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E. Palestine welcomes a wave of new businesses
Photo
Brenda Lansdowne owns B’Sue Boutiques in East Palestine, a jewelry store. B’Sue Boutiques is among six businesses that opened in the town of 5,000 people in the past two months.
East palestine
As the fortunes of Columbiana County rise with its boom in oil and gas operations, so too do those of the cities and towns that make it up.
Small success stories are emerging in pockets of resurgence across the county, and noticeable changes are occurring in East Palestine, where the local economy is beginning to turn the corner after decades of malaise.
The village of about 5,000 that sits in the northeast corner of the county on the state’s border with Pennsylvania finds itself at the center of a hotbed of oil and gas activity.
Private landowners have benefited from the signing-bonuses on their mineral rights, allowing more disposable cash to flow through the community, and industry activity there likely will go unabated for the foreseeable future.
Behind the scenes, the village’s leaders have been pushing economic development for years. It appears their efforts are paying off.
“We asked ourselves what we could do for East Palestine in general,” said Don Elzer, president of the East Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce. “We took a look at the big assets and liabilities to the business community and the difference between reality and perception.”
What Elzer and other civic leaders found was an East Palestine out of touch, failing to capitalize on its small-town charm and rich history. In Elzer’s words, they “set out to change that,” with a marketing plan, public events and a set of administrative policies to show that the community is business-friendly and a good point for commerce.
Within the last two months, six new businesses have opened here and the new year looks prosperous, Elzer said.
Among the village’s new offerings are a sports facility, equine center for indoor horse riding, a jewelry boutique, an antiques shop, a restaurant and an outfit specializing in clock restoration.
“It’s good to have diversity in East Palestine,” said Pete Monteleone, village manager. “We’re always striving for that, trying to revamp economic development and we project more will come with the small things already branching out from the oil and gas industry.”
A large part of revitalization, Monteleone said, is refreshing the village’s administrative policy to better help business owners throughout the community.
That’s been easier for East Palestine’s new leaders, he added. Just this year, Monteleone himself joined a sort of freshman class of administrators, with a new police chief and several new council members.
Thus far, East Palestine has been successful in raising a levy that will generate $290,000 every year for five years to repair streets and make minor upgrades to East Palestine Park, which Monteleone called “the gem of our village.”
Before World War I, East Palestine was considered a leader in the manufacture of rubber and tires, but after the war, the economic landscape shifted, giving way to robust ceramic operations as in other parts of Columbiana County. Throughout the 1980s and ’90s, though, larger ceramic factories were shuttered and the economy grew quiet.
Now, Cirm Custom Decorating, a ceramics company on Route 14, has announced plans to double the size of its current facility and employment is anticipated to jump from 20 to 70 there, Monteleone said.
Elzer anticipates that at least two more businesses will open in early 2013, and along with his wife, Dianna, he has plans to open a “destination restaurant” in town.
Both Elzer and Brenda Lansdowne, who owns B’Sue Boutiques, which opened in November, said it was a coincidence that all six businesses happened to open nearly at once. But they said available property and low interest rates helped to entice owners.
“I think its just time to bring business back to this community,” Lansdowne said. “Down the road, we could outgrow this new building. I’m planning on bringing in people from out of town that are known in the jewelry industry. We’ll be teaching seminars and classes on jewelry that people will enjoy — a place they want to come.”