YOUNGSTOWN REVITALIZATION New business owners tout downtown

Company officials are excited to be part of revitalization.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Officials with four businesses say they decided to open downtown because they see the area making a comeback and want to be part of the success story.
The officials spoke Wednesday at the Youngstown Arts and Entertainment District Association's meeting in the Ohio One Building's auditorium. YAEDA's main missions are to attract businesses to the downtown area and revive the city.
'Can-do community'
Steve Brubaker, senior vice president for InfoCision Management Corp., said the telephone marketing company doesn't typically open call centers in cities.
The Akron-based company prefers to open centers in suburbs, such as the facilities it operates in Austintown and Boardman, he said.
But InfoCision officials were greatly impressed with Youngstown city officials and their commitment to attracting businesses to the city.
"This is a can-do community," Brubaker said. "The real key was the renaissance of Youngstown, and its commitment to partner with businesses."
InfoCision opened its 23rd call center last month at 20 Federal Place, the former Phar-Mor building.
The company has 100 employees at the Youngstown location, and wants to add at least 150 more people in the next year there, Brubaker said.
InfoCision is the world's third-largest privately held teleservice company with 2,900 employees. The company had $128 million in sales last year, and anticipates a 15 percent increase in business for this year, Brubaker said.
Hot pizza business
It's not just large companies opening in the city's downtown.
For the past two years, John Thompson has operated Tomasino's Pizza on West Federal Street.
Thompson said many people questioned why he would open a business in downtown Youngstown, but he says the restaurant has thrived.
"What happened in our city's past is incredible," he said. "Now, it's up to us to rebuild and return the city to prominence. I'm happy to be part of the next generation of people to build in Youngstown."
Thompson said he encourages others to open businesses in Youngstown.
Joe Perkins, founder of Perkins Communications, was born and reared in Youngstown. He was here when the city thrived, lived through the closings of steel mills and the ensuing economic depression. He now wants to be here during the city's comeback. Perkins said when he founded his high-technology computer business five years ago, he never considered Youngstown.
"My natural instinct was not to come here because the city was on the decline," he said.
Perkins opened his business in Cleveland, and then decided to relocate to somewhere in the Mahoning Valley.
"I was looking at Liberty, Girard, Austintown and everywhere else," but Youngstown, he said.
Then he looked at space at the Youngstown Business Incubator on West Federal Street two years ago and immediately knew it was the place for his company. Perkins also said he sees a huge turnaround in the fortunes of downtown Youngstown.
Ideal for film
Richard Ouzounian, founder of the Western Reserve Film Commission, said Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley is an ideal location for television and movie productions.
Also, he wants to create a film and television technical school at the former Phar-Mor building. If a film or TV show is being made here, Ouzounian said the area would have people trained to serve as production crews.
"We can bring new life to this area," he said.