Deep-rooted advanced technology manufacturer plans to bring 88 new jobs to area
Ohio Associated Enterprises, a leader in signal integrity and manufacturer of high-performance electrical and electronic interconnected embedded systems and connecters, has announced plans to relocate a portion of its business from Chico, California, to Painesville, Ohio. The company, which has been part of the Painesville business community for a half-century, will add 88 new jobs and retain 177 positions.
Citing Northeast Ohio’s business-friendly environment and talented workforce, the leaders of Ohio Associated Enterprises say they are delighted to expand their advanced manufacturing operations in the area.
“This expansion will allow Ohio Associated Enterprises to profitably grow its footprint in the Automated Testing Equipment market,” commented Bill Frazier, chief financial officer. “Our experience is a case study for other manufacturers who are considering offshoring or re-shoring supply chain. Location matters, and costs in different parts of the country vary significantly. The business-friendly initiatives put in place by the State of Ohio and the city of Painesville were the difference makers for us.”
An economic development team including the city of Painesville, Lake County Ohio Port & Economic Development Authority, JobsOhio and Team NEO collaborated with the company’s leadership team to make this relocation possible.
“For more than 50 years, Ohio Associated Enterprises has been an integral member of the Painesville community. Their expansion here is a testament to their commitment to this area and to the success they’ve achieved here,” said Cathy Bieterman, Economic Development Director for the City of Painesville. “We look forward to supporting their continued growth.”
“Ohio Associated Enterprises continues to be important to Northeast Ohio’s vitality, and the timing is ideal to bring more technology to our region with our commitment to smart and additive manufacturing,” added Bill Koehler. “We are grateful for the opportunity to work with local partners and JobsOhio to ensure the company’s successful expansion here.”
About Ohio Associated Enterprises
Meritec and Joy Signal Technology, the operating divisions of OAE, have established themselves as indispensable suppliers of highly-engineered electronic interconnect solutions for high-speed and high-fidelity original equipment manufacturers. Markets served include military/aerospace, automated testing equipment, medical, industrial and datacom. The Company boasts an extensive portfolio of registered U.S. patents for electronic interconnect products and related production processes. OAE operates out of two facilities located in Painesville, OH (Meritec) and Chico, CA (Joy), where it employs 181 and 105 employees, respectively.
About Team NEO
Team NEO is a private, nonprofit economic development organization accelerating business growth and job creation throughout the 18 counties of Northeast Ohio. As the designated JobsOhio Network Partner, we align and amplify local economic development efforts in Northeast Ohio’s 18-county region; we conduct research and data analysis to inform local conversations and influence solutions; we market Northeast Ohio as a region; and we work to increase access to jobs, education and training for the region’s 4.3 million people. For more information, visit teamneo.org.
About JobsOhio
JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio through Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.