The Tolloty Technology Incubator has officially opened in New Philadelphia, Ohio. The facility is designed to provide start-up space for companies linked to high-tech research, development and intellectual property enterprises.
Located at the gateway to Tuscarawas County’s 170-acre Regional Technology Park, the two-story incubator totals 27,000 square feet and features a wet lab that is fully equipped for scientific research and testing. It also has eight offices, two conference rooms, a training room, a reception area, flex space for company build-out and a loading dock. A computer network operating center houses servers, data storage and network operations.
When fully occupied, the center is projected to provide business development space for about 70 people.
“Right now, we are seeking out qualified people with big ideas to occupy our facilities,” said Gary Little, executive director of the Tuscarawas County Community Improvement Corp., in a press release. That corporation operates the center, which is owned by Kent State University at Tuscarawas.
The Tolloty Incubator already houses the Kent State Tuscarawas Small Business Development Center, providing a variety of resources including small business development consulting and financial and business plan assistance services.
Funding for the $5.8-million Tolloty Incubator came from an Ohio Development Services Agency Job Ready Sites Grant; a U.S Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration grant; and an equipment and furnishings grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Additional funding for infrastructure development throughout the Tech Park came from the EDA, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Governor’s Office of Appalachia and additional programs through the Ohio Department of Development.
Kent State Tuscarawas, Tuscarawas County commissioners, the city of New Philadelphia and the Tuscarawas County CIC, provided local funding.
The incubator was named for the late Eugene “Gene” Tolloty of Uhrichsville, Ohio, who had been involved in a wide range of regional business development activities including early planning for the business-technology incubator.
