By Mike Sever
Record-Courier staff writer
FREEDOM — Catacel Corporation’s factory is short on marble and polished brass, as Gov. Ted Strickland noted Friday, but long on innovation and ingenuity. Strickland used the visit to the plant to highlight Ohio’s need to invest in education and innovation for its future.
From its plain-vanilla plant on Gotham Road, Catacel turns out cutting-edge, catalyst-based products for the advanced energy and chemical industries.
“This sort of illustrates what my wife has been telling me — the best ideas or industries for the future are in someone’s garage,” Strickland said after touring the plant.
Founded in 2001, Catacel engineers and manufactures catalytic heat-exchanging materials that allow customers to improve their energy efficiency and at lower costs.
Company President William A. Whittenberger led the tour for Strickland and other local and state government leaders.
The company has about two dozen workers, and is poised to expand, thanks to state economic development support and private venture capital.
Strickland said the company is an example of what Ohio needs to do for its future
“Ohio needs affordable college education for our young adults and support for our entrepreneurs,” he said.
Strickland commended Whittenberger for his firm’s commitment to staying in Ohio.
State Rep. Steve Dyer said Catacel represents the creativity and innovation needed in education
Dyer personally pushed for education funding reform and chaired the house committee which worked on the reform package.
Strickland also said he was committed that education funding will face significant reductions because of the loss of revenues from “video lottery” — slots at horse tracks. A state supreme court decision allows the governor’s plan to allow the machines at tracks to be put to voters for approval.
He also spoke in favor of postponing the final phase of an income tax reduction. Taxpayers paying the same rate this year as last will still pay lower taxes because of an increase in the personal deductions, he said.