Economic Development Thriving in the Valley, Leaders Say
HOWLAND, Ohio – The Mahoning Valley’s economic development prospects show a sharp contrast compared with years past.
The U.S. Census Bureau economic analysis shows improvement since 2020 in gross domestic product, and unemployment has been cut in half over the past 10 years, said Julie Green, director of the Trumbull County Planning Commission.
She was a panelist Friday for a discussion about Valley economic development and site selection readiness at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber’s Public Policy Conference at the Grand Resort Ballroom.
Other panels discussed energy reliability and sustainability and workforce participation and development.
The work of Valley economic development agencies, land banks and other organizations is paying off, Green said.
“We are now at a point where we need to start planning for growth rather than reduction,” she said.
Other panelists in the economic development group – Jim Kinnick, executive director of the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments; Anthony Trevena, executive director of the Western Reserve Port Authority; and Sarah Boyarko, vice president of economic development at Lake to River Economic Development – agreed. Mike McGiffin, Lake to River’s vice president for engagement and investor relations, was the moderator for the discussion.
Kinnick pointed out that after years of population decline, latest numbers show 0.5% growth.
“I think the difference [between] years ago versus now is just people working together,” he said.
Partnerships are key, Kinnick added.
Boyarko said that when Lake to River representatives talk to companies through its business expansion program, they hear a common theme of stability.
Trevena reiterated that Valley economic development agencies all work together and talk every day.
“What really needs to happen is we’ve got to get past the negative attitude,” he said, adding that those attending the conference are positive.
For a long time, the Valley was downtrodden, beaten up and known for its scrappiness, Trevena explained.
“You’re on your feet now, and there is so much happening in this Valley,” he said.
For progress to continue, local public sector leaders need to work together too, the panelists said.
Airing Dirty Laundry in Public
Trevena urged officials not to air their dirty laundry in public.
“I’ll give you a good example of that,” Trevena said. “I run the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. Allegiant Air hated the Mahoning Valley. You know why? Nothing against anybody in the media here, but when there was a delay at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, it was front page news.”
Delays at other airports are commonplace, he explained.
If leaders have disagreements, they should hash them out behind closed doors rather than in the pages of a newspaper.
“Because when site selectors and companies want to move to a community, by golly, they read those articles,” Trevena said. “That’s just my personal opinion that we can do better.”
Kinnick added that the Valley is sometimes its own worst enemy. Ten good things happen, but people talk about the one bad one, he noted.
“We need to be cheerleaders and celebrate the wins that go on,” Kinnick said.
Eastgate plans to unveil a major marketing campaign next year to highlight the positive things happening across the Valley.
The panel on energy reliability and sustainability, moderated by Lyle Huffman, Regional Chamber vice president of government affairs, featured state Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel, R-79th; Zach Kent, community relations representative at Encino Energy; Ben Kroeck, external affairs manager at Enbridge Gas Ohio; and Daniel Knupp, manager of engineering services at FirstEnergy. They talked about regulation and new and pending legislation among other topics.
Shelley Murray, CEO of Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries, shared the results at Friday’s conference of a community needs assessment conducted by Goodwill in partnership with the Regional Chamber. That assessment found transportation, child care, mental health, drug test/substance abuse and housing as the top workforce development challenges.
Goodwill plans to hire a community solutions director to work on solutions, and stakeholders will be convened to identify the next steps in addressing the problems to create and implement solutions.
Guy Coviello, chamber president and CEO, moderated the third panel discussion, featuring state Rep. Nick Santucci, R-64th; Mary Kate Hastings, Northeast Ohio Regional representative to Lt. Gov. Jon Husted; Matt Falter, Lake to River director of talent engagement; and Carol Ramsay-Loomis, OhioMeansJobs Mahoning County manager. It focused on workforce participation and development.
Falter said manufacturing is a main industry in the Valley that needs workers. And the most need is in mid- to high-skill-level manufacturing, engineering, production, scheduling, logistics and distribution positions.
When companies want to expand in or locate to the Valley, a qualified labor force is a significant factor, Falter explained.
He estimated that about 94,000 people in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties travel outside of the Valley to work.
“I think if we can work on some strategies around, No. 1, how do we find out who are these people, where are they going and how do we get them to stay in our market to help fill that labor gap,” Falter said.
Pictured at top: Anthony Trevena, Jim Kinnick, Julie Green and Sarah Boyarko.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
