Fuel cell firm arrives in Willoughby, Ohio

 bipolar plate Source:Brandon C. Baker(The News-Herald - McClatchy-TribuneInformation Services viia COMTEX) A component supplier in a burgeoning industry announced Tuesday thatit is leaving sunny California to call Northeast Ohio its new home. Pacific Fuel Cell Corp. held a news conference Tuesday to detailthe move of its Tustin, Calif., headquarters to 4413 Hamann Parkwayin Willoughby. The fuel cell component manufacturer's productionplant had been housed at that location since early 2007. "In California, we can't find the work force that understands aboutthe engineering that goes into this kind of product," PacificPresident George Suzuki said of components the company makes forproducers of fuel cells that can be used in cell phones, laptopcomputers, digital cameras, power tools, and both stationary andportable power generators. "Ohio's the only one that has all the tooling, equipment or thework force, so that's why we're here." The announcement came about four months after Pacific moved itsRiverside, Calif.-based membrane electrode assembly research anddevelopment facility to Hamann Parkway. Suzuki said that movesignified the shift from MEA nanotechnology research to aproduction phase. Initially, the move to Willoughby won't come with the glut of jobssome might associate with the relocation of a company headquarters.As a production plant, Pacific employed about 12 workers, Suzukisaid. For at least the next month or two, it will keep that amount beforeadding more employees, along with second and third shifts. Suzukisaid he hopes to have up to 100 workers within five years. Suzuki said the company had been in contact with some stateofficials regarding tax incentives to relocate Pacific here. He hasnot solidified them yet, but said he didn't want that to delay thecompany's move by waiting on any confirmations. "This is an up-and-coming company and an up-and-coming technology,so we're excited," Willoughby Mayor David Anderson said. "You don'thave to look further than the corner gas station to see theimportance of fuel cells." To that point, Pacific produces a graphite-based bipolar platecomponent suitable for small vehicles like forklifts, but officialsare confident that more cars could use them as research and thetechnology continue to develop in the future. Suzuki also said the company has talked with Virginia-based PemeryCorp., which has a Painesville facility, about providing componentsfor the fuel cells that company is producing for U.S. military"smart" munitions, which cannot operate with current batterytechnologies.