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P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E G R E AT E R S P R I N G F I E L D C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E
CHAMBER STORE
INVESTING IN SPRINGFIELD PAGE 4
AT HOME. Global Impact STEM. 2
AT WORK. CIC Launches Fundraiser. 8
AT PLAY.
Inviting tourists to come and play. 6 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
INSIDE VIEWS
Global Impact STEM Academy
The official signing to create the Global Impact STEM Academy. Seated, l to r, Jeff Hoagland, (Dayton Development Coalition) Tom Sudkamp, (Wright State University) David Devier, Andrew Bell, (Clark State Community College) Ed Leventhal, Wandra Truss, David Estrop (Springfield City School District) ONE HUNDRED YEARS AFTER 4-H FOUNDER A.B. GRAHAM STARTED THE BOYS AND GIRLS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT CLUB DOWNTOWN,
“When Sen. (Chris) Widener began telling us about the Global Impact STEM Academy a partnership immediately made sense to us,” Davis said during the press conference held at Springfield is launching the next generation of ag-scientists Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center. “ We’re through Ohio’s first bio-science stem school. in a unique position not just as a food production company, but The Global Impact STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering as a restaurant company. and Mathematics) Academy, to be located in the former South We are pleased to be able to work to put internship High School building, will equip students for the growing bioopportuntities together from our corporate offices, in our science fields, serving the energy, environment, food and fiber restaurants, from food production to safety all along the complex industries. supply chain. “ According to state and industry research: The academy will open with 200 students - chosen by lottery • One out of every seven jobs in from among 50-school districts in and Ohio are in the Food, Fuel and Fiber around Clark County. industries. Local leaders point to three key benefits to • Between 2001 and 2010 the the area: bio-science industry grew by 6.4 1. New opportunities for students: High percent and added 96,000 jobs school students interested in pursuing nationwide. bio-science careers will be able to do • During that same time, privateso while earning college credit in the sector employment fell by 2.9 percent, innovative, hands-on environment of a State Sen. Chris Widener and Bob Evans eliminating some 3 million jobs. STEM academy. • The average salary for bio-science jobs CEO Steve Davis 2. The renovation of South High School: is $68,384. Designed after the Capitol Building, the Springfield South High With State Sen. Chris Widener leading the charge, a signing School building is a beautiful facility fully capable of serving ceremony has held Oct. 1 at the former South High School, future generations. The Springfield City School District is establishing what will be Ohio’s first bio-science STEM school. working with the academy board on a lease agreement for the Partners include: Ohio State University, Batelle, Dayton building. The cost for renovations will be split with the Ohio Development Coalition, Wright State University, Springfield School Facilities Commission. City School District, Clark State Community College 3. Business attraction: With hundreds of students preparing The academy will lease space in the South High School building for the bio-science fields in our area, economic development from Springfield City School District. officials will be able to create an even more attractive package On Oct. 15, Bob Evans Farms CEO Steve Davis announced to businesses that are seeking a workforce-ready site to locate or his company will become the academy’s first corporate sponsor. expand. The Ohio-based company will provide curriculum assistance and On the Web: http://gisaohio.blogspot.com/ internships for the academy.
“Why the Garden Club Couldn’t Save Youngstown”
Our Call to Action
Mike McDorman, President & CEO, Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce THIS SUMMER’S CHAMBER BOOK CLUB SELECTION, “WHY THE GARDEN CLUB COULDN’T SAVE YOUNGSTOWN,” IS A COMMUNITY CALL TO ACTION.
Sean Safford’s book, which the book club finished in October, gives readers a historical perspective on why Allentown and Youngstown have fared so differently since the steel industry crisis in the late 1970s. The relationships and decisions these communities made before, during and after this time of crisis provide valuable insights into our own industrial-based history and what we can do to move Greater Springfield into a prosperous future. As you can guess from the title of the book, Youngstown has not fared as well as its counterpart in the Lehigh Valley in the post-industrial age. Those of you who read the book understand that there were multiple factors that propelled these cities down different paths. For the sake of this column, I would like to address two that stood out the most to me. The first is social capital: Youngstown had established strong socio-economic divides early on, resulting in a social framework that was fragile at best. Its response to crisis was typically fragmentation and infighting. On the other hand, Allentown was able to reach across its established ethnic and socio-economic divides to create plans of actions during challenging times. Safford puts it this way: “Elites (in Youngstown) were clearly in a strong position to exert tremendous influence over the shape the community took as it grew around the turn of the century. But when push came to shove, the choice was not to reach out and build ties, but instead to use divide-andconquer tactics first and then circle the wagons when trouble erupted.” Conversely, Allentown business giant Charles Schwab “used both his and his company’s considerable social capital to construct a social movement... to forge ties between and among the working-and-middle-class neighborhoods.” When the steel industry crisis hit in the late 1970s those established patterns directly affected each city’s response. Again, here’s Safford: “Youngstown’s response was characterized by extreme fragmentation, infighting and ultimately inaction.
“In Allentown a relatively unified coalition emerged and was able to take a number of key actions.” Here’s the second: As companies became more global, business leaders began disengaging the Youngstown community - delivering yet another blow to Youngstown’s attempt to rebuild, as the director of its entrepreneur incubator lamented: “It’s not the funds, it’s the leadership. What we have now are companies that aren’t based here. Generally the communities that benefit are the ones where the CEO parks his butt. We just don’t (have that.)” In Allentown, new business ventures remained engaged in the community, reinvesting in the area’s entrepreneur incubator and the new enterprises. In an article for the Urban Affairs Review, Wittenberg University Political Science Professor Robert Baker provided this summary: “(Safford’s) thesis is that successfully rebuilding industrial regions hinges greatly on the degree to which communities are able to weave and strengthen the fabric of civic engagement, maintain central roles for leaders of key businesses, and create social networks that allow civic interactions to connect the key constituents necessary for rebirth.” Our community visioning process, Greater Springfield Moving Forward, has been an effective tool to facilitate engagement among the area’s civic, economic and government leadership. It is imperative that we not only keep this strategic process going but that we encourage greater participation among leaders in every area of our community- especially in the economic sector. Allentown and Youngstown had a clear choice to make: Take the high road to collaboration and innovation or the low road to the bottom. As we seek ways to work together to create a more vibrant community let’s make sure we’re taking the high road. Have a great Chamber day!
www.greaterspringfield.com
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YOURBUSINESS
Champion City Guide & Supply:
INVESTING IN DOWNTOWN
Johnny Lytle is among Springfield legends featured in downtown Champion City Guide & Supply.
NOSTALGIA HAS NEVER LOOKED SO COOL.
Icons of yesterday have been turned into today’s coolest apparel and branded merchandise, thanks to a very rich local heritage and the creative genius of Hucklebuck Design and its owner, Andy Hayes. And there’s only one place in only one city where they can be found: Champion City Guide & Supply, corner of Spring and Main in Springfield. The boutique retail and visitors center is the brainchild of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. The idea came out of the Chamber staff retreat in December 2011, said Chamber President Mike McDorman. “We wanted to grow the brand identity of Springfield in a new way. This store is meant to be a gathering place for items that you can buy that speak to our storied past as well as speak to where we’re at today and where we’re going,” he said. “We also wanted the store to serve as a lighthouse both for the downtown and the revitalization that is going on there. That’s why this location (at the corner of Spring and Main streets) is ideal.” 4
VOLUME 5, 2011
He handed the creative aspect of the store to CVB Director Chris Schutte. “Chris has a real passion for retail and he had a vision for what this store could become as well as being part of the CVB’s mission of drawing visitors to the downtown and all that Springfield has to offer,” McDorman said. “Our collective vision was for it to be inviting and edgy while at the same time accomplish the goal of creating a positive image of Springfield by telling its storied past through merchandise.” CREATING THE BRAND
With that directive, Schutte contacted Andy Hayes of Hucklebuck Design Studio. “I was familiar with Andy’s work with the Westcott House and Hartman Rock Garden and thought his particular design aesthetic was perfect for this project,” Schutte said. “Andy previously worked for Abercrombie & Fitch, which made him a great fit. He has the unique ability to translate designs to apparel and retail products in a way that few others can.” The brand itself underwent about 20 attempts, Schutte said. “It was a fairly arduous process but we wanted to get it right.” he said. “Creating that initial brand mark was critical to creating the proper expectation of what the store would be.” The store’s branded items range from framed art and mugs to prints and t-shirts that give a nod to Springfield greats such as boxing legend Davey Moore, Hartman Rock Garden, the Westcott Automobile Company and International Harvester. “We are capitalizing on the history, story and people that are unique to Springfield,” Schutte said. “As a resident, it gives you a sense of pride that no other city can claim our history. And for visitors, well, these items are just cool.” www.greaterspringfield.com
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CIC NEWS+VIEWS
CIC Fundraising Campaign:
Partners in Growth
The following organizations have committed to the “Invest in Clark County” campaign. “We are grateful for their continued support,” said Chamber Vice President Horton Hobbs, IV.
Chamber Vice President Horton Hobbs addresses the Invest in Clark County Steering Committee IN 1970, CLARK COUNTY, THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD AND THE GREATER SPRINGFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOINTLY CREATED AN ENTITY DESIGNED TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL OF CLARK COUNTY.
Since then, the Community Improvement Corporation of Springfield/Clark County (CIC) has assisted in the attraction/retention of more than 10,000 jobs and $1.3 billion in new capital investments, keeping the county in Site Selection magazine’s “Top 10” in job growth for six years running. It is now asking for some infusion of its own. In an effort to increase private-sector partnerships in economic development, the CIC has launched “Invest in Clark County” - a five year capital campaign designed to balance the county’s economic development funding between the government and private sectors. The CIC currently receives the majority of its funding from Clark County, said CIC Board Chairman James Peifer. “While we are very thankful for the county’s continued investment in economic development, the CIC cannot nor should it be completely or mostly dependent on government,” Peifer said. “In order to remain the business-driven, business-focused organization it is, it needs significant private-sector support.” The message has been well received among community business leaders, with nearly $2 million raised in the first seven months of the campaign. “Our business leaders understand that the economic growth of the county benefits everyone,” said Dean Blair, steering committee member. “These businesses are stepping up to the plate for economic development.” “A rising tide lifts all boats,” he added. “When we work together to bring more businesses and good paying jobs to this area, it attracts quality workers and insures that Clark County will continue to be a great place to live and raise a family. ” To secure your partnership in “Invest in Clark County” contact Vice President of Economic Development Horton Hobbs at hhobbs@greaterspringfield.com or call 937.325.7621. On the Web: GrowInSpringfield.com 6
VOLUME 6, 2012
Armoloy of Ohio, Inc. Benjamin Steel Company, Inc. Bill Marine Auto, Inc. Brower Insurance Agency Bryce Hill Inc. CBD Advisors Clark County Clark County Department of Jobs and Family Services Comfort Keepers, Inc. Community Mercy Health Partners Dole Fresh Vegetables Eby-Brown Co. LLC Emerich & Peifer Fifth Third Bank First Diversity Management Group Foreman-Blair Buick-GMC-Cadillac Patrick and Kit Field Gordon Food Service Hauck Brothers, Inc. Hays Fabricating Heat Treating, Inc Heidelberg Family of Companies James H. Lagos Company Jeff Wyler Springfield Auto Mall Kapp Construction Konecranes Americas Monte Zinn Automotive Consulting Ohio Edison Pratt Industries Rocking Horse Center Security National Bank seepex, Inc. Sheehan Brothers Vending Speedway LLC. Springfield News-Sun/Cox Media Group The Springfield Foundation Sweet Manufacturing Trutec Industries, Inc. The Turner Foundation Wallace and Turner Insurance Walter S. Quinlan Foundation Wenco, Inc. Yamada North America Yost Superior Co.
CVBNEWS+VIEWS
Award Winning CVB:
Selling Springfield
Award-winning CVB billboard along Interstate 70 east of Springfield. THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB OF A CVB IS SELLING ITS COMMUNITY. This fall, the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors
Bureau was recognized for doing that better than any just about any other community in the state. The Greater Springfield CVB swept the Ohio Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus’ Awards of Excellence ceremony in September, bringing home the most Middy awards of any CVB: eight first-place and two second-place awards. The Middy Awards (named for our Midwest location) recognizes excellence in the areas of print, advertising, promotion, TV/video, internet-related, graphics and radio marketing. Winners are chosen by a panel of destination marketing and advertising professionals based on excellence in objective, results, creativity and originality.
The Greater Springfield CVB is an affiliate of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. With an annual budget of $350,000, the CVB competed in the $300,000-to$750,000 budget category. “I think it’s important to note that this competition was not just among CVBs,” said Chris Schutte, Greater Springfield CVB director. “We held our own against CVBs, theme parks, resorts, hotels and other destinations.” Telling Greater Springfield’s story in a compelling way is critical when it comes to bringing tourists to the area, said CVB Board President Dean Blair. “Our great art venues, historic sites, restaurants and recreational opportunities are only as good as our ability to get them out in front of potential visitors,” he said. “This award confirms we are doing just that.”
RUBYS THREE YEARS RUNNING
In October the CVB was presented two RUBY Awards at the Ohio Conference on Tourism held in Dublin. The Greater Springfield CVB was a finalist in seven categories and was awarded RUBYs in the categories, “Marketing Campaign” and “Direct Mail/Free Standing Insert.” This is the CVB’s third year winning the Ohio Travel Association’s RUBY, which recognizes outstanding advertising, marketing and public relations efforts. It won the RUBY in 2009 for its Greater Springfield Visitor’s Guide and in 2010 and 2011 for its Visit Springfield Ohio website.
Award-winning CVB display at the Dayton International Airport
www.greaterspringfield.com
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HELPING OUR COMMUNITY
Western Clark County:
Building Together
Job Fair at New Carlisle Sports & Fitness Center
A GROUP OF WESTERN CLARK COUNTY BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE FORMED A COALITION TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THAT AREA.
Western Clark County is a very vital area to Clark County’s overall growth, said chamber president Mike McDorman. “Two recent examples of business growth in the area are The Western Clark County Business Coalition has the $8 million expansion of Enon-based seepex, and the partnered with the Greater Springfield Chamber of relocation of R. D. Holder to New Carlisle,” McDorman Commerce to provide services to New Carlisle and Enonsaid. “The chamber was very much involved in assisting with area businesses and promote collaboration for these projects.” economic growth. The group is hoping to achieve a unified Through its partnership with the county voice, Griffith said. wide Greater Springfield Chamber of “We believe we have a little different Commerce- the group hopes to focus its model than the efforts in the past,” he said. efforts on Enon and New-Carlisle specifically “The chamber has the professional staff with and become a significant driver for the skills and motivation to do what we, as economic growth, job creation and tourism business owners, don’t have time to. That’s why opportunities in the western county area. Downtown New Carlisle this partnership just makes sense.” In October, the chamber and WorkPlus “New Carlisle and Enon have great growth One-Stop of Clark County assisted the potential. We’ve barely scratched the surface as coalition with a job fair held at the New to what can be accomplished in this important Carlisle Sports & Fitness Center. The coalition area of the county,” McDorman said. “We’re held its first business after hours in November. happy to work with the coalition to promote a “The response has been good,” said common vision for economic growth.” WCCBC board president, Scott Griffith. “Our main job now is communication. Once we get the message out to the community the response will be even better.” Enon’s Settlers Park 8
VOLUME 6, 2012