Owens-Illinois plans surge in research; Perrysburg lab to receive most of $18M investment

Nearly three dozen scientists and engineers will arrive at the Perrysburg headquarters of Owens-Illinois Inc. in coming months as part a new research thrust by the longtime Toledo area glassmaker.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland was on hand Monday as Al Stroucken, chief executive officer of the world's largest bottle manufacturer, announced $18 million in new research-related investments, most of them earmarked for Perrysburg.

Mr. Strickland, clad in a personalized O-I laboratory smock, praised the firm's decision to react 'to the depression, or the recession, by making a continued commitment to research and development.'

O-I had a profit of $162 million on sales of $7.1 billion last year.

Pointing out that metro Toledo's largest company operates 78 plants globally — including 19 in the United States — the governor hailed the firm's worldwide reach and focus on developing new products. 'Any company or individual or state that is willing to be satisfied with the status quo is … going backward,' he added.

Mr. Strickland spoke after touring the firm's new 4,000-square-foot materials science laboratory and witnessing a demonstration of a process that reduces the time to coat a bottle to a few seconds from 30 minutes.

The process, which paves the way for mass production of beer bottles in bright hues of pink, orange, or blue, provides an additional marketing tool for customers, explained Stephanie Johnston, O-I spokesman.

'It helps customers differentiate their product up on the shelf,' she added.

Discussions are under way with customers interested in trying the bottles, she said.

The company plans to spend $11.5 million through Dec. 31 to enhance research capacity in Perrysburg. Planned expenditures include a 2,000-square-foot expansion of the new materials science laboratory.

'This investment plays a critical role in helping O-I achieve its strategic objectives on a global scale,' the chief executive said.

The firm expects to add 32 to 35 research jobs — some of them already filled — in Perrysburg by the end of the year. The positions will be filled by highly trained scientists and engineers earning $100,000 or more annually, officials said.

O-I's spokesman said the firm employs 850 people at its Perrysburg headquarters, but she was unable to say how many of them work in research and development.

The company has begun to consolidate in Perrysburg some research work previously outsourced to other firms, Ms. Johnston said.

Besides the investments in metro Toledo, O-I will sink $6 million into a plant in Zanesville, Ohio, where products developed in Perrysburg will be initially manufactured. The Zanesville plant, which supplies bottles to distilleries, employs 330 people.

During his remarks, Governor Strickland encouraged support for Issue 1 on the May ballot. The measure would provide $700 million for continued funding of Ohio's Third Frontier Fund, which is designed to promote creation of technology-related companies and jobs in the state.

Contact Gary Pakulski at: gpakulski@theblade.com or 419-724-6082.