Brown Applauds NASA Collaboration with Nine Cuyahoga County Small and Mid-Sized Manufacturers

Press Release

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today applauded the federal, county, and city investments in nine Cuyahoga County small- and mid-sized manufacturers. The City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), and the Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network (MAGNET) announced that these manufacturers will receive assistance from NASA subject matter experts, as well as low-interest-rate loans from the city and county, to solve technical challenges they face with a new or existing product.

"Manufacturers are the backbone of Ohio's economy, and small businesses provide up to two-thirds of all new jobs created in this country. Ensuring that small- and mid-sized manufacturers are able to move their businesses forward is critical to continuing our economic recovery," Brown said. "This public-private partnership--between NASA's technical expertise, low-interest loans from the city and county, and MAGNET's professional business development assistance--will help these manufacturers grow and add jobs. I look forward to hearing of the continued success of these nine Cleveland-area companies."

The announcement today is part of a new initiative, sponsored by the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy, to lend NASA's technical expertise to local businesses. According to NASA, the agency will provide 400 hours of assistance from its science and engineering work force to offer potential solutions to the selected companies for specific technical challenges they are facing with a new or existing product. In addition to access to NASA experts, the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County are making $450,000 in low interest rate loans available to the companies to help with costs associated with participation in the program.

MAGNET is a provider of Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) services supported by the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). MEP enables Ohio manufacturers to remain competitive and retain and create jobs. Brown has been a Senate leader in bipartisan efforts to continue funding for the MEP program despite Republican Study Committee attempts to eliminate the program.

The Cuyahoga County manufacturers to receive assistance are:

BioInVision of Mayfield Village
Boundary Systems of Middleburg Heights
Gotta Groove Records, Inc. of Cleveland
MegaJoule of Cleveland
Morrison Products, Inc. of Cleveland
Pile Dynamics, Inc. of Solon
Sensor Development Corporation of Strongsville
Vadxx Energy of Cleveland
Zuga Medical, Inc. of Cleveland

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