In 2019, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber supported economic development projects that resulted in more than $213 million of investment, the creation of 1,218 jobs and the retention of 901 existing positions throughout the Mahoning and Trumbull counties. The company investments that were announced last year included local industrial expansions and several new attraction projects, with a majority resulting from the Chamber's ongoing business retention and expansion (BR&E) efforts that comprise 400-600 visits to companies annually.
In 2019, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber supported economic development projects that resulted in more than $213 million of investment, the creation of 1,218 jobs and the retention of 901 existing positions throughout the Mahoning and Trumbull counties. The company investments that were announced last year included local industrial expansions and several new attraction projects, with a majority resulting from the Chamber's ongoing business retention and expansion (BR&E) efforts that comprise 400-600 visits to companies annually.
As a result of these investments, the expected economic impact for the two-county area is the creation of 4,521 direct, indirect and induced jobs, $243 million of labor income from these jobs, $645,038 in county sales tax, $590 million of spending, $4.8 million in county property tax and $816,849 in state income tax.
The BR&E visits that the Chamber's staff conducts are one-on-one discussions with company decisionmakers about their potential business opportunities or challenges they may face, which could be related to workforce, machinery and equipment, supply chain and more. The Regional Chamber works to assist with all of these. In addition to BR&E, the Chamber also leads the attraction of new investment for the Valley through ongoing outreach on national and international levels. On an annual basis, the team submits potential properties and responds to requests for information for a range of 45-75 opportunities.
The organization's Economic Development division includes six positions covering the areas of project management, workforce development, research and government affairs. Chief Operating Officer Sarah Boyarko said, "The team works tirelessly to support businesses throughout the Valley. They are an impressive group of professionals who make every effort to resolve issues for local companies and provide the most relevant resources to support their retention and growth."
The Chamber staff supported investments by providing a myriad of resources such as assistance in securing grants to support equipment and infrastructure investments, site selection for new construction, identification of existing buildings and access to an appropriately skilled workforce. A few of the companies that announced their investment in 2019 and utilized the Regional Chamber's services were HomeGoods, with its new distribution center under construction in Lordstown; Panelmatic, which recently expanded into a new building in Brookfield; and Old Dominion Freight Line, which is clearing a site for a new building in Lordstown.
This Year In Review document highlights some of the Economic Development division's accomplishments in 2019/