Leaders focus on marketing the Valley

By Ed Runyan

Company reps suggested interviewing people from a variety of backgrounds to receive several marketing plans.

NILES — Mahoning and Trumbull counties offer a lot of opportunity for a qualified economic development leader to succeed in attracting and expanding local business, but the area presents some challenges as well.

Among the opportunities are location, work force and timing. Among the challenges are “turf wars” and false perceptions about labor unions, officials said Thursday.

The officials met at Vernon’s Cafe here with three representatives from Heidrick & Struggles, a Chicago company that the Western Reserve Port Authority hired recently to locate an economic development director for the area.

The port authority also oversees operation of Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna.

Among those attending were members of the committee that selected Heidrick & Struggles and representatives from some of the government bodies that have agreed to fund the effort to create an economic development office: Niles, Howland Township, Trumbull County commissioners and the Western Reserve Building & Construction Trades Council.

A similar meeting took place in Youngstown later that day.

John Masternick, port authority chairman, said the two counties are in the midway point between many commercial centers in the East, West, North and South regions.

Others said the area has a skilled work force and continues to have factories where metal is machined, cut and welded as a carry-over from its steelmaking heyday, but also has a significant amount of plastics injection and distribution business.

Several local officials, however, said they suspect the person hired will have to accept that some public officials will be more interested in helping create employment for their own community rather than helping the Mahoning Valley at large.

Frank Fuda, Trumbull County commissioner, said the person selected will have to understand that some perceptions about the cost of using unionized labor are incorrect.

“Our union wages are a lot lower than nonunion wages in some areas,” Fuda said.

“The area is getting a reputation for great labor relations,” added Jim Burgham, secretary-treasurer of the building trades council.

The $1.2 million pledged to run the economic development office for three years is being provided by county commissioners from both counties, plus the city councils of Youngstown, Warren and Niles, plus Howland and the building trades.

Jonathan Graham, head of the Cleveland office of Heidrick & Struggles, said now might be a good time to look for applicants for the job because so many people are looking for such jobs.

When asked how much salary might be required to attract a good person, he estimated between $150,000 and $200,000.

While reviewing a draft copy of the job description, Masternick said he had expected the focus to be on people with previous experience working for a port authority.

But Graham and Charles Commander of the company’s Atlanta office convinced Masternick that a broader search was better.

Among the biggest benefits of getting several candidates from Heidrick & Struggles to interview is the information gained from them.

“You’ll be exposed to a variety of marketing plans and experiences,” Commander said. “I would let that educate you into what’s possible. You will select one, but out of that will come various ideas on what works.”

runyan@vindy.com