The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Economic development opportunities discussed
Lorain County Chamber of Commerce hosts its first Economic Summit
“We were having an existential crisis.” — Retired Carnegie Mellon University professor Don Marinell
Ideas to spur economic development in Lorain County and an overview of the status of the national economy were topics of conversation May 9 as the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce hosted its first Economic Summit.
A large crowd filled the Lorain County Community College’s Spitzer Conference Center in Elyria for the event which was meant to spur dialogue between the area’s businesses, educational partners, elected officials, philanthropic organizations and nonprofit entities.
Chamber President Tony Gallo said the summit took nine months to plan and wouldn’t have been possible without the help of sponsors such as Nordson, Northwest Savings Bank, the Community Foundation of Lorain County and FirstEnergy, among others.
“New events are sometimes hard to predict,” Gallo said. “I hope that each and every one of you here today realize the reason for this breakfast is to spur dialogue. So, it’s productive, and hopefully, will result in some actual items for Lorain County.”
Gallo explained an interactive survey at the end of the program, which included questions about economic development options for Lorain County, was meant to help guide the Chamber moving forward.
ClearView Economics LLC President Ken Mayland served as the first speaker and provided information about the status of the national economy.
Mayland said examining economics at the national level is driving force for what analysts see at the state and regional level.
The over arching question Mayland posed to the audience in relation to the national economy was: “Has the new president made a difference?”
Through statistics and graphs, Mayland explained the economy is continuing to expand, but he described the growth as sluggish or unsatisfying and named exports and lack of capital spending as some of the reasons why.
“Most of the country, right now, is facing good economic prospects,” he said. “The economy is growing, but probably not at the pace we’d like to see.”
But politics aside, Mayland said President Donald Trump has made a positive difference in the national economy since taking office.
Pittsburgh is a model
Retired Carnegie Mellon University professor Don Marinelli served as the keynote speaker and discussed the parallels he noticed between Pittsburgh, Pa., where he lives, and Lorain County.
Marinelli said Pittsburgh also was previously known as a steel town and was thriving in the 1970s until the bottom fell out and the steel industry collapsed in the early 1980s.
“We were loosing population galore,” he said. “We were having an existential crisis.”
Marinelli said the silver lining was the residents’ new ability to see the sky, which was much more visible without the smog.
Pittsburgh then began focusing on education and medicine related opportunities, public/private partnerships and exploiting the city’s strengths and uniqueness, he said.
“We find what’s unique in each neighborhood and we promote it,” Marinelli said, noting each region is inviting and some host events such as block parties and cultural festivals. “We love it.”
When looking at abandoned properties, Marinelli said he sees opportunities, as Pittsburgh still has room to improve and grow.
While visiting and driving around Lorain County, which is going through a similar identity crisis, Marinelli said he could see the area’s potential as well.
Marinelli said Lorain County seems to have people who care, but moving forward means accepting the steel mill is gone and focusing on the area’s strengths, such as its rich history.
The retired professor suggested promoting the 1924 tornado which ripped through the city of Lorain and gave the example of the Johnstown Flood Museum located in Johnstown, Pa.
Other highlights Marinelli noted included the many festivals hosted throughout Lorain County, the Lorain Palace Theater and Lake Erie.
“It’s not Lake Erie, it’s the North Coast,” he said. “It’s got 50 percent of all the fish in the Great Lakes. You’ve got to promote it better.”
Lorain County’s diverse economy and involvement in agriculture was another strength identified by Marinelli.
“You’ve got pasture to plate,” he said. “Promote that.”
In closing, Marinelli drew parallels to “The Wizard of Oz,” comparing himself to The Wizard and the audience to characters such as the Cowardly Lion who was seeking courage or the Scarecrow who wanted a brain.
“You don’t need to climb Olympus and Everest to do this,” he said, referring to revamping the Lorain County area. “You just need to see what’s in front of you.
“You don’t really need to kill the Wicked Witch. What you need to see is the good you already have here and you need to figure out how to synergize it and how to get the message out.”
And when it comes to the sports rivalry between teams such as the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Marinelli said that shouldn’t interfere with the two cities’ ability to help each other thrive.
“The fact that Cleveland and Pittsburgh are seen antagonistically is a fallacy that needs to be done away with,” he said. “We’re in the same boat, folks. And if our boat right now is floating a little higher, join us.”