Annual Report Ohio-Israel Ag & CleanTech Initiative of The Negev Foundation FY 2016/2017 INTRODUCTION The activities of the Ohio-Israel Agricultural Initiative of The Negev Foundation in FY 2016/2017 focused on promoting and enhancing trade opportunities, business attraction, technology transfer, and cooperation between Ohio and Israel in the agriculture, food and CleanTech industries. The Initiative’s goal is to enable Ohio to Israel export and Israel to Ohio business and technology attraction in these sectors in order to enhance business opportunities in Ohio through collaboration with Israel. The Initiative pursues these objectives by working directly with Israeli and Ohio companies, participating in tradeshows, presenting seminars, facilitating demonstration of company products, assisting in technology transfer, planning for and having missions and delegations between the two regions, and promoting and coordinating collaborative R&D between Ohio and Israel. Detailed below are activities that took place in the FY 2016/2017 funding cycle (7/1/16-6/30/17). ACTIVITIES One-on-One Trade Assistance to Ohio and Israeli Companies and Organizations The Initiative works directly with Ohio and Israeli agribusinesses, food producers, and CleanTech companies. It assists these companies in pursuit of initiating or expanding export/import between the two regions and in finding potential partners for export-import, business attraction, and technology transfer. Examples of work done in this reporting period are: Ohio Companies CleanTech Companies Quasar Energy Group Quasar Energy Group (www.quasareg.com), based in Cleveland, OH, offers anaerobic digesters for the conversion of biomass to energy. The Initiative has been helping Quasar with their interest in setting up operations in Israel. The Israeli company that Quasar partnered with, Evilon Environmental Solutions Ltd., is still working on importing the Quasar system to Israel. Progress is slow due to regulators in Israel. A couple of other Israeli entities expressed interest in the Quasar product, and they will work through Evilon. MetaMateria MetaMateria Technologies, LLC (www.metamateria.com), based in Columbus, OH, is a company that the Initiative has been assisting in introducing them to the Israeli market. MetaMateria is an inventor, developer, manufacturer and marketer of advanced nanotechnology –based water purification solutions for the water and wastewater markets. The company approached the Initiative asking for help in identifying exporters/shipping companies to ship samples of their products to Israel for field trials. The Initiative contacted entities in Israel (Gal- 1 R International Forwarding Ltd. and Mor Yam Marketing, Ltd.) regarding Ohio to Israel exporting and shipping and referred MetaMateria to these companies. The Initiative had also introduced MetaMateria to Ohio organizations that help with export issues (the Ohio DSA, the Ohio DSA’s Columbus-based SBDC Rep, and Columbus2020), Ag Companies Ricerca Ricerca Biosciences, LLC (www.ricerca.com, http://www.ricerca.com/agrochemical- services.asp), based in Concord, OH, is a company that the Initiative has been assisting with the Israeli market. Ricerca provides studies under GLP for registration of agricultural compounds, taking agrochemicals from discovery to global registration. Ricerca asked the Initiative for help in getting into the Therapeutic Marijuana market in OH from the regulatory testing aspect. The Initiative connected Ricerca with Ohio’s Sure to Grow and IGrow companies, and with Israel’s Agam Greenhouse Energy Systems, Ltd.. Higher Ground Agriculture Higher Ground Agriculture (Highergroundag.com), based in Columbus, OH, is a new company for the Initiative. The company does commercial hydroponics/aquaculture (aquaponics) projects. They were looking for strategic partners. The Initiative connected Higher Ground Agriculture with Israeli greenhouse/hydroponics companies that we currently work with (Growing Smart and GoHydro). Scotts Miracle-Gro Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (http://www.scottsmiraclegro.com), based in Marysville, OH, is an industry-leader in lawn, garden and outdoor living products and services. The Initiative has been working with Scotts, introducing Israeli companies to them. Scotts has recently bought General Hydroponics of California (hydroponics supplies such as growing medium, potting soils, and hydroponic kits) and Gavita Hydroponics (a Dutch lighting company) and expressed interest in buying companies, technologies and products that deal with hydroponics. They are open to looking at Israeli companies, technologies and products in hydroponics. The Initiative, which had presented Israel’s Groundwork to Scotts, has presented to Scotts Israel’s Agam Greenhouse Energy Systems, Ltd. and put the companies in direct communication. Food Companies General Search for New Ohio Food Companies Interested in Exporting to Israel The Initiative reached out to various Ohio organizations to help identify Ohio based food companies that might be interested in exploring Israel as an export destination. These organizations include Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Proud program at ODA, Ohio based kosher certification authorities, the Midwest Food Export Association/the Ohio DSA, and JobsOhio. 2 Specific Requests from Israel The Initiative is in contact with the USDA Rep at the U.S. Embassy in Israel, The Israel Chamber of Commerce, and Israeli importers to find out what specific food products Israel is looking for to import from the U.S. Based on that the Initiative searches for Ohio sources, so that Ohio will have an opportunity at the Israeli market. Examples of specific requests in Israel are: applesauce, natural maple, chestnuts, white, yellow or red onions, ornamental fish, frozen broccoli and cauliflower, kosher certified grape juice, Israeli Importers The Initiative was looking to increase its pool of Israeli food importers and approached Ohio and Israeli organizations for input, including: USDA Rep in the U.S. Embassy in Israel, Israel Chamber of Commerce, Israel Economic Mission to the U.S. in Chicago, Israel Food Industry Association at the Manufacturers Association of Israel (MAI), the Israel Export Institute, Ohio DSA, and the Midwest U.S. Food Export Association, Specific Food Companies JohnVince Foods JohnVince Foods (http://johnvince.com/products-c13.php) has a manufacturing and packaging facility in Lordstown, OH. It is a new company for the Initiative. The company manufactures bulk and packaged kosher certified food products ranging from nuts, dried fruits, beans and peas, chocolates and candies, spices, herbs, and more. The company expressed interest in exporting to Israel. The Initiative Program Director had a site visit and tour of the facility and met with the company’s Director of Operation/Manufacturing and with their sales person. A Rep from the Youngtown/Warren Chamber joined the meeting. The Initiative is working with the company on preparing materials to e-present the company to the Israeli market. In addition, the Initiative will connect potential Israeli food manufacturers looking to enter the U.S. market to the company. Big Dipper Food Company, Inc. Big Dipper Food Company, Inc. (www.bigdipperfood.com) of Youngstown, OH is a new company for the Initiative. The company manufactures kosher certified snacks. The company expressed interest in exporting to Israel. The Initiative will assist once the Youngstown/Warren Chamber presents the company to the Initiative and coordinates a site visit. Cleveland Kraut Cleveland Kraut (clevelandkraut.com) based in Cleveland, OH is a new company for the Initiative. The company manufactures non-kosher unpasteurized sauerkraut which is all natural, non-GMO, vegan, raw with rustic cut, made using old-world fermentation techniques that contains naturally created probiotics and enzymes. The product comes in 6 flavors and needs to be kept refrigerated. The company is in the process of kosher certifying their products. The company expressed interest in exporting to Israel. The Initiative Program Director had a site visit and tour of the facility and met with the Director of Sales/Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)/Co-owner of the company. The Initiative presented the company to the USDA Rep at the U.S. Embassy in Israel, and directed the company to the following Israeli importers: Green Field Foods, Ltd., Hamama Food Trading Ltd., SUIDAN - Sons of Malek Suidan Ltd., Shukha - 3 Sons of George Shukha Ltd., MorYam, Leiman Schlussel, Tiv Taam/Israco Group, Sufersal, Neto, Rami Levy Chain Stores, Yochananof, and Strauss. Great Lakes Smoked Meats Great Lakes Smoked Meats (greatlakessmokedmeats.com) of Lorain, OH is a new company for the Initiative. The company makes non-kosher meat snack sticks which are gluten free and made of muscle meat. The company expressed interest in kosher certifying their products and in export to Israel. The Initiative Program Director had a site visit and tour of the facility and met with the company’s President and Sales/Marketing Manager. For input into kosher certification, the Initiative connected the company with Tibor’s Kosher Meat Market and 6 Ohio based kosher certification authorities. For general export assistance the Initiative connected the company with the Ohio DSA. For export to Israel the Initiative introduced the company to the Israel Chamber of Commerce and the USDA Rep of the U.S. Embassy in Israel as well as to Israel’s importing company MorYam and Israel’s non-kosher supermarket chain Tiv Taam/Israco. The company