PolyOne unveils new Innovation Center in Avon Lake

unveiled the new Innovation Center May 12 at its global corporate headquarters in Avon Lake.

The new state-of-the-art center, one of 10 in the world, represents a $3 million investment for Avon Lake and solidifies the global organization’s place in Avon Lake. It is currently one of the citys .

This new 20,000-squre-foot center on Walker Road will support application development by providing customers with leading-edge capabilities for development, testing, process optimization and color matching.

The morning ceremony and ribbon cutting included remarks by PolyOne president Craig Nikrant; Chariman, President and CEO Steve Newlin; Ohio’s Lt. Governor Mary Taylor, State Rep. Matt Lundy and Avon Lake Mayor K.C. Zuber.

“We don’t invent cool stuff just for fun,” Newlin said, addressing an invitation-only audience of customers, media and dignitaries.

The new center will enable customers to skip a few steps between concept and commercialization and allow customers to match color for select product parts. Customers can match or select color for materials. That information will be forwarded to a different area of PolyOne where color pellets will be created for manufacturing any of hundreds of items. The center is one of several expansions planned in Avon Lake.

Avon Lake residents may have many of those products in their home as PolyOne pellets--and created color--have been used in parts of Sippy Cups, Gillette razors, Whirlpool stove consoles, sandals, blender covers and any number of colored water bottles as well as building and construction products. PolyOne does not actually manufacture any products at its Walker Road facility.

“It’s important to note we create BPA-free product,” lead engineer Heather Scaglione said.

Lundy noted that Ohio was a leader in the polymer industry with significant strides in job creation and retention and companies created in or attracted to Ohio.

 Zuber took the opportunity to thank PolyOne for being a good corporate citizen noting that the company has made significant time and monetary donations to Avon Lake projects over the years (see video). Recently, the company made a donation to purchase fencing for the new community garden.