Fredericktown Community Development Foundation In a Small Town …. …. It Can Be Done!

Fredericktown Community Development Foundation

In a Small Town …. …. It Can Be Done!

Columbus, OH

Fredericktown, OH

Akron, OH

Fredericktown Community Development Foundation

“Action without vision passes the time.

Vision without action is dreaming.

Vision with action changes the world!”

Joel Barker“The Power of Vision”

Fredericktown Community Development Foundation

“The Town that understands the factors

that influence its chances of success,

and knows the value of having a

vision for economic development,

will prosper.”

Jack Shultz, authorBOOM TOWN USA

Fredericktown Community Development Foundation

Today the Kokosing group employs approximately 2500.

Bill Burgett, founder, started with a backhoe and a vision!

Fredericktown Community Development Foundation

F.T. Precision continues to expand their operation. The company has been recognized by Honda as an exemplary supplier.

It was a joint vision that brought the company to Fredericktown in the early 90’s. The Japanese firm had a vision for what it’s company could produce, but the Fredericktown Community had a vision for attracting the company to locate here.

Fredericktown Community Development Foundation

Don Rogers, founder of UMD Automated Systems, had a vision to produce conveying systems.

40 employees produce products that are shipped

throughout the U.S.

Fredericktown Community Development Foundation

Terry Divelbiss, founder, started an electronic design & manufacturing company

with a vision!

Today employs 40 people in the field of industrial electronic controls.

The new Dana is state of the art and employs 150.

Locally the companymanufactures axles andtransmissions.

•Mary Lynn McIlhargey, former Dana Fredericktown plant manager, had a vision after experiencing a devastating company fire in 1998.

Joe Chattin, founder of Country Manufacturing, had a vision and saw a niche in the market for equipment for small horse farmers and ranchers.

Today, the company employs 35.

Fredericktown Community Development Foundation

Wesley Crum, founder of Benchmark cabinets, had a vision for building kitchen cabinets for the “high end” consumer market.

Today, 75 employees produce cabinets made from common and exotic woods. These cabinets are shipped throughout the United States.

Fredericktown Community Development Foundation

Burch Hydro employs about 35.

Mike Burch, founder, had a vision for providing communities with a safe and economical means of disposing of biosolids.

Fredericktown village has one of the first municipal sewage plants utilizing a Burch Hydro designed microwave drying system.

Fredericktown Community Development Foundation

Other Fredericktown businesses and industries with a for the future include:

Foote Foundry - employs 35

Edwards Sheetmetal - employs 10

Meade Construction - employs 42

vision

Fredericktown Community Development Foundation

What do all of these Industries have in common?

All of these industries employ people

that have ENGINEERING backgrounds!

Brain Drain or Brain Trust?

Fredericktown Senior High School

Fredericktown Community Development Foundation

Community and Industry leaders began asking their local public schools…

How can we attract a workforce?

How do we keep our young people “at home” and become a part of the local workforce?

How can you help develop a “niche” for our small community?

Community and Industry leaders began asking

their local public schools…

Are you willing to do something different?

We need to be prepared--be able to “strike while

the iron is hot”!

Our local industry…

• relies on people with critical thinking and problem solving skills.

• relies heavily on people with engineering based skills.

It became our District’s charge to begin

researching ways to fill these needs from

within our own school and community!

Fredericktown

Senior High

We visited schools such as Miller City in Putnam County to schools such as Akron Garfield in

Summit County.

As a result we chose to add a four year pre-engineering program to our high school

curriculum called…

Project Lead the Way.

Fredericktown Senior High School

Fredericktown Senior High School

Project Lead the Way is a four year high school pre-engineering

program offered at Fredericktown High School.

When combined with traditional math and science courses in high school, the program introduces students to the rigor and discipline of engineering prior to entering college.

Fredericktown Senior High School

2005-2006 (First-year)

55 students (14%) enrolled in Intro. to Engineering