Building a Stronger Industrial Base Through Innovation Hub’s Collaborative Model
One Company’s Success: EPI Transitions to Strategic Supplier
YOUNGSTOWN, OH — The Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace & Defense (managed by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining) is strengthening the Mahoning Valley’s position as a center for advanced manufacturing and defense technology, accelerating the growth of emerging companies such as Engineered Products, Inc. (EPI). Through coordinated ecosystem development, the Hub and its partners are helping EPI transition from an early-stage startup to a strategic supplier supporting national security needs.
EPI’s RFID technology transforms industrial suppliers by automating inventory replenishments and greatly reducing out-of-stock for critical parts in manufacturing.
EPI, a Warren-based defense technology company, is advancing secure asset tracking through nanoscale radio frequency identification (RFID) chips that provide increased durability, higher data capacity, and enhanced tamper resistance compared to traditional barcodes. Embedded directly into components, these microchips enable discreet identification, detect counterfeits, and improve supply chain integrity across defense and commercial sectors. To date, EPI has been awarded $1.7M in federal, state, and local funding to advance and deploy its technology.
The Hub’s ecosystem, comprised of YBI, Lake to River, Youngstown State University’s Excellence Training Center and its APEX Accelerator, has been central to EPI’s progress. This network has delivered access to priority defense customers, small business innovation research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) guidance, commercialization resources, grant-funded technical services, and mission-critical manufacturing support. EPI launched operations in YBI’s advanced manufacturing facility, crediting the incubation model as instrumental to its early development, and later expanded to its Warren headquarters with assistance from Lake to River.
Through YBI’s Advanced Manufacturing program, EPI established a portfolio of 12 patents, including internally developed innovations and licensed technologies from NASA. Support from YBI ENGINE Tech Incubator’s mentoring program helped them procure contracts with Lockheed Martin and major commercial partnerships with Walmart and Home Depot. The company is also expanding into healthcare with emerging opportunities at the Cleveland Clinic and major hospital systems in Houston.
“Receiving resources such as cost-share grants and mentoring has not only allowed us to scale our technology but also enabled us to enhance our operations, marketing, and defense procurement capabilities through collaboration.”
Justine Blank, Founder & Vice President, EPI
Aligned with fiscal year 2026 NDAA priorities, restricting adversarial technology from defense use, EPI’s dual-use RFID solutions strengthen domestic production capacity, reduce lead times, increase transparency, and support a resilient defense supply chain.
EPI’s growth illustrates how the Hub is cultivating a high-performance business and manufacturing ecosystem, one that drives regional economic impact, reinforces national security, and positions the region as a strategic destination for advanced manufacturing companies ready to scale.
