Staff report

NILES — United Protective Technologies, LLC, a North Carolina-based maker of high-performance protective coatings and nanocomposites, plans to invest millions to open a new facility in Niles.

The site at 704 Warren Ave. would be used for research and development, and commercial production to service regional clients, according to a release from Team NEO that also states the company has been awarded a $150,000 grant from JobsOhio to support the project and bring 21 new jobs to the site.

“Access to talent, an advanced manufacturing base, and support from great organizations like JobsOhio, Team NEO, the City of Niles, the Youngstown Business Incubator, and the Advanced Manufacturing and Applied Research Innovation Institute, made locating our newest facility in Niles an easy decision,” Marty Efird, CEO of United Protective Technologies, said.

The company did a nationwide search for a new facility, picking northeast Ohio over other regions because of its “advanced manufacturing prowess, market access, incentive support and the economic development partnerships that were fostered,” the release states.

In addition to the new jobs, the company plans for $1.1 million in new payroll and an investment of $2.7 million for fixed assets.

United Protective Technologies has developed cutting-edge technology in the coatings and surface treatment field that “offer superior protection to legacy coatings, without harmful environmental byproducts,” the release states.

Among the industries the company serves are aerospace, defense, medical, food and beverage and molding.

The expansion into northeast Ohio, said Bill Koehler, CEO of Team NEO, “demonstrates that our region provides an attractive environment for new and innovative technologies,” while Barb Ewing, CEO of the YBI, said the company’s “technology capabilities and spirit of innovation will assist the region in continuing our transition from traditional to advanced manufacturing.”

Niles Mayor Steven Mientkiewicz also welcomed the company to the city.

“We strive to bring new industry and jobs into the city and it is wonderful to have such an advanced, diverse company call Niles home,” he said.

JobsOhio is the state’s private state’s private economic development corporation. Team NEO, a private nonprofit economic development organization in Cleveland, is JobOhio’s network partner that represents 18 northeast Ohio counties, including Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

The Advanced Manufacturing and Applied Research Innovation Institute, which is in Youngstown, meanwhile, was created to advance manufacturing technologies in the northeast Ohio region.

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