NILES, Ohio – Access to utilities is a differentiator for companies searching to relocate to a community and Ohio is a great state for investing, according to the president of Enbridge Gas.
“So Enbridge Gas in Ohio is really excited about what’s happening in the Mahoning Valley,” Michele Harradence said Thursday morning at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber’s Salute to Business breakfast.
The company is connecting to the Trumbull Energy Center, the keynote speaker told a packed room at the Eastwood Event Centre.
That will be a gigawatt of power “and that power is so critical to support the advanced manufacturing that’s coming about to these sites,” Harradence said, pointing to Kimberly Clark and its projected 500 new jobs.
“They’re going to be a customer of ours as well,” she said. “And it’s such a differentiator for companies as they look to where they can be. One of the No. 1 things that they look for is that access to utilities, and that access is there now, and Ohio is a great state for investing like that.”
Harradence is also the executive vice president of Enbridge Inc.
Guy Coviello, Chamber president and CEO, called Harradence one of the most powerful women in the energy industry. He said Enbridge is going to be a good partner to ensure Mahoning Valley projects receive the energy they need to be successful.
“So whether that’s Kimberly Clark which is coming up, or something ongoing like Vallorec, or something new like Foxconn, energy is going to be a critical part of continuing to grow here,” Coviello said. “Providing that energy, both in abundance and at a low cost, will continue to make us more and more attractive for the future of manufacturing.”
The Salute to Business breakfast recognized six members of the business community for their work and commitment. The recipients:
- Business Professional of the Year: John Miles, president and CEO of Steelite International.
- Business Advocate of the Year: Tim Petrey, CEO of HD Growth Partners.
- Nonprofit Professional of the Year: Andrea Mahone Blackmon, CEO of Andrea Mahone Foundation.
- Entrepreneur of the Year: Justin White, co-owner and CEO of Advanced Technology Partners.
- Small Business Professional of the Year: Leigh Jaffer, multiunit owner/operator of Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream.
- Salute to Labor Achievement Award: Tony Deley, business manager/financial secretary/treasurer for Ironworkers Local 207.
The breakfast, emceed by 21 WFMJ News anchor Derek Steyer, also recognized this year’s Valley Champion Award recipient, Kip Botirius. The New Middletown native and his wife, Kelly, led an effort to build an inclusive playground in Solon in memory of their son, Sebastian, who died at 4 from a rare disorder.
Youngstown State University’s head football coach, Doug Phillips, in his remarks, urged breakfast attendees to cheer on the Penguins at Thursday night’s home game versus Mercyhurst University.
And David Mannion, Canfield Fair Board president, also addressed the crowd and touted this year’s attractions including Brad Paisley and Lynyrd Skynyrd as well as technology and building improvements.
In her remarks, Harradence also announced that Enbridge is making a $25,000 donation to the Chamber’s Downtown Recovery Fund.
She said the company likes that the Chamber is trying to revive downtown and return it to what it was before Covid.
“And those vibrant communities are something that’s really important to us at Enbridge Gas,” Harradence said. “People don’t always realize we’re there, but we’re there. We’re everywhere. We’re bringing energy. We’re bringing heat to your homes and so strong communities – we think are really important…”
She also mentioned Akil Drake, the Chase Bank employee killed in the May 2024 natural gas explosion at the Realty Tower, as well as those injured. The loss of the 27-year-old is heartbreaking, she said.
“And what I wanted to make sure that folks heard from us is our commitment to work with the National Transportation Safety Board to understand anything … we could do differently that could have changed that outcome, and our commitment to learning from that,” Harradence said. “That’s something that just drives our people every day.”
The NTSB investigation is ongoing but documents released last May pointed to inaccurate records regarding the gas line.
Coviello said Enbridge is among a number of philanthropic businesses that have contributed to helping the Chamber try to reboot downtown Youngstown.
“So this will help us sustain that effort beyond 2025,” he said.
Pictured at top: Michele Harradence, president of Enbridge Gas and executive vice president of Enbridge Inc., address attendees at Thursday’s Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber Salute to Business awards breakfast.