Acity of 190,000 people located in the Great Lakes region of the Midwest, about 40 miles south of Lake Erie, Akron has long been known as The Rubber Capital of the World.
But it’s a lot more than that. While its legacy as the tire manufacturing capital of the planet is unmatched, this Northeast Ohio city is developing a name for itself in other sectors. Ohio’s fifth largest city is seeing an economic development resurgence thanks to $180 million in private investment going into downtown residential development in recent years.
That’s why Mayor Shammas Malik recently appointed Suzie Graham Moore to serve as the city’s new Director of Economic Development. “Economic Development and Planning will be key to my administration’s goals, and I’m confident in the team we are assembling,” Mayor Malik said. “Both Suzie Graham Moore and Sean Vollman (new Deputy Director of Economic Development) bring experience and creativity to their roles and will work closely to move our economic development efforts forward.”
The primary agency for promoting progress in the city is the Greater Akron Chamber. Which focuses on such field work as business retention, expansion and attraction. The GAC is well known for its business outreach program. In 2023, GAC contacted over 700 local businesses and assisted them with a variety of needs.
The GAC is also actively engaged in an “Akron, USA” mission to promote the growth of global trade and foreign direct investment in the region. Its efforts to date have resulted in more than $500 million in FDI going into the region.
One area in which Akron maintains a position of global leadership is polymer research and development. A world leader for more than a century in this field, Akron today is the center of The Polymer Industry Cluster and has been designated as an official Tech Hub for polymer research by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Key players in this Tech Hub include the College of Engineering and Polymer Science at the University of Akron; Goodyear Tire: Kumho Tire; Bridgestone Americas Inc.; Continental Tire; and many other firms engaged in polymer science.
“We believe a thriving Polymer Industry Cluster will attract more talent to the field, accelerate global R&D achievements, and drive robust economic growth, adding over $2 billion to GRP within a decade,” GAC noted in a release.
