V o l . 6 , 2 0 1 2 PUBL ICATION OF THE GREATER SPR INGFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

CHAMBER STORE

INVESTING IN SPRINGFIELDPAGE 4

AT HOME. Global Impact STEM. 2

AT WORK.CIC Launches Fundraiser. 8

AT PLAY.Inviting tourists to come and play. 6

Global ImpactSTEM Academy

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AFTER 4-H FOUNDER A.B. GRAHAM STARTED THE BOYS AND GIRLS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT CLUB DOWNTOWN, Springfield is launching the next generation of ag-scientists through Ohio’s first bio-science stem school. The Global Impact STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Academy, to be located in the former South High School building, will equip students for the growing bio-science fields, serving the energy, environment, food and fiber industries. According to state and industry research: • OneoutofeverysevenjobsinOhio are in the Food, Fuel and Fiber industries. • Between 2001 and 2010 the bio-science industry grew by 6.4 percentandadded96,000jobsnationwide. • Duringthatsametime,private-sector employment fell by 2.9 percent, eliminatingsome3millionjobs.• Theaveragesalaryforbio-sciencejobsis $68,384. With State Sen. Chris Widener leading the charge, a signing ceremony has held Oct. 1 at the former South High School, establishing what will be Ohio’s first bio-science STEM school. Partnersinclude:OhioStateUniversity,Batelle,DaytonDevelopmentCoalition,WrightStateUniversity,SpringfieldCitySchoolDistrict,ClarkStateCommunityCollegeThe academy will lease space in the South High School building fromSpringfieldCitySchoolDistrict. OnOct.15,BobEvansFarmsCEOSteveDavisannouncedhis company will become the academy’s first corporate sponsor. The Ohio-based company will provide curriculum assistance and internships for the academy.

“When Sen. (Chris) Widener began telling us about the Global Impact STEM Academy a partnership immediately madesensetous,”DavissaidduringthepressconferenceheldatHollenbeckBayleyCreativeArtsandConferenceCenter.“We’reinauniquepositionnotjustasafoodproductioncompany,butas a restaurant company. Wearepleasedtobeabletoworktoputinternshipopportuntities together from our corporate offices, in our restaurants, from food production to safety all along the complex supply chain. “ The academy will open with 200 students - chosen by lottery

from among 50-school districts in and aroundClarkCounty.Localleaderspointtothreekeybenefitstothe area: 1. New opportunities for students: High school students interested in pursuing bio-science careers will be able to do so while earning college credit in the innovative, hands-on environment of a STEM academy.2. The renovation of South High School:

DesignedaftertheCapitolBuilding,theSpringfieldSouthHighSchool building is a beautiful facility fully capable of serving futuregenerations.TheSpringfieldCitySchoolDistrictisworkingwiththeacademyboardonaleaseagreementforthebuilding. The cost for renovations will be split with the Ohio School Facilities Commission. 3. Business attraction: With hundreds of students preparing for the bio-science fields in our area, economic development officialswillbeabletocreateanevenmoreattractivepackagetobusinessesthatareseekingaworkforce-readysitetolocateorexpand. On the Web: http://gisaohio.blogspot.com/

INSIDE VIEWS

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)

State Sen. Chris Widener and Bob Evans CEO Steve Davis

“Why the Garden Club Couldn’t Save Youngstown” Our Call to ActionMike McDorman, President & CEO, Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce

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THIS SUMMER’S CHAMBER BOOK CLUB SELECTION,“WHY THE GARDEN CLUB COULDN’T SAVE YOUNGSTOWN,” IS A COMMUNITY CALL TO ACTION. SeanSafford’sbook,whichthebookclubfinishedinOctober, 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,duringandafterthistimeofcrisisprovidevaluableinsights into our own industrial-based history and what we can do to move Greater Springfield into a prosperous future. Asyoucanguessfromthetitleofthebook,Youngstownhas not fared as well as its counterpart in the Lehigh Valley inthepost-industrialage.Thoseofyouwhoreadthebookunderstand that there were multiple factors that propelled these cities down different paths. Forthesakeofthiscolumn,Iwouldliketoaddresstwothat stood out the most to me. The first is social capital: Youngstown had established strong socio-economic divides early on, resulting in a social frameworkthatwasfragileatbest.Itsresponsetocrisiswastypically 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 shapethecommunitytookasitgrewaroundtheturnofthecentury. But when push came to shove, the choice was not to reach out and build ties, but instead to use divide-and-conquer 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 amongtheworking-and-middle-classneighborhoods.” 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 wasabletotakeanumberofkeyactions.” 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 communitiesthatbenefitaretheoneswheretheCEOparkshisbutt.Wejustdon’t(havethat.)” 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 UniversityPoliticalScienceProfessorRobertBakerprovidedthis 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 ofkeybusinesses,andcreatesocialnetworksthatallowcivicinteractionstoconnectthekeyconstituentsnecessaryforrebirth.” 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.Itisimperativethatwenotonlykeepthisstrategicprocess going but that we encourage greater participation among leaders in every area of our community- especially in the economic sector. Allentown and Youngstown hadaclearchoicetomake:Takethe high road to collaboration and innovation or the low road to the bottom. Asweseekwaystoworktogether to create a more vibrant communitylet’smakesurewe’retakingthehighroad. Have a great Chamber day!

YOURBUSINESSChampion City Guide & Supply:INVESTING IN DOWNTOWN

4 VOLUME 5, 2011

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,thankstoaveryrichlocalheritageandthecreativegeniusofHucklebuckDesignanditsowner,AndyHayes. 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. TheideacameoutoftheChamberstaffretreatinDecember2011,saidChamberPresidentMikeMcDorman. “We wanted to grow the brand identity of Springfield in a new way. This store is meant tobeagatheringplaceforitemsthatyoucanbuythatspeaktoourstoriedpastaswellasspeaktowherewe’reattodayandwherewe’regoing,”hesaid.“Wealsowantedthestoretoserve 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.”

5www.greaterspringfield.com

He handed the creative aspect of the store to CVBDirectorChrisSchutte. “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 Springfieldhastooffer,”McDormansaid. “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 BRANDWith that directive, Schutte contacted Andy Hayes of HucklebuckDesignStudio. “IwasfamiliarwithAndy’sworkwiththeWestcottHouseandHartmanRockGardenandthoughthisparticulardesignaestheticwasperfectforthisproject,”Schuttesaid.“AndypreviouslyworkedforAbercrombie&Fitch,whichmadehimagreatfit.Hehastheuniqueability 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 thatinitialbrandmarkwascriticaltocreatingtheproperexpectationofwhatthestore would be.” The store’s branded items range from framed art and mugs to prints and t-shirtsthatgiveanodtoSpringfieldgreatssuchasboxinglegendDaveyMoore,HartmanRockGarden,theWestcottAutomobile 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,theseitemsarejustcool.”

CICNEWS VIEWS+

The following organizations have committed to the“InvestinClarkCounty”campaign.“We are grateful for their continued support,” said Chamber Vice President Horton Hobbs, IV.

Armoloy of Ohio, Inc.BenjaminSteelCompany,Inc.Bill Marine Auto, Inc.Brower Insurance AgencyBryce Hill Inc.CBDAdvisorsClarkCountyClarkCountyDepartmentofJobsandFamilyServicesComfort Keepers, Inc. Community Mercy Health PartnersDoleFreshVegetablesEby-Brown Co. LLCEmerich & PeiferFifthThirdBankFirstDiversityManagementGroupForeman-BlairBuick-GMC-CadillacPatrickandKitFieldGordon Food ServiceHauckBrothers,Inc.Hays FabricatingHeat Treating, IncHeidelberg Family of CompaniesJamesH.LagosCompanyJeffWylerSpringfieldAutoMallKapp ConstructionKonecranes AmericasMonte Zinn Automotive ConsultingOhio EdisonPratt IndustriesRockingHorseCenterSecurityNationalBankseepex, Inc.Sheehan Brothers VendingSpeedway LLC.Springfield News-Sun/Cox Media GroupThe Springfield FoundationSweet ManufacturingTrutec Industries, Inc.The Turner FoundationWallace and Turner InsuranceWalter S. Quinlan Foundation Wenco, Inc.Yamada North AmericaYost Superior Co.

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. Sincethen,theCommunityImprovementCorporationofSpringfield/ClarkCounty(CIC)hasassistedintheattraction/retentionofmorethan10,000jobsand$1.3billioninnewcapitalinvestments,keepingthecountyinSiteSelectionmagazine’s“Top10”injobgrowthforsixyearsrunning. Itisnowaskingforsomeinfusionofitsown. In an effort to increase private-sector partnerships in economic development, the CIChaslaunched“InvestinClarkCounty”-afiveyearcapitalcampaigndesignedto balance the county’s economic development funding between the government and private sectors. TheCICcurrentlyreceivesthemajorityofitsfundingfromClarkCounty,saidCICBoardChairmanJamesPeifer. “Whileweareverythankfulforthecounty’scontinuedinvestmentineconomicdevelopment, 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,”saidDeanBlair,steeringcommitteemember.“Thesebusinessesaresteppingup to the plate for economic development.” “Arisingtideliftsallboats,”headded.“Whenweworktogethertobringmorebusinessesandgoodpayingjobstothisarea,itattractsqualityworkersandinsuresthatClarkCountywillcontinuetobeagreatplacetoliveandraiseafamily.” Tosecureyourpartnershipin“InvestinClarkCounty”contactVicePresidentofEconomicDevelopmentHortonHobbsathhobbs@greaterspringfield.comor call 937.325.7621.On the Web: GrowInSpringfield.com

6 VOLUME 6, 2012

CIC Fundraising Campaign: Partners in Growth

Chamber Vice President Horton Hobbs addresses the Invest in Clark County Steering Committee

NEWS VIEWSCVB +

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THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB OF A CVB IS SELLING ITS COMMUNITY. This fall, the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureauwasrecognizedfordoingthatbetterthananyjustabout 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. Winnersarechosenbyapanelofdestinationmarketingandadvertisingprofessionalsbasedonexcellenceinobjective,results, creativity and originality. RUBYS THREE YEARS RUNNING In October the CVB was presented two RUBY Awards at theOhioConferenceonTourismheldinDublin. The Greater Springfield CVB was a finalist in seven categories and was awarded RUBYs in the categories, “MarketingCampaign”and“DirectMail/FreeStandingInsert.” This is the CVB’s third year winning the Ohio Travel Association’s RUBY, which recognizes outstanding advertising,marketingandpublicrelationsefforts.ItwontheRUBY in 2009 for its Greater Springfield Visitor’s Guide and in 2010 and 2011 for its Visit Springfield Ohio website.

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. “Ithinkit’simportanttonotethatthiscompetitionwasnotjustamongCVBs,”saidChrisSchutte,GreaterSpringfieldCVBdirector.“WeheldourownagainstCVBs,themeparks,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 CVBBoardPresidentDeanBlair. “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 awardconfirmswearedoingjustthat.”

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Award Winning CVB: Selling Springfield

Award-winning CVB billboard along Interstate 70 east of Springfield.

Award-winning CVB display at the Dayton International Airport

HELPING OUR COMMUNITY

8 VOLUME 6, 2012

Western Clark County: Building Together

A GROUP OF WESTERN CLARK COUNTY BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE FORMED A COALITION TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THAT AREA. TheWesternClarkCountyBusinessCoalitionhaspartnered with the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce to provide services to New Carlisle and Enon-area businesses and promote collaboration for economic growth. Through its partnership with the county wide Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce- the group hopes to focus its efforts on Enon and New-Carlisle specifically and become a significant driver for economicgrowth,jobcreationandtourismopportunities in the western county area. InOctober,thechamberandWorkPlusOne-StopofClarkCountyassistedthecoalitionwithajobfairheldattheNewCarlisle Sports & Fitness Center. The coalition helditsfirstbusinessafterhoursinNovember. “The response has been good,” said WCCBC board president, Scott Griffith. “Ourmainjobnowiscommunication.Oncewe get the message out to the community the response will be even better.”

WesternClarkCountyisaveryvitalareatoClarkCounty’soverallgrowth,saidchamberpresidentMikeMcDorman. “Two recent examples of business growth in the area are the $8 million expansion of Enon-based seepex, and the relocationofR.D.HoldertoNewCarlisle,”McDormansaid. “The chamber was very much involved in assisting with

theseprojects.” The group is hoping to achieve a unified voice, Griffith said. “We believe we have a little different model than the efforts in the past,” he said. “The chamber has the professional staff with theskillsandmotivationtodowhatwe,asbusiness owners, don’t have time to. That’s why thispartnershipjustmakessense.” “New Carlisle and Enon have great growth potential. We’ve barely scratched the surface as to what can be accomplished in this important areaofthecounty,”McDormansaid.“We’rehappytoworkwiththecoalitiontopromoteacommon vision for economic growth.”

Job Fair at New Carlisle Sports & Fitness Center

Downtown New Carlisle

Enon’s Settlers Park