Ohio is home to the largest polymer industry cluster in America, and is recognized as a leader in the industry worldwide. Today’s business leaders look to Ohio for polymer resources and advancements, here’s why:

Strength in numbers

  • Ohio is the number one producer of both plastic and rubber products, according to the U.S. Census Bureau
  • 76 out of 88 Ohio counties are home to at least one polymer company, totaling 1,150 polymer establishments in the state
  • 7 Fortune Global-500 companies are headquartered in Ohio. Including: A. Schulman, Cooper Tire & Rubber, Owens Corning, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Eaton Corporation, Parker-Hannifin and PolyOne

Ohio Contributes

  • More than $50 billion contributed to Ohio’s Gross Domestic Product by the polymer industry
  • $5.49 billion plastic and rubber products were made in Ohio, the largest output in the US, according the US Bureau of Economic Analysis
  • • Ohio exported over $2 billion in plastic and rubber goods in 2013, a 48% increase from the 2009 recession and continued growth is expected

Home to an Active Workforce

  • Over 81,000 skilled employees constitute Ohio’s polymer workforce
  • Ohio’s polymer industry contributes 8% of all US jobs
  • $61,400 is the average annual salary for resins and synthetic rubber industry

Key Polymer Sectors

  • Advanced composites
  • Advanced energy
  • Bioproducts
  • Flexible devices
  • Nanotechnology
  • Polymer Processing

The Ohio Advantage

  • Ohio is within 600 miles of more than 63% of all US manufacturing partners, offering close proximity to customers and suppliers
  • 44 foreign owned companies have subsidiaries or joint ventures with Ohio polymer manufacturers, creating higher collaboration and production efficiency
  • 8 Ohio colleges and universities have leading polymer programs, allowing direct workforce supply

Industry Forecast

  • 104 investments have been announced by 97 Ohio polymer companies, totaling in $663 million with 4,600 new jobs expected
  • Industry growth is predicted to take off as both housing and automotive markets continue to take off
  • Lower prices of raw materials, especially natural gas, favor increased plastics and rubber exports
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