UK firm opening HQ in Mentor

Bloc Digital will be centered in Matchworks Building

A prominent data visualization company based in the United Kingdom is setting up its North American headquarters in Lake County.

The power of digital technology is poised to unlock competitive advantage for Northeast Ohio businesses with the announcement that leading digital visualization and immersive tech company, Bloc Digital, is establishing its North American headquarters in Mentor.

According to a news release, the UK-founded business pioneers the use of cutting-edge data visualization, advanced 3D modeling, creative content and immersive technology to deliver full lifecycle marketing services as well as manufacturing, operations and training solutions.

Its industrial knowledge, research and development investment in virtual and immersive solutions, coupled with the ability to deliver high-quality results at competitive costs, has established it as a market leader with a growing portfolio of international clients across engineering, technology and manufacturing sectors, including Rolls Royce and the Lubrizol corporation, according to the release.

Following a series of trade missions in recent months, Bloc Digital has formally secured its arrival with new business commissions and clients, the development of working relationships with NASA and Blue Abyss, and the establishment of its downtown studio in Mentor’s historic Matchworks Building.

“Right from the outset the ‘cando attitude,’ ambition and deeprooted industry expertise demonstrated by the business and inward investment community in Mentor made it a place we knew

we could call home,” said Keith Cox, co-founder and CEO of Bloc Digital.

“Our continuous investment and development in digital technologies and our understanding of the needs of industry have given us a global reach, which has enabled us to work successfully with American clients for many years,” he added. “Now the time is right to take this to the next level.

“The U.S. is our fastest growing market worldwide, and we wanted to further strengthen this with a dedicated U.S.-focused entity. We’re thrilled to establish Bloc Digital Inc. in Mentor.”

Mentor officials are excited to welcome a company like Bloc Digital to the city.

“Bloc Digital’s investment in Mentor is a good example of an inward investment strategy focused on relationship-building with international companies who we are able to expose to the benefits of doing business in Northeast Ohio,” City Manager Kenneth J. Filipiak said.

“Investment of this type requires patience, a commitment to directly engaging compatible business communities in different regions of the world and doing what is needed to ease their transition into the U.S. market,” he added. “Mentor has the benefit of a very engaged City Council, administration and business community who have all played a part in welcoming Bloc Digital to our city.”

According to the release, Mentor’s International Trade Initiative partners with economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, academic institutions and a network of private companies and organizations throughout Mentor and Northeast Ohio to provide international companies a soft landing when arriving in the U.S. market.

The collaborations also include regional agencies, focusing on foreign direct investment, such as TeamNEO and JobsOhio, Cleveland State University, and trade associations like the Ohio Aerospace Institute.

“We saw the potential of Bloc Digital’s services to really enhance the virtual capabilities of many of our members,” said Kim Holizna, managing director of the Ohio Aerospace Institute. “Their innovative approach and expertise in 3D rendering and virtual reality techniques, which have already been utilized by companies like

Rolls-Royce Aviation and Lubrizol, can really take those in our aerospace community to the next level of prominence.

“We are excited to work with them as the UK is an important part of our global aerospace strategy.”

The Ohio Aerospace Institute will be inviting its membership to meet with Bloc Digital during their trip to Ohio on Sept. 27 to coincide with an event hosted by the Aerozone Alliance.

“The establishment of Bloc Digital’s North American base of operations in Mentor is a prime example of what the Mentor International Trade Initiative does for companies looking for assistance to enter the U.S. market,” said Kevin Malecek, director of Economic Development and International Trade for Mentor.

“Our tailored approach to supporting companies, particularly in the healthcare, aerospace and precision manufacturing sectors, has been an attractive and encouraging option for SMEs based primarily in the United Kingdom and Ireland,” he added. “The relationships we’ve built over time with international partner organizations in the parts of the world are really beginning to yield investment return.”