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