Three Thoughts: What Parking Lots and Crying Babies Tell Us About An Economy

My dad taught me his skill at finding the best local restaurants.  When our family traveled, he had a knack for finding out-of-the-way places to eat even though we’d never been there before.  He had measures that weren’t always obvious or stated, but they worked. 

I once put my skills to the test in Europe.  The best meal was at a second-floor restaurant in a small German village.  No English menu.  Ten tables.  Stares from the “you aren’t from these parts” regulars--but darn good food. 

I’ve applied those inherited skills to industrial development. 

There are conventional measures.  Population growth is the most obvious one.  Media reports the ups and downs of a local economy when the Census estimates come out.  

I like to watch GDP and employment numbers. 

It’s not always the statistics that tell the economic story.  We all look for evidence of prosperity without even knowing we are doing it.

First Thought: Counting cars as a way to measure economic impact

I look at parking lots in industrial parks to measure what’s going on.  A full parking lot is a measure of a substantial workforce and a successful business. 

If a manufacturer’s parking lot has cars late on a Friday, that’s a sign they’re busy.  

If there are newer cars in the lot on a second shift, that’s an extra measure of economic impact of that manufacturer. 

Another Thought: Sensing a community’s economic vitality in church

I can tell how well a community is doing when I go to church.  The number of families in the church are my indirect hints of a strong economy.  

Sadly, in some places I’ve traveled, it is glaring how few babies there are.  If I’m among the youngest at nearly 60 years old, I worry about the economic future of a community. 

My youngest daughter recently moved to a new city in Ohio.  She gave me a chance to put my indirect measures to the test. 

The neighborhood she picked to live in didn’t have the greatest reputation for safety when I was her age.  However, I was calmed as a father when I went to church in my daughter’s new neighborhood.  

I gladly sat in a pew among several large families.  Lots of babies. 

My confidence in the neighborhood’s economic vitality was gleaned from those crying babies.  

Third Thought: Small business activity is reassuring

I contend I’m not alone.  These indirect measures are what we all come to learn over time.  We instinctively form impressions and use them to make economic judgments. 

Small businesses are a sign of entrepreneurial activity and shape our impressions. 

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association reports that over 60% of manufacturers are small ones, employing fewer than 20 people.  

This is where some big developers have missed the point.  

Large, windowless buildings don’t necessarily inspire confidence about the economy when there aren’t visible signs of jobs or activity. 

Give us an industrial park full of cars and a church full of crying babies any day.

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This column is a regular column in The Columbus Dispatch.

Three Thoughts: Lessons From All-Ohio's Paul Brown

 

This coming Saturday will mark the 137^th time football teams in Massillon and Canton will meet on the field.  When the youth meet on the field, there will be a remarkable percentage of the population of both cities in the stands cheering them on as has happened since 1894.  It’s a sports rivalry that may have no equal anywhere. 

One name is inseparable from that tradition: Paul Brown. 

Depending on where you live in Ohio, you may appreciate a different part of Paul Brown’s legacy.  

He was born in Norwalk, played and coached in Massillon, played at Miami University, and coached at Ohio State.  There’s a pro football team still named after him in Cleveland.  He founded the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, which his family still owns.  

He was an all-Ohio guy. 

The Paul Brown story is analogous to the Ohio economic story.  

First Thought: Brown’s all-Ohio story is an economic one

That Massillon vs. Canton rivalry has roots beyond football.  Manufacturers, canals, and the railroads shaped both cities.  The economic rivalry predates the football field rivalry.   

Thanks to Paul Brown, football is a bigger part of the story of many places in Ohio.  

Brown’s contribution has interwoven football and economic growth.  Notably, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton churns tourism dollars in Northeast Ohio.  Football’s impact is an economic impact beyond the Paul Brown’s playing and coaching stopovers in Oxford, Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. 

Another Thought: Known for innovation

Notably, what Paul Brown brought to football at high school, college, and professional levels was innovation.  

Brown’s innovations have become commonplace because they worked.  He established the use of a playbook, game films, and modern face masks that are regular features decades later.  He was ahead of his time on racial integration too. 

Ohioans have brought innovations in the business world.  Cash registers in Dayton.  Synthetic rubber in Akron.  Steam locomotives in Lima.  Giant crushing machines in Etna Township.  The list goes on and on. 

Ohio is synonymous with innovation. 

Third Thought: Brown showed how to prepare to win against tough competition

There are lessons from Paul Brown’s football legacy that apply to economic growth in Ohio.  

Massillon’s Washington High School boasts nearly 1,000 football wins, second in the country.  Miami University is the “Cradle of Coaches,” which includes Brown as well as L.A. Rams coach Sean McVay and N.Y. Giants coach John Harbaugh. 

The common thread?  Brown prepared his teams to win against tough competition.  His preparations carried forward. 

Ohio must prepare to compete too. It’s a state-to-state and international playing field where wins bring economic growth and jobs.  Preparation today brings needed jobs and growth in the future.

Winning takes more than a rallying speech from the proverbial coach. It takes sites ready for investment, infrastructure that supports growth, and people ready to go to work. 

When Ohio wins, we all win.

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This column is a regular column in The Columbus Dispatch.

Three Thoughts: Energy Cost Surge Invites Energy Sector Accountability

 

The Ohio Manufacturers' Association 2026 Energy Conference saw record attendance and earned headlines for tackling tough energy issues and preparing industry leaders to understand the coming trends.  Canary Media reported on forecasts driving up Ohio power bills, and The Columbus Dispatch reported on the PORTS-Pike project slated to be built in Southern Ohio. 

One theme ran throughout the day: accountability.  

Accountability is done for someone, not to someone.  That’s a phrase I’ve always used.  It applies to big organizations too, not just people.  

Accountability is a good thing. 

Energy costs are being watched by many people these days, especially by manufacturers.  

I had three top takeaways beyond the headlines.  

First Thought: Keep an eye on electricity forecasts

Keynote speaker Dr. Jon Koomey of Koomey Analytics said people historically have tended to overstate the impact of new technology and cautioned that growth in data computing use doesn't necessarily imply electricity demand growth.  Electricity load forecasts have caused an inflated sense of future power demands and have tended to impact current prices. Though data centers have been seemingly made to blame, the real issue may be unaccountable projections. 

Panelist Kim Bojko indicated the widely-reported 30,000 MW projection from AEP for Central Ohio has now been modified down to 5,700 MW.  The over 80% drop has garnered little attention. 

We all need to keep an eye on these numbers and challenge assumptions. Brad Belden of manufacturer Belden Brick said, "Customers writing the checks better be there (at the discussion table) too." 

Another Thought: Need to return policy focus to electricity customers

Ohio loses if we lose focus on the manufacturing base of our economy. Industry needs affordable energy to create jobs. Ohio Manufacturers’ Association’s Lindsay Short said, "Reliable and affordable energy is a long strength in Ohio." 

The conference included a panel that proves Ohioans are at the forefront of this vital, national issue.  Two Ohio members of Congress, both House Energy and Commerce Committee members, spoke to the gathering.  

Congressman Bob Latta who chairs the Subcommittee on Energy said about electricity pricing to the room full of manufacturers, "If [electricity is] not affordable, you can't compete."  

Congressman Troy Balderson who chairs the House Energy Action Team added, "We need to lower costs for manufacturers who are providing jobs." 

It’s clear that a focus on electric customers is crucial. 

Third Thought: What does the future hold?

Dr. Koomey said, "No one knows what A.I. electricity needs will truly be. Efficiency and shift in demand are coming." 

Koomey wasn’t the only one looking into his crystal ball at the future of energy issues. 

A panel talked about microgrids.  Microgrid is a new phrase entering the energy sector. It's a phrase used as a counterpart to "behind the meter" and speaks to power generation for a single user. However, it's really an old phrase that means a community providing electricity from a single power source to multiple users. Could microgrids of our past be in our future?  Time will tell. 

The bottom line is this.  Whatever the future may hold, keeping a critical eye on electricity forecasts and focusing policies on electricity customers is the key to accountability for the energy sector.

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This column is a regular column in The Columbus Dispatch.