Dayton businesses look for stability in a time of unrest
Donald Trump visited Dayton in September 2016when he attended a roundtable hosted by Steve Staub, president of StaubManufacturing Solutions and his sister, Sandy Keplinger, vice president of the company.
Businesses traditionally search for stability, and local business leaders said Thursdaytheyneedthatmorethan ever after a violent takeover of theU.S. Capitol and in the midst of a global pandemic.
Business leaders are accustomed to vitriol in Washington, D. C., but what happened Wednesday was different, saidNatalieDunlevey, president of National Processing Solutions, an Oakwoodbased company that processes credit card transactions for a variety of local customers.
“Yesterday just sort of cracked the ceiling,” she said. “I don’t carewhat your opinion is of anybody. We cannot run a country like this. We cannot be at each other’s throats, period. We have to fifigure out a way to come together.”
She added: “There will be some things that I don’t like, therewill be somethings that you don’t like. But we’ve got to fifigure it out.”
Jeffff Hoagland, president and chief executive of the Dayton Development Coalition was shocked and saddened by Wednesday’s violence.
“We need national leadership to continue guiding our country through this pandemic, andthepeaceful transition of power ensures stability for those efffffffffffforts,” said Hoagland, a formerAir Force offifficer. “As an American, I knowour nation is stronger whenwework together, and I pray this dark day in our history renews our desire to unite as one nation. I often describe Dayton as resilient, but so is our country. I knowour strength and perseverancewill carry us into a brighter future.”
“The Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce is focused on getting the region’s economy fully reopened, people back to work and continued relief for small business that have been devastated by COVID-19,” said Chris Kershner, president of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Dayton-area businesses are focused on operating their business, maintaining flflexible business models and taking care of their employees,” Kershner said. “We need continued collaborative leadership in Washington, D.C., around these common objectives.”
A statement from the National Association of Manufacturers arrived like a thunderclap Wednesday evening as the traditionally conservative organization calledonVice PresidentMike Pence to consider invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from offiffice.
“The outgoing president incitedviolenceinanattempt to retain power, and any electedleader defendinghim is violating their oath to the Constitution and rejecting democracy in favor of anarchy,” saidthe statement from JayTimmons, chief executive and president ofNAM. “Anyoneindulgingconspiracytheories to raise campaign dollars is complicit. Vice President Pence, who was evacuatedfromthe Capitol, should seriously consider working with the Cabinet to invoke the 25thAmendment to preserve democracy.”
The 25th amendment createda constitutional path for naming a head of the federal administrative branchwhen the president is disabled or dead. It also formalized the traditional practice of having the vice president take over if the president dies or resigns.
A spokesman for NAM declined Thursday tomake Timmons available for an interview or to offffffffffffer details on the statement.
Steve Staub, owner of Staub Manufacturing Solutions in Harrison Twp., had developeda positive relationshipwith the Trump administration over the years, hosting at least one local visit fromthe president when he was fifirst running for offiffice in 2016 and receiving an invitation to a state of the union address.
Staub on Thursday had a one-sentence reaction to NAM’s statement: “I do not support the statement released by the National Association of Manufacturers.”
A spokesman for the Ohio Manufacturers Association referred questions to a colleague who could not be reached.
TheOhioBusinessRoundtable called for politicians to “put aside partisan alliances.”
“Americaisdeeplydivided, and yesterday’s eventswere a low point in our nation’s history,” the organization said in a statement Thursday. “We call on our leaders in government today to helpournationbybeginning to work together to heal our country, and to represent their institutions in a manner worthy of this country and her people.”