ASHLAND — Simonson Construction Services began 50 years ago with one employee, Dan Moore, its current president, told a room full of Ashland business and government leaders at Ashland Area Economic Development’s annual meeting on Tuesday.
In its 50-year existence, Moore continued, the company has grown to over 100 people. It has worked on several important construction projects, from buildings at Ashland University to Foundation Plaza on Ashland Main Street.
“We’re invested in our communities and we want our employees to raise their families and be involved in their lives,” Moore said.
Moore also spoke to the partnerships Simonson has developed within Ashland, and its continuing marketing efforts to attract new employees.
The themes Moore touched on — talent retention, unity between businesses, city and county government, and quality of life — were common themes at Tuesday’s sold-out meeting.
“I will tell you quite candidly, as far as I’m concerned, our economic development strategy is to … make (Ashland) the most livable city around: safe, affordable and fun,” said Matt Miller, Ashland’s mayor and the president of Grow Ashland, the economic development office.
What happened?
The meeting featured three keynote speakers from across business sectors. Those speakers were:
- Moore, the president of Simon Construction Services
- Sylvia Radziszewski, the chief operating officer of University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center
- Mike Hall, the vice president and chief financial officer of Novatex North America
Each offered commentary on what trends they saw in their lines of work and how it related to the overall economic state of Ashland. Both Moore and Hall offered their comments in a question-and-answer style with Miller.
It also featured several of the event’s sponsors, who all gave brief explanations about what their businesses do. Those sponsors were:
- Curt Gingrich, president of OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital and OhioHealth Shelby Hospital
- Ethan Karp, president and chief executive officer of MAGNET
- Chris Hiner, regional president of Park National Bank
Miller also offered an update on the state of economic development in Ashland.
“When you take a look at all of our economic indicators here as a community … all the numbers are moving in the right direction,” Miller said.
He said what strikes him about Ashland is that it’s not dependent upon any singular industry to offer employment.
According to a handout from the meeting, the area’s largest employers range from biomedical research (Charles River Laboratories), to Ashland University, to medical (UH Samaritan Medical Center).
Miller also focused on in-progress housing projects, which he touted in his January State of the City address. He said within 36-48 months, the city could see 1,100 new housing units.
Throughout the meeting, attendees were asked to participate in anonymous survey questions. The survey asked questions about their business’s goals and why they worked in Ashland.
Forty-two percent of respondents said in the next five years, they hope to grow their business through hiring more and better-trained employees. Thirty-one percent said they operate their business in Ashland thanks to quality of life.
Takeaways
Cameo Carey, the director of Ashland Area Economic Development, said she looks forward to the future in Ashland. With all the projects in the works, she said the next two years will be a time of change.
Carey said she’s particularly excited about the development taking place in the Pump House District.
Moment Development agreed to purchase the Pump House office building for $400,000 in March 2023, with plans to renovate it into a boutique hotel.
That purchase hinges on a Vision Development project to construct seven buildings on 19 parcels. Those buildings, according to previous Ashland Source reporting, would house up to 150 apartment units, along with restaurants and shops.
Most recently, Ashland Source reported the city was supposed to receive a grant for nearly $1 million to eliminate a rail crossing at Union Street. That removal would further help development in the Pump House district.
“When the Pump House and hotel are complete, those two blocks will look incredible,” Carey said.
For both Carey and Miller, the ability to accomplish that type of development in Ashland comes down to unity.
Miller said it’s easier to move economic development forward when city, county and state government all work together.
Miller added his biggest takeaway from the morning was that, in answer to a survey question about why attendees conducted business in Ashland, 31% selected quality of life.
“That tells us that we’re doing something right,” Miller said.