ASHLAND — As Ashland Main Street’s events saw high attendance and housing projects got underway in town.
The county also saw workforce challenges over the course of 2023, leaders in Ashland’s economic field said.
“I would say in ‘23, the big thing was workforce,” said Amy Daubenspeck, the president of Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce. “I mean, everybody talks about: Where are the workers?”
Ashland Mayor Matt Miller and Cameo Carey, Ashland Area Economic Development’s economic development coordinator, along with Sandra Tunnell, the executive director of Ashland Main Street, agreed with Daubenspeck.
Each said businesses and business owners they’ve spoken with during 2023 have highlighted the need for qualified, skilled workers in the area.
Still, even as workforce challenges have cropped up, each said their organizations have offered businesses support and are working to combat those challenges.
They discussed successes they’ve had over the course of 2023, too.
Ashland Area Economic Development
Miller, Ashland’s mayor, said the economic development strategy he’s championed focuses on Ashland — both city and county — becoming “the most livable community around.”
“If we are an affordable, safe, fun place to live, then we won’t have to worry about attracting new businesses to our area,” Miller said. “We won’t have to worry about attracting new employees.
“If we are a livable community where everybody wants to be, then naturally economic development will come right along with it.”
Still, Miller and Carey said that goal can’t be achieved by sitting back.
Instead, they said Ashland Area Economic Development focused on housing and community reinvestment in 2023.
Miller highlighted the ongoing efforts toward development in Ashland’s Pump House District, along with the Eagle Landings condo development at the intersection of Smith and Baney roads.
That condo development is set for a vote at the Ashland City Planning Commission.
Carey picked up the mantle of economic development coordinator mid-way through the year.
She added she looks forward to finding out about the approval of an Ohio Department of Development grant she applied for in November. Carey applied for $1.2 million from ODOD for a demolition and site revitalization project.
If that grant is approved, it would allow for improvements to the Caraustar building located at 600 Union Street, along with updating the Pioneer National Latex building.
Pioneer National Latex ended production in Ashland at the end of 2022, according to previous Ashland Source reporting.
Ashland may not begin to see the fruits of these efforts for a bit, but that’s normal, Carey said.
“The projects take time,” Carey said. “They take time, and a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff happens before you see actual stuff go into motion.”
Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce
As Ashland Area Economic Development takes the long view on workforce challenges by addressing housing, the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce aimed to help its members in the moment.
Daubenspeck said the chamber started a “jobs board,” where its over 500 members can advertise job openings. Those job openings are advertised on the chamber’s social media, in newsletters and on its website.
“We’ve had members that say, ‘thank you so much for putting it out there for us,’ because then they get more qualified candidates, more phone calls, those types of things,” Daubenspeck said.
Beyond workforce challenges, Daubenspeck said the chamber’s year was a positive one.
It welcomed 54 new members in 2023. Members who took advantage of its benefits programs saved a grand total of $541,000, Daubenspeck said.
She said it was sad to lose members like National Pioneer Latex and Mansfield Plumbing Products. Both shuttered their doors this year.
Still, long projects came to fruition in 2023, Daubenspeck said. She named the opening of The Ashland and the groundbreaking of Foundations Community Childcare — both new chamber members — as two big wins.
The chamber hosted 33 special member events, along with its first-ever “Ignite: Mind, Body, Spirit” women’s conference. Daubenspeck said it would be an annual event, and planning is under way for the next one already.
The chamber also started a podcast and gave out its first-ever mini grants to local businesses.
And as for the new year, Daubenspeck said one new partnership has her excited. The chamber and North Central State College paired to offer free certificate training to chamber members.
That partnership was announced at the chamber’s annual meeting. Daubenspeck said some have already started taking advantage of the opportunity.
Ashland Main Street
At Ashland Main Street, Tunnell, the executive director, agreed with Daubenspeck that 2023 was marked by long-term projects finally coming together.
The Ashland Theatre’s completion was significant for Ashland Main Street, too. In October, the theater received the Heritage Ohio Best Theater Renovation Award. Tunnell said that was the fifth award Ashland Main Street has won from Heritage Ohio.
She added that Ashland got its DORA, or Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area. The first DORA event was Ashland’s annual Costume Crawl.
Another followed for the Black Friday and Small Business Saturday shop hops. With two DORA events under its belt, Ashland Main Street hasn’t seen any issues with it.
Previous Ashland Source reporting found that the first DORA event resulted in record sales for some businesses. Tunnell said she hopes to see DORA use expand downtown in 2024.
She also said one of Ashland Main Street’s goals for 2024 is better tracking engagement with its events.
According to Tunnell, this year’s Ale Fest and Christmas parade each drew huge crowds and served as highlights.
Businesses on Ashland Main Street aren’t immune to the same workforce challenges the city and county are facing.
“Our business owners have to make decisions for themselves and always be looking forward,” Tunnell said.
For Tunnell’s organization, the main goal is helping small businesses navigate those challenges. That can happen through advertisements or making connections.
But more than anything, Tunnell said nostalgia has been a powerful part of her work this year. People who grew up in Ashland and left have returned to town and shared stories with her about how exciting it is to see downtown on an upward swing.
For Tunnell, those stories make all the difference.
“Making people happy is what we do, so it makes me happy when we can do that,” she said.
