Forging the Future: Celebrating MAGNET's 40th Anniversary

MAGNET was proud to present the MAGNET Stark County Manufacturer of the Year Award to Ohio Gratings, Inc. (OGI) at the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce's 110th Annual Meeting. This well-deserved recognition highlights OGI's outstanding contributions to the manufacturing sector in Northeast Ohio and its commitment to innovation, quality manufacturing, and excellence in the metal grating industry.

The Chamber's event brought together business leaders across various industries and Stark County community members to celebrate the region's business achievements and the power of local manufacturing innovation.

Janelle Lee, MAGNET's Director of Client Engagement, presented the MAGNET Manufacturer of the Year Award to Shaun Eller, Chief Business Officer of OGI. This is the second year MAGNET has presented the Manufacturer of the Year Award, with ZCath being the inaugural recipient in 2023.  A permanent display has been installed at the MAGNET Innovation and Community Center at the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, serving as a lasting symbol of the region's manufacturing strength.

Alongside the Manufacturer of the Year Award, several other notable honors were presented at the event:

• Small Business of the Year (fewer than 100 employees): Plakas Mannos law firm, based in Canton, which has 36 full-time employees.
• Large Business of the Year (100 employees or more): Brechbuhler Scales in Canton Township.
• MAGNET Manufacturer of the Year: Ohio Gratings in Perry Township, which has about 800 employees and locations in the Canton and Massillon area.
• Stark County Minority Business Association Business of the Year: Fair Play Family Center, a child care center with 40 staffers, three locations and serves 200 children per day.
• Dennis P. Saunier Award for Regional Leadership: Renato "Ren" Camacho, the president and CEO of Akron-Canton Airport. The award is named after Saunier, the longtime former CEO of the chamber until he retired at the end of last year.

MAGNET is proud to partner with the Canton Regional Chamber in their support of local industry and innovation in Stark County. To read more about the event, check out the Canton Repository’s article here.

Thank you to Janelle and Ralph Lee, Mike O'Donnell, Kristin Beynon and Gretchen Sudar for celebrating manufacturing success at this event, and congratulations to Ohio Gratings, Inc. for this well-deserved recognition as you continue to thrive and innovate in a rapidly evolving global marketplace!