Tech Czar Notes

A few weeks ago I had a pretty profound conversation with Phillip Lane of New America Energy at the Design Show held at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Phillip is working on a very provocative electric car concept and had a small car factory in the City of East Cleveland. Cool stuff. The car is a beautifully designed vehicle that holds great promise and appeal. What struck me from the conversation was a quick comment from Phillip about how "post-sputnik, there has been only one national policy on manufacturing....to outsource it to other countries." My father is a machinist and for many years he had a steady job at one firm. For the past ten years he has moved from one job to another. He is an amazing craftsman and the instability in the country's manufacturing base has prompted personal reflection.

 Now, I have been blessed with a job that puts me on the front lines of development in Cleveland, and it strikes me daily how robust the manufacturing sector once was in Cleveland. Name one neighborhood in the city that does not have at least one old manufacturing facility literally in the neighborhood. Hell, I live in an old knitting mill that has been converted to gorgeous living space. But, I suspect this region would much rather have the economic output of the factory to modern apartments (a region should anyway). Consider this:

 -City of Cleveland was once the printing capital of the world (most of the buildings along St. Clair and Superior Avenue were printing factories - i.e. - Tower Press Building);

 -City of Cleveland was once the clothing capital for the U.S. - the signs of this are everywhere - just look at the painted sign on the building on the corner of W. 9th and Lake (clothing manufacturing and warehousing);

 -The City of Cleveland and its manufacturing base fed the heavy industries found in Detroit and Pittsburgh (these three cities - Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Detroit - built the U.S., one would think we would get move love), and;

 -Consider all of the manufacturing skill and master tradesmen we have lost in this region because we have not invested and or protected our manufacturing base. Skill merits a high wage and when a region begins to lose its craftsmen wages begin to fall (in many cases in dramatic fashion).

Given that there will probably not be a national manufacturing policy in the near future, we should at least attempt to craft one locally. We cannot affort to lose our last remaining manufacturing base. It is imperative, even for the local and region technology industry to have a stong, growing manufacturing base in the Cleveland area. This goes on beyond national security - truth is the U.S. should have the manufacturing capabilities to protect the defense industries at least - but speaks to the wealth of the country and, for us here in Cleveland, our proud city.