In the News

Newport Kentucky - America's Comeback City

Source: The Courier Journal, 1/6/2009

Louisville, Kentucky's Courier-Journal last week hailed Newport, Kentucky as "America's Comeback City." The story cites "strong leadership, entrepreneurship, forward-thinking federally funding programs and effective partnerships between non-profit organizations, the higher education and business communities, city government and neighborhood leaders" as the factors contributing to a vibrant urban community filled with new businesses.

The Courier-Journal lauds praise onto Newport Mayor Thomas Guidugli, who has provided keen leadership and vision in attracting new jobs, development and tourists to his renewed River City during his 16 year tenure.

To read the full article, click here.

Writer: Jeff Syroney
Source: Courier Journal

Newport

Procter and Gamble's Clay Street Facility provides brand inspiration

Source: Cincinnati.com, 1/6/2009

Tucked away in a corner of Over-the-Rhine sits a cradle of inspiration for brand giant, Procter & Gamble. The renovated 19th-century brewery is run by Michael Luh and David Kuehler, co-directors of Procter & Gamble's Clay Street Project. The two are paid to not think like P&G executives. In fact they work to ensure the teams that come through their doors leave with a completely new outlook on whatever project they're working on.

Brand success stories having come out of the Clay Street facility include Herbal Essence which reinvented itself into the No. 2 hair care brand in the U.S.

To read the full story click here.

Writer: Jeff Syroney
Source: Cincinnati.com

Advanced Brand Design , PR/Marketing

Over-the-Rhine

Cincinnati Museum of Advertising could take root in OTR

Source: Business Courier, 1/6/2009

Pete Blackshaw, excecutive vice president for Nielsen Online Digital Services has a dream of creating a museum in Over-the-Rhine that would preserve the history of Cincinnati’s role in the development of the advertising industry.

Still in the planning stage, the proposed Cincinnati Museum of Advertising would feature the contributions of such industry leaders as Procter & Gamble Co., Crosley Corp., U.S. Playing Card Co. and Kenner Products.

Click here to read the full here.

Writer: Jeff Syroney

Source: Business Courier

Advanced Brand Design , Entrepreneurship , PR/Marketing , Talent

Over-the-Rhine

NKU's College of Informatics poised to make Kentucky national center for medical R&D

Source: Kentucky Enquirer, 1/6/2009

Informatics, or the science of information and the application of information technology to a specific field is big business for the State of Kentucky and specifically, Northern Kentucky University. Efforts are currently underway to make NKU's young College of Informatics a national center for research and development of better information technology in the health-care industry.

The hope is that Northern Kentucky University will become the national leader on health care research resulting in billions of dollars in investments, the attraction of talented students and the creation of thousands of jobs.

To read the full story click here.

Writer: Jeff Syroney

Source: Kentucky Enquirer

Life Sciences , Lifescience / Medical Research Innovation

Covington

Fountain Square named in TripAdvisor's Top 10 Bargain Outdoor Skating Rinks

Source: TripAdvisor, 1/6/2009

TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel community, announced its top 10 bargain outdoor ice skating rinks in the U.S., according to TripAdvisor editors. Featured at No. 9 was none other than our own beloved U.S. Bank Ice Rink on Fountain Square.

According to a site poll of more than 1,600 travelers on tripadvisor.com, 75 percent have skated outdoors.

To read the complete story click here.

Writer: Jeff Syroney

Source: TripAdvisor

Cintas receives trailblazer award for supplier diversity

Source: Yahoo Finance, 1/6/2009

The South Central Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council (SCOMSDC) awarded the Cintas Corporation with the 2008 Trailblazer Award. The award is given to companies that have demonstrated substantial change in their Supplier Development program including the mentoring and development of Minority Business Enterprises.

Cintas’ economic inclusion efforts include outreach to minority and women-owned firms in the areas of mentorship and training. This includes partnering with the SCOMSDC, which helps provide a direct link between corporations and minority-owned businesses to establish mutually beneficial relationships.

To read the complete story click here.

Writer: Jeff Syroney

Source: Yahoo! Finance

AMP all-electric car available for demonstration

Source: Business Wire, 12/16/2008

Advanced Mechanical Products, Inc. (AMP), makers of a 100 percent electric vehicle, took their product to Washington to demonstrate its performance.

AMP builds all-electric Powertrains, using lithium phosphate batteries to convert GM Saturn Skys into zero-emissions vehicles.

Online orders are now being filled, and the first deliveries are scheduled for 2009.

During the trip, AMP president and CEO Jack Kuntz also submitted a Section 136 loan application to the U.S. Department of Energy, hoping to get funding from the $25 billion program to further develop the technology.

Read the full release here.

Alternative Energy , Automotive , Environment , Sustainability

UC design programs continue drawing national recognition

Source: UC News, 12/16/2008

The DesignIntelligence rankings of national design programs is out, and University of Cincinnati's architecture, interior design and industrial design offerings continue to receive high marks.

The rankings, based upon annual polling of employers, rates all three programs within the top three in their respective disciplines for preparing students for professional practice.

A feature in DesignIntelligence also highlights the partnerships between UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) and private industry, as well as the college's collaborations with other disciplines at the university.

Considered the birthplace of the co-op concept, UC requires its design students to gain 18 months of paid, professional experience with firms prior to graduation.

Read the full article here.

Architecture , Higher Education , Interior Design , Talent

Uptown

P&G overcoming social networking hurdles

Source: New York Times, 12/16/2008

Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble has been utilizing social networking sites such as Facebook for nearly a dozen of its brands, a strategy the company is still refining.

A prime example of social networking's fickle nature occurred in 2006, when P&G invited Facebook members in 20 college campus networks to become Crest Whitestrips fans on the product's Facebook page.

By offering free movie screenings and Def Jam concerts, the site attracted 14,000 fans; however, more than 4,000 of those fans have since left.

The company is hoping that a new "Become a Fan" feature, which would allow Facebook members to take some sort of positive action besides just viewing ads, could help fans stick around and become more invested in the brand.

Read the full article here.

Advanced Brand Design , Consumer Research , Internet , PR/Marketing

Hospital jobs healthy

Source: Cincinnati Enquirer, 12/16/2008

Hospital jobs continue to be a hot commodity in the Greater Cincinnati region, with employment in the sector growing 12 percent between 2002 and 2007.

Even so, about 2,500 jobs in nursing and technical services remain unfilled.

"We can hire entry-level positions pretty quickly, but our challenge comes with the professional positions," Alan Jones, corporate vice president of human resources for the Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, tells the Enquirer.

A study by University of Cincinnati economists shows that the region's 31 hospitals have an annual economic impact of $13.9 billion.

Read the full article here.

Talent

UC students to spend holiday building water system in Cameroon

Source: UC News, 12/16/2008

A group of eight University of Cincinnati students representing the student service organization Serve Beyond Cincinnati have traveled to Reh, Cameroon over winter break to lay pipe for a gravity-fed water system that will serve 2,000 people.

The trip is an example of "experiential learning", one of UC's 21st Century Learning Initiatives, which blends classroom theory with hands-on field experiences.

Planning and fundraising for the trip began in January, with each student raising approximately $7,000 of the $56,000 needed to pay for travel and water system supplies.

The water system, which collects from a fresh-water spring, was designed by local residents and engineers.

Read the full article here.

Higher Education

Uptown

Store brands lifting Kroger in troubled economy

Source: New York Times, 12/16/2008

Linda Severin, a Kroger vice president, has spent the last two years dreaming up new products to sell under the company's store-brand labels.

The company hired Severin to expand its home brands, which include value brands, brands meant to compete against national products, and premium brands.

With fewer people dining out, grocery stores are one of the few markets doing well, and Kroger's store brands account for 26 percent of its sales.

The Nielsen market research company reports that dollar sales of store brands increased 10 percent for the year preceding November 1, compared to a 3 percent gain for branded products.

Read the full article here.

Downtown

UC, P&G create cutting-edge computer sim center

Source: UC News, 12/16/2008

The University of Cincinnati and Procter & Gamble have teamed up to create a center of expertise in computer simulation, allowing them to solve real design problems in a virtual world.

Traditional engineering and production requires a product to be designed, a prototype to be created and tested, and then results to be fed back into redesign -- a time-consuming and costly method.

Exploring other options, P&G looked at Caterpillar, Inc.'s Champaign Simulation Center at the University of Illinois Research Park, a model of partnership with universities that could provide cost-effective simulations while helping to grow future talent.

The center opened in September at the UC Turner Building and is staffed by nine students for UC's College of Engineering, who are working closely with P&G engineers on limited modeling projects, with plans to expand modeling capabilities as the center matures.

Read the full article here.

Advanced Brand Design , Advanced Engineering , Higher Education , Talent

Downtown , Uptown

Wind power meeting attracts local interest

Source: Cincinnati Enquirer, 12/16/2008

Several Cincinnati area manufacturers interested in tapping the emerging wind turbine market took part in a workshop last week in Cleveland.

Sponsored by the American Wind Energy Association and the Great Lakes Wind Network, the sold-out workshop gave companies the opportunity to find out how they can participate in a state grant program to further the development of renewable energy.

According to the Enquirer, John Colm of the Great Lakes Wind Network says that, while the economy has slowed down some wind power projects, "there's a lot of demand out there for projects already committed."

A four-year-old U.S. Department of Energy reports says that Ohio ranks only behind California in new job potential from wind farm projects due to its manufacturing expertise.

Read the full article here.

Alternative Energy , Environment , Sustainability

Children's chooses AMICAS for image management

Source: PR Newswire, 12/9/2008

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has announced a new partnership with AMICAS, Inc. that will enable the hospital to streamline its imaging and information management capabilities.

Under the terms of the agreement, Children's will utilize new, Web-based technology from AMICAS called AMICAS PACS, AMICAS Reach, and AMICAS RadStream for integrated reading, productivity, and critical results management.

The AMICAS platforms have been designed to offer radiologists with powerful clinical tools and to lower medical-legal risk by automating and documenting patient results communications.

"We are excited about our new partnership with Cincinnati Children's, one of the most respected healthcare providers in the world," Stephen Kahane MD, president, chief executive officer, and chairman of AMICAS said in a media release. "Offering anintegrated reading, productivity, and critical results management platform within their existing infrastructure will offer powerful benefits throughout the enterprise."

Read the full article here.

Internet

Uptown

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