Written Testimony Provided by Ms. Kimberly Gibson, America Makes — House Bill 291

Summary

Written proponent testimony on House Bill 291, supporting the creation of the Ohio International Trade Commission, from Kimberly Gibson, Industrial Base Integration Director at America Makes, dated June 11, 2025, to the House Government Oversight Committee. The testimony describes America Makes as based in Youngstown, Ohio, and states that nearly half a billion dollars in federal funding has moved through America Makes since its inception and that its membership is 301, of which 60 are from Ohio. It states that in February, America Makes was awarded the Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace and Defense designation from the State of Ohio, and that interest from foreign-owned companies has surged since. It urges swift passage of the bill.

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                           Written Testimony Provided by
       Ms. Kimberly Gibson, Industrial Base Integration Director, America Makes
                                  on House Bill 291
                      House Government Oversight Committee
                        Proponent Testimony | June 11, 2025


Chair Hall, Vice-Chair Ferguson, Ranking Member Humphrey, and members of the House
Government Oversight Committee, thank you for the opportunity to present written testimony on
House Bill 291, supporting the creation of the Ohio International Trade Commission.

My name is Kimberly Gibson, and I serve as the Industrial Base Integration Director at America
Makes—the nation’s leading public-private partnership for additive manufacturing funded by the US
Department of Defense, via Cooperative Agreement with the Air Force Research Lab in Dayton
Ohio. Chartered by US Congress in 2012, The national network of Manufacturing Innovation
Institutes was born from a vision seeded by two Ohio institutions – Batelle and EWI (formerly known
as Edison Welding Institute) and legislation sponsored by Ohio’s Senate delegation at the time.
America Makes is the flagship Institute for the Manufacturing USA Network and the intention of the
network was to establish an industrial commons for the creation and dissemination of
manufacturing knowledge, intellectual property and access to state of the art equipment to
advance economic security and competitiveness for the US.

Based in Youngstown, Ohio, America Makes works to accelerate the adoption of advanced
manufacturing technologies and foster industrial resilience across the defense, aerospace, and
other critical supply chain sectors. We believe that investments in our manufacturing sector are
investments in the fabric of America. In August we celebrate our 13th year of existence.

Nearly half a billion dollars in federal funding has moved through the America Makes pipeline since
its inception. Our project calls provide funding to advance manufacturing technology and
workforce training priorities, develop new suppliers to the aerospace and defense sector and
require engagement and cost share from multi-national corporations, as well as small and medium
businesses from around the U.S. Currently our membership rests at 301, of those 60 are from Ohio.
Our membership also includes companies with foreign ownership and currently 13 percent of our
members meet this criteria. Why am I sharing this with you?

The Youngstown Ohio ecosystem is ready to scale and grow as the nation, and the world, are
adopting Additive Manufacturing technology into additional industries.

In February of this year, Governor Dewine and Lt. Governor Tressel along with Ohio Development
Director Mihalik, announced America Makes was awarded the fifth and final Innovation Hub
designation from the State of Ohio—the Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace and Defense.
This recognition is not merely an award, but a powerful validation of the years of dedicated effort by
America Makes and our partners, all deeply rooted in the Youngstown community. Rather than

       236 West Boardman Street • Youngstown, Ohio 44503 • 330-622-4299 • AmericaMakes.us
signaling the conclusion of our work, this milestone marks the beginning of a new era of
opportunity—not just for Northeast Ohio, but for the entire state. Since the announcement, we’ve
seen a significant surge in interest from foreign-owned companies seeking to establish operations
in the region. These organizations recognize the strategic potential of this hub. They see the value of
investing here, and above all, they see the strength and promise of the industrial base we’ve been
building. This real-world momentum underscores the urgent relevance of House Bill 291. By
creating formal structures to promote international trade, investment, and collaboration, the bill
reinforces and amplifies the very progress we’re already witnessing on the ground.

I am honored to submit this proponent testimony in support of House Bill 291.

House Bill 291 proposes the establishment of the Ohio International Trade Commission—a
visionary step forward that will enhance Ohio’s strategic economic partnerships with key
international allies, including Japan, Ireland, and Israel, as well as two additional nations. This
commission aligns closely with our work at America Makes, where we focus on fostering
innovation, building resilient supply chains, and enabling cross-sector collaboration that bridges
industry, academia, and government.

With global competition and supply chain disruptions reshaping the industrial landscape, this bill
presents an opportunity for Ohio to position itself as a hub of high-tech collaboration and economic
diplomacy. The emphasis on multilateral trade, joint research agreements—particularly those
focused on emerging technologies like cybersecurity—and the creation of international technology
centers, directly complements our mission and strengthens our collective ability to innovate.

Furthermore, the commission's structure, which includes representation from both public and
private sectors, ensures that Ohio’s voice in international trade and innovation reflects the needs
and expertise of our communities. I am particularly encouraged by the focus on academic and
business exchanges, as well as infrastructure investment—both of which are essential to sustaining
an agile and globally competitive industrial base.

On behalf of America Makes and our national network of innovation partners, I strongly support
House Bill 291 and urge its swift passage. Thank you for the opportunity to testify, and I would be
happy to answer any questions.




       236 West Boardman Street • Youngstown, Ohio 44503 • 330-622-4299 • AmericaMakes.us


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