicator Square, will be open for new additive-manufacturing companies.
“Our goal is to make Northeast Ohio the center point of additive manufacturing,” said Barb Ewing, chief operating officer for the Youngstown Business Incubator.
Renovations on the building began in June. It was built in 1931 for The Youngstown Telegram. In 1936, The Vindicator acquired The Youngstown Telegram, and the next year, the newspaper relocated to the building.
The building was sold to YBI in 2015. Its purpose has changed, but the need for it has not.
“It makes it perfect for additive-manufacturing equipment because it is so sturdy,” Ewing said.
YBI had to finance the purchase of the building and received $3 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, $1.5 million from the state and $500,000 from the city to pay for renovations.
YBI is offering naming rights for donors. Two area philanthropists already have 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,” Ewing said. “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.”
Right now, YBI has one company committed to using the building’s space and several others interested. Space in the building will be divided depending on how much each company needs. But there’s a plan for what will go where. The basement and part of the first floor are slated for classroom use. In the classroom space, through YBI’s partnership with America Makes and Youngstown State University, those interested in additive manufacturing can be trained to use equipment.
Second- and third-floor spaces will house 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 center for 3-D printing and additive manufacturing.”
YBI now works with 20 additive-manufacturing companies across Northeast Ohio. YBI, which originally focused on helping software startups, got into additive manufacturing with the coming of America Makes. The nation’s first additive-manufacturing hub created by President Barack Obama’s administration came to Youngstown in 2012.
“We never realized how quickly we would get startup activity,” Cossler said. “The Vindicator space is going to be absolutely critical to continue that growth.”
The addition of the fifth building isn’t the only big news for YBI in 2017.
“We are continuing always to build our entrepreneurship program,” Ewing said.
Over the past couple of years, YBI has been able to see what companies need before they need it. For example, this year the incubator will bring in an accountant for startups to work with.
YBI also plans to submit proposals for Ohio’s Advanced Manufacturing Program. Awards from this program help traditional area manufacturers that could benefit from advanced manufacturing. In the past, the incubator and others received awards for hybrid manufacturing and low-volume tooling. This year, the incubator’s focus for proposals will be big-area manufacturing, reverse engineering and robotics.
Also in 2017, The Women In Entrepreneurship program at YBI will continue to offer classes for female entrepreneurs.
“It’s our goal that as women start getting into this market they may think how they can incorporate technology,” Ewing said. “That makes it a feeder system for our larger tech projects.”