ASHLAND – Things are looking up economically in Ashland County. That was the message Wednesday morning during the 14th annual Ashland Area Economic Development Economic Forecast Breakfast at Ashland University.
AAED Executive Director Kathy Goon listed a number of positive changes that have taken place and new businesses that have come to the area since last year’s breakfast.
- A new BW3s on U.S. 250
- Tim Horton’s opening
- Hampton Inn and Suites opening
- Flour Barrel under new ownership
- Crazy Monkey Bakery expanding
- Chipotle set to open this spring
- Uniontown Brewery in the works in downtown Ashland
As is tradition during the Economic Forecast Breakfast, Goon also gave her predictions for the next 12 months:
- Uniontown Brewing will open this year.
- Chipotle will open, hopefully by May.
- More development on U.S. 250.
- Pharmaceutical company opportunities.
- Growth in the Ashland Business Park.
- Growth in the Loudonville Industrial Park.
- Continued growth in entrepreneurship and small business growth.
- Business retention and expansion visits with local manufacturers.
In the past year, AAED has assisted in more than $12 million in capital investment. According to Goon, that number does not include the $16 million being spent to develop Ashland Commons on U.S. 250 where Chipotle is going to open.
One major change in the past year has been within the AAED itself. Effective, Jan. 1 the AAED has transitioned from a council of government to a non-profit entity.
Goon said one reason for the change was the discovery that the Ashland Economic Development was the only one in the state operating as a council of government.
“The second reason is that it gives us opportunities for grants, for extra funding coming in based on our economic development activities and our partners that we work with,” Goon said.
“We don’t do things any differently than we did before really but how we’re structure and the veil of protection is how we have it,” Goon said.
The AAED has adopted a new mission statement as it changes over to being a nonprofit entity. The mission statement reads,” To assist in the success of our existing business, attract viable companies to grow our communities, lead efforts to develop an attractive environment in investment, and enhance the quality of life in the Ashland area.”
A new website for the AAED is being developed by Advantage Marketing and should launch this spring.
Before Goon spoke, Crazy Monkey Baking owner Teresa Humrichouser, SJE Rhombus Director of Operations Mark Ostlie and Steve Stricklen of Burgess Ambulance took part in a panel, answering question from Master of Ceremonies Mike Kelly, CFO of Hedstrom Plastics and AAED board member. Stricklen, who also is mayor of Loudonville, was forced to fill in for company owner Jack Burgess who was in the hospital Wednesday morning.
Kelly quizzed the trio about hiring, distribution and the impact of taxes and government regulations.
“The challenge we are facing is finding qualified applicants who have some kind of a background or knowledge or experience in the electrical or electronics industry,” Ostlie said.
Ostlie said several local high school programs that teach electronics or electric skills have helped the Ashland SJE Rhombus site find more qualified applicants.
“So I would say we actually have an easier time, a little bit quicker up-to-speed time in gaining employees for that chunk of business here, and we’re seeing evidence of that. In the last four years, we’ve probably seen the headcount in this location grow by about 30 percent,” Ostlie said.
For Crazy Monkey Bakery, distribution is key to the company’s growth.
“We’re a small ship in the ocean when it comes to distribution,” Humrichouser said. “So getting taken seriously in this part of the business has been quite the challenge.”
Grants and levies are good for communities looking to purchase ambulances from Burgess Ambulance, but the uncertainty of the funding makes it difficult for the business to plan.
“I’ve sold ambulances for 26 years. I still don’t know when my downtime is or when my busy time of the year is,” Stricklen said. “There’s just no rhyme or reason to being able to schedule sales.”
Before the panel, Kelly updated the audience on some of the changes he’s seen take place in Ashland County in the past 12 months.
“I’ve been in Ashland now for 20 years and I’ve seen a significant amount of change,” Kelly said. “When I first got here, (U.S.) 250 was a bunch of farm fields. There was a real estate office and farm fields. And now, look at all the development that has happened in the last 20 years.”
Kelly lives near the village of Hayesville and pointed out several changes that have taken place in the “metropolis” of Hayesville, including a new gas station and the Village Point store getting ready to move into a formerly abandoned building.
Kelly praised the new U.S.42/U.S. 250 interchange and the new BW3’s located on U.S. 250 in front of WalMart.
“I’ve never been by there lately when there has been an empty car spot. That place is jammed,” Kelly said. “There are three times as many people as I ever used to see in the old facility. So that was a good decision, but again, there was some apprehension.”
Kelly also discussed the difficulties in international trade because of the value of the U.S. dollar in other countries, the effect of the Internet on big box retailers and the improving job situation in the United States.
