Admirer leads cheers for Akron

Oct. 19--On Friday, Sept. 13, 1996, at 4 p.m., Cleveland's economic development director told a group of government and business leaders that in one decade, Akron and Summit County "would be the economic development beacon in Ohio, leading the way in innovation, accomplishment and progressive political leadership."

"Now I remember that day very well in my mind," Howard Gudell recalled Thursday, "because at the conclusion of my speech at 5 p.m., I was suddenly handed a note telling me I was the former economic development director of Cleveland."

An Akron Roundtable audience gasped and then laughed after Gudell recounted his story, the prologue to a long list of reasons he's such a fan of the Akron area.

Gudell, who pointed out that his dismissal came long before the spirit of regionalism now embraced by many Northeast Ohio communities, said he packed his bags and returned to his consulting roots in New York.

But before year's end, he had been lured back to the Buckeye State by the Israeli government, which was looking for someone to launch an Ohio-Israel Chamber of Commerce to facilitate business partnerships.

"I'm proud to say that the city of Akron, the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce and Summa hospitals were the very first municipality, chamber and medical institution to join" the binational chamber, which helped bring about 20 Israeli companies to Ohio, he said.

"Even back in 1996, Akron was showing leadership, vision and a commitment to invest in new ideas, concepts and organizations," said Gudell, now a partner with SGI Global Business Advisors.

Gudell then launched into a half-hour recitation of things he says Akron isn't celebrating enough.

"From a perspective of one looking in from the outside, let me see if I can paint you a truer picture of where and how Greater Akron fits in our region's economic development landscape," he said.

In 2005, Akron outpaced the U.S. average in job growth outside manufacturing, 8.4 percent to 5.3 percent.

The Ohio Department of Job & Family Services says that last year, Akron outperformed every other major city in Ohio in job growth, employment and building permits.

Inc. magazine included Akron in its list of the best 25 midsize cities in which to do business.

Ninety-six foreign companies call Greater Akron home, and Expansion magazine named the Akron metro area one of the top 15 cities for European investment. "Never have there been more foreign companies looking at Akron to invest and do business in as there are today," Gudell said.

Since 1998, $1.7 billion in private capital has been invested in 62 plants and more than 2,000 business expansions in the Akron area. Current and planned expansions at Goodyear, InfoCision, Sterling Inc. jewelers andFirstEnergy will add another $1 billion over the next year.

"We have one of the finest private business accelerators anywhere in the world," he said, graduating 65 companies and housing 34 companies now.

The University of Akron has the largest enrollment in the region, and the polymer engineering program has helped make Akron the top polymer center in the country. The university also established Akron ARCHangels to bring investors together to grow companies in this area.

Nearby, Kent State University is a leading research university in water management, liquid crystals and biochemistry. The university is also partnering with an Israeli company to establish the first binational research program on bioterrorism.

Not as easy to quantify is a "special spirit, a joy, a willingness to transcend personal differences when the good of the community is at stake" among business, government and nonprofit leaders in the Akron area, Gudell said.

More than a billion dollars spent to renovate the Akron Art Museum, the Akron-Summit County Library system and the Akron Public Schools when combined with affordable homes, world-class medical facilities, natural resources and an easy commute makes for "an unbeatable area to live in," Gudell said.

"Very few areas in the country can match what we have here," he said before charging those in attendance to go spread the word among their friends.

Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com

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