Mr. Ratermann is the Director of FASTLANE, the regional partner of Ohio-MEP (Manufacturing Extension Partnership) covering the Western Ohio region.  The organization, housed at University of Dayton Research Institute, is focused on helping manufacturing companies grow via projects targeting innovation, continuous improvement, advanced-technology adoption, plus supply-chain and workforce development.  FASTLANE quickly identifies solutions for small and medium manufacturing businesses, and directly provides the solution, or engages an external provider to resolve the client’s challenge.

Prior to launching FASTLANE 9 years ago, he gained over 25 years of experience in industry at ITW - Hobart Corp a global commercial food equipment manufacturing firm.  He was VP/GM for his last 12 years at ITW, and worked in innovation and new product development before that.  He has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, and a MBA from the University of Dayton.