Utica Shale Supply Chain is theme of the 15th Annual Northeast Ohio Logistics Conference at Firestone Country Club: Hosted by NEOTEC and the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority

The supply chain serving Ohio’s booming Utica shale industry is the focus of the 15th annual Northeast Ohio Logistics Conference and Golf Open, on Monday, August 13, at Firestone Country Club in Akron. The event is hosted by the Northeast Ohio Trade & Economic Consortium (NEOTEC) and the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority. The agenda will include logistics experts who will discuss how the various modes of transportation serve the Utica shale industry and how the shale boom impacts the region. The morning conference is followed by an afternoon golf scramble on Firestone’s North course and an evening dinner and awards program.

“The Utica shale industry is exploding with opportunities and challenges, and we are pleased to co-host this conference with NEOTEC to bring vital information to the Northeast Ohio business and logistics communities,” said David Gutheil, vice president of maritime and logistics for the Port Authority.

The agenda includes: Chip Collier and Rich Plewacki, partners with the transportation law division of Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP in Columbus and Cleveland; Steve Franckhauser, director of HbK Energy in Boardman; Ken Prendergast, executive director of All Aboard Ohio-RESTORE in Cleveland; and Joe Leto, president of Energy Analysts International, Inc. (EAI, Inc.) in Denver, Colorado. A special panel format with Q&A will follow the morning presentations.

“Northeast Ohio sits at the epicenter of the energy transformation. That is our opportunity and our challenge,” said Steve Franckhauser, one of the conference presenters. “The opportunities for businesses and individuals in Northeast Ohio are limited only by their abilities to network and learn from others in this field. The Utica Shale Supply Chain conference provides an excellent platform to do just that,” said Franckhauser.

The morning conference program begins at 7:45 a.m. with continental breakfast and concludes with a buffet lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The afternoon golf session, a four-

person scramble format on Firestone’s North course, begins at 1 p.m., and is followed by an evening buffet dinner, refreshments, prizes and golf awards presentation at 6 p.m. Registration

costs are $275 per person for the entire day, or $125 per person for the breakfast, conference and lunch only. For members of the Northeast Ohio Logistics Network, the costs are reduced to $250 and $95. Deadline to register is Wednesday, August 8.

To register, visit the NEOTEC web site at www.neotec.org, or call NEOTEC for registration information at (800) 793-0912.

NEOTEC is a multicounty economic development partnership that works as a regional force to attract capital investments, create jobs and enhance economic opportunities throughout Northeast Ohio. NEOTEC has a partnership agreement with the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority to promote international trade through the administration of Foreign-Trade Zones 40 and 181 in Northeast Ohio. Other regional efforts administered by NEOTEC include improving market access through the Northeast Ohio Logistics Network, promoting export development through the services of the Global Trade Group and the regional International Trade Assistance Center, and attracting foreign direct investment to Northeast Ohio through the Global Business Development Initiative.

NEOTEC is based in Kent on the campus of Kent State University, which partners with NEOTEC in its economic development efforts. For more information, visit www.neotec.org.