Allen Economic Development Group

Lima-Allen County is a shining example of how a community can come together to successfully address workforce improvement and economic development needs through innovative partnerships between economic development, business and education.

The addition of thousands of local jobs and a significant drop in the local unemployment rate are positive reflections of Ohio’s strong economic resurgence and the continued need to align the requirements of job creators with training opportunities. In the past students were encouraged to get an education then decide upon a career. In Lima-Allen County, our philosophy has certainly evolved. As a part of our strong and continued alliances with business and education, together we are identifying where the short-term and long-term employment needs are and providing students with the skills-training they need to fill those jobs currently going unfilled. Career technical schools and area colleges and universities are collaborating in ways they’ve never partnered before. They are responding quickly to what businesses need in Allen County and are preparing for the potential needs of new business and industry. The level of cooperation you will find here is difficult to find anywhere else.

Lima-Allen County is home to some of the most advanced technologies and manufacturing processes in the world. In fact, some of these technologies are only being implemented here. Ford, Procter and Gamble, Metokote, American Trim, General Dynamics, Husky Energy, Potash, Ineos and DTR Industries are a few examples of global companies investing and employing locally.  This is possible because we have an experienced and talented workforce, strong infrastructure and stable and affordable utilities.

For years, Lima was known as the crossroads for passenger trains. Now we are the regional hub for healthcare, advanced manufacturing, transportation and logistics, retail and education. We have shovel-ready industrial parks in place with utilities and the capability to expand. That’s in large part due to successful public and private partnerships. It is by working together that Lima-Allen County has made tremendous strides in all sectors of our economy.

Whether it’s new business or existing business looking to grow, Lima-Allen County provides companies with the infrastructure they need for success. We are strategically located along Interstate 75 and U.S. 30 with immediate access to transportation such as highways and rail. Lima-Allen County is within 600 miles of 61% of the US population, 72% of the US purchasing power, 70% of North American manufacturing and 80% of corporate headquarters.  This makes Lima an ideal location to get products out quickly and is appealing to new as well as existing industry.

The Allen Economic Development Group, Allen County Commissioners and the Visionaries have established a long-term strategic plan for the organization; ensuring continued economic development growth.

The organization will continue dedicating itself to attracting new business and growing existing business throughout the region, working closely with city, township and county officials to coordinate economic development activities, and diligently forging strong partnerships with regional and state agencies, business and education.

There are enormous opportunities right now in our community. We are two cities, eight villages and 12 townships. It’s our obligation to continue to work together to engage and excite students about the opportunities so they will continue on with their education or skills training and to continue our heritage of “Lima-Allen County, Real American Strength”.

Data Center

Allen County offers our business partners a long and rich history. Allen County is located on Interstate 75, one of the country’s major north/south transportation routes. Our strategic location has established Allen County as a dominant business community in West Central Ohio. We stand ready to assist by providing a high quality workforce, strong educational infrastructure, north/south and east/west transportation network and a diverse business climate.

Colleges

& Universities

Bluffton University

James A. Rhodes State College

Ohio Northern University

The Ohio State University at Lima

State and Local Resources

COMMUNITY

• Allen County

• City of Lima

• Village of Bluffton

• City of Delphos

• Village of Spencerville

THE CENTER FOR BUSINESS SERVICES

• Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce

• Lima/Allen County Convention & Visitors Bureau

• Allen Economic Development Group

• Downtown Lima, Inc.

• Allen/Lima Leadership

• Lima/Allen County College Access/GEAR-Up Program

• Walter C. Potts Entrepreneurial Center

COUNTY

• Allen County Auditor

• Allen County Department of Job & Family Services

• Allen County Engineer

• Lima-Allen County Regional Planning Commission

• The Business Express

• Allen County Emergency Management Agency

REGION

• Bluffton Center for Entrepreneurs

• Rocket Ventures

• Small Business Development Center at Rhodes State College

• West Central Association of Realtors

• Ohio Skills Bank

• WorkingEd

STATE

• JobsOhio

• Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation

• Ohio Department of Commerce

• Ohio Development Services Agency

• Ohio Department of Job & Family Services

• Ohio Labor Market Information

• Small Business Development Centers of Ohio

FEDERAL

• Business.USA.Gov

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

• U.S. Census Bureau

• U.S. Small Business Administration

Target Business Data

Allen County offers our business partners a long and rich history. Allen County is located on Interstate 75, one of the country’s major north/south transportation routes. Our strategic location has established Allen County as a dominant business community in West Central Ohio. We stand ready to assist by providing a high quality workforce, strong educational infrastructure, north/south and east/west transportation network and a diverse business climate.

Cost of Living

Allen County is an affordable place to do business, raise a family and live.

An attractive cost of living index compared with other communities, reasonable real estate taxes and other amenities makes Allen County a great place to do business. For more information on Allen County Taxes, visit Allen County Treasurer website.

Visit HomeFair’s website for salary calculator, school reports, city reports and more information on the area.

The Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor is available here as a pdf file for your convenience.

The National Association of Home Builders lists Lima in the top of the nation for median prices of new and existing homes in urban markets. Visit the West Central Ohio Realtors Association to look at available houses in our area.

Target Business

Data

Allen County is a business-friendly community offering strategic location, attractive incentives, low operating costs and available workforce.

Allen County is within 600 miles (966 kilometers) of:

61% of the US population

72% of the US purchasing power

70% of North American manufacturing

80% of corporate headquarters

Recognizing the increasing demands of the global marketplace, Allen County offers a world-class business park customized to meet the needs of both international and domestic companies. The 350-acre park offers companies a number of competitive advantages including a 135-acre I-75 fronted Foreign Trade Zone and a 267 acre I-75 and US 65 fronted Industrial Park.

Some of the major corporate players include: P&G, Husky, General Dynamics, Pepsi, Ford, Gasdorf, Metakote and numerous others.

Highway Accessibility

In addition to I-75 (north/south) and US 30 (east/west), Allen County is served by five (5) major state routes: 309, 117, 81, 65 and 66. Both LTL and TL overnight services are provided by major freight companies with several Allen County based carriers providing “just-in-time” movement of production support materials and delivery to customers.

Rail Accessibility

Rail freight service is provided by CSX, Norfolk Southern, Indiana & Ohio-Chicago, Ft. Wayne and Eastern (both Genesee & Wyoming subsidaries) and RJ Corman. These combined Class I Regional and short-line services create an unequaled grid on long-haul transportation options for local businesses. Development sites with rail access are available.

Airport Accessibility

Allen County is served by a regional airport. The Allen County Airport has a fixed base operator, a 5,149 foot lighted runway, Instrument Landing System (ILS), and jet fuel and maintenance service for all types of aircraft. The airport is capable of accommodating aircraft up to the size of a 727 or DC9. Commercial air service is available at Dayton International, Port Columbus and Toledo Express.

Many business owners feel business insurance is an expense they cannot afford, or is a luxury for more established businesses. Although it is true business insurance can be expensive, it is an expense every business, regardless of the industry, size or length of time in existence, needs to include in its budget.

Catastrophic Loss

Business insurance protects a business from closing due to a catastrophic loss. Fires, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes have been the end of many businesses in Texas, as elsewhere. When a company carries insurance against these types of losses, closure and loss are only temporary instead of permanent. Companies shoule always consider business interruption insurance, a rider on their business insurance policy, to ensure continued cash flow for the duration of a closure due to a natural disaster.

Liability

If a customer slips and falls while on your business premises or your product has a defect that injures a customer and you do not have insurance, this could spell the end of your business. If a company car is involved in an accident and someone is injured, that could be disastrous as well. Business liability insurance covers accidents that occur on the business premises, product defects and mishaps that occur during normal business operations on and off premises.

Theft

A new business is a big target for thieves. New computers, furniture and other office equipment is worth more at a pawn or chop shop than older equipment. Even older businesses that have just undergone renovations and upgrades are a target. Replacement insurance protects a business in the event equipment is stolen, replacing the missing items and paying for repairs from damage caused by the invasion.

Litigation

We live in a litigious society. Even with the Texas tort reform legislation passed in 2003, which capped judgments and sought to eliminate frivolous lawsuits, businesses are sued by individuals and other businesses for a variety of reasons, legitimate and otherwise. Even the most frivolous lawsuit can be costly to defend; and in the event a business ends up on the losing end of a lawsuit, the awarded damages could exceed the business’s capabilities to pay. Depending on the business entity structure, not only the business assets, but also the owner’s personal assets could be at risk. Business liability insurance, malpractice insurance or professional liability insurance will cover at least part, if not all, of any damages.

Personal Injury or Illness

Business owners should have personal insurance as well. Medical insurance will ensure medical bills incurred due to an illness or injury will not wipe out a business’s assets. Considering Texas has some of the highest medical costs in the country--costs per person are over 24 percent higher than the national average--going uninsured could potentially bankrupt a Texas business owner if he were to become ill.

Level of Coverage

How much insurance to carry will depend on your industry, the business structure and the amount of assets your business has. The location of the business within Texas, such as coastal or rural, and whether the building is leased or owned will also be a factor. For example, a law firm partnership that owns the building in which it is housed might need more insurance than a jewelry designer operating out of her home.

There is an adage in business that states, “If you are not growing, you’re dying.” Thus, the underlying concept is you have to be big to succeed. While being “big” may work in a variety of industries, many in the printing industry (today and future) need to think about being nimble – and that often means you have to be “small.”

Of course, that leads to the question of what is “small?” The Small Business Administration defines a small company having less than 500 employees, which is practically 98% of the printing industry. I’m thinking of small being a company with less than 25 employees. Why 25? There are a lot of reasons, including that multitude of state and federal mandates affecting businesses with more than 25, but it’s about management and technology.

Whether we like it or not, technology will continue to affect print (visual communications) and how it’s distributed and used throughout the rest of this decade. The strategy of buying “bigger” presses to grow a business is no longer a viable one. That may have worked in the days of growing mass printed communications, but that market is shrinking, and there is too much capacity in the market. All one has to do is look around in today’s landscape and you’ll note that the companies which are struggling have a lot of iron on their floor, while those that are succeeding have focused on the newer technologies and expanded the types of services/products they produce. And that brings me to the management issue.

Managing a larger company has always been tough – but with today’s massive changes and more and more state and federal mandates – the road is littered with obstacles. Larger companies can succeed, but they must have extraordinary vision and management skills. While managing a small company isn’t a piece of cake, managing its future is much simpler. There are no shareholders or stakeholders (management team, sales team, bankers) which have a discernible effect on the company’s direction. Yes, there are stakeholders (key customers and employees), but those stakeholders tend to have more loyalty (relatively speaking) and commitment to the success of the company.

So, next time a talking head says that the only way to succeed is to grow “bigger,” give consideration to the concept that there’s nothing wrong with being small and as Goldilocks said that could be “just right.”

As the U.S. health care system continues to evolve, industry demand for more highly educated nurses is growing. Data from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing shows current and prospective nurses are responding to rising education requirements: enrollment in all types of programs at nursing schools across the country increased from 2010 to 2011.

Some nursing schools offer graduate certificates that allow nurses to expand their expertise and meet critical areas of need in the nursing profession. Offered to nurses with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, graduate certificates are designed to enhance nurses’ professional competencies and prepare them to apply for national certification in specialized disciplines.

“As the patient population becomes more diverse, and the delivery of care more complex, nurses with advanced knowledge and skills can influence the quality of care that patients receive,” says Carole Eldridge, director of graduate programs for Chamberlain College of Nursing. “With expertise in in-demand disciplines, nurses can also expand their current scope of practice and increase their professional marketability.”

Chamberlain offers online Graduate Certificate Programs for MSN-prepared nurses to hone their expertise in either education or informatics, with or without practicums; practicum is optional for students with practical application experience in their area of study. Graduates of the Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education Program will be prepared to take the National League for Nursing’s Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) exam, and graduates of the Graduate Certificate in Nursing Informatics Program will be prepared to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center Informatics Nursing exam.

Graduate certificate programs help meet the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations for nurses to achieve higher levels of education and for nursing schools to find new ways to prepare nurses to better meet evolving patient needs. They can also help nurses respond to areas of need in the health care workforce.-

One such area is nursing education. U.S. nursing schools turned away more than 75,000 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing degree programs in 2011 due, in part, to insufficient faculty. Without enough educators, the industry cannot prepare enough incoming nurses to respond to the growing national shortage.

Health care informatics is another fast-growing field. A 2012 report by Jobs for the Future and Burning Glass Technologies measured online job postings from 2007 to 2011 and found that health care informatics positions grew by 36 percent, while total online job postings for that same period grew by only 6 percent.

The modern health care setting is dependent upon nurses with the specialized knowledge to oversee implementation of innovative information technology, such as electronic health records. Nurses with a graduate certificate in nursing informatics can be prepared for a variety of related roles, including clinical informatics analyst, informatics nurse specialist or chief nursing information officer.

The increase of graduate certificate programs demonstrates that academic leaders and nurses are committed to building a strong, well-educated workforce that is prepared to address the health care challenges of tomorrow.

(Courtesy of Brandpoint)

Obtaining a post-graduate degree can give one a sense of overwhelming accomplishment. It’s also the only way to gain access to the highest-paying jobs available. According to Simplyhired.com, the average salary for someone with a post-graduate degree is $57,000; nearly 25% greater than those with a just a bachelor’s degree. The top five highest-paying jobs have two things in common: they require a post-graduate degree, and all have starting salaries over $100,000.

MBAs

Sitting mightily at the top of the list, the MBA is the most lucrative and malleable of graduate degrees. Its specialties include business, finance and accounting. It can be applied to any type of management operation. Considering its high ranking, the fact that it requires only a master’s degree gives it the highest cost-reward ratio as well. MBA programs have become so popular that they can even be completed online, or by attending school part-time for less than $10,000. The average salary for a management position is $105,000 whereas CEOs pull in an average of $1,352,000 according to Salary.com. (For related reading, see Alternatives To Business School.)

Medical Profession

The medical field has been an in-demand sector for employment for many years, but no medical career path is as grueling and rewarding as becoming a doctor. Obtaining a medical doctorate is a monumental undertaking that requires three to four years of post-graduate study before moving on to a residency program that can last as long as seven years. However, the personal gratification of saving lives and earning a median annual salary of $180,000 is healthy compensation. For those with entrepreneurial spirits, starting one’s own practice can bring in well over $1,000,000 yearly.

Law Degree

Earning a juris doctorate degree is the highest degree possible for those seeking a career in law. After three years of law school, one must pass the bar exam in order to practice as a lawyer. This degree is also the most popular for politicians. Legal professionals typically earn $130,000.

Engineering

Engineering degrees are popular at every level, but obtaining a Ph.D. earns top honors. These professionals cover fields such as computers, chemicals, aerospace and more, but the highest paying sub-specialty is petroleum. While the push for green energy is still a priority, the oil industry is the number one manufacturer of power and shows no signs of slowing down. Working offshore on oil rigs may be a lonely lifestyle, but their annual income of $128,000 gives them plenty of spending money when they come back to shore.

Education

Teachers are usually thought of as being underpaid, but college professors are definitely the exception to the rule. A Ph.D is required, along with original research for most collegiate institutions. An aspiring professor must have more than just a degree to apply for a position. They must have several published writings and experience as a teacher or assistant professor. Becoming tenured is well worth the hard work though because average income hovers around $100,000 annually.

The Bottom Line

Continuing college education at the graduate level is a hefty commitment of both time and money, but the potential payoff can be enormous. When considering what field to study, the quality of the job itself should be considered instead of simply looking at monetary figures. The Bureau of Labor Statistics breaks down every occupation by degree requirements and salaries, making it easier to find the right path that combines pay with career satisfaction.

The economic crisis is over. But the recovery is moving slower than predicted and the country needs to put people back to work.

During the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009, only three consistent institutional providers of net credit to the economy existed:

1. The federal government in direct Treasury, Fed loans or government guarantees

2. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Group

3. Credit unions: $272 billion in loan originations in 2009, up 7.2% over 2008’s record level

Credit unions have demonstrated the ability to provide a countercyclical solution to financial market challenges.

The recovery is constrained because consumers are still caught in a “deadly grip of debt,” according to the New York Times. Over-committed borrowers cannot spend more, let alone borrow more. The $11.9 trillion debt hangover has driven consumers debt-to-income ratios to all-time highs.

The Uniquely Credit Union Role

Corporate America has aggressively financed its short- and long-term debt since the recovery began in mid-2009 by taking advantage of the lowest interest rates in memory. These interest savings pass through to the firms’ bottom lines. The average consumer, however, has not had the same opportunity. Few financial institutions want to exchange a higher yielding, paying loan for a lower yielding one. Why disintermediate the assets on one’s balance sheet and lower earnings, especially with the pressure to modify terms on customers who are having trouble paying?

In a September 4, Wall Street Journal article made two points:

• Lower dollar LIBOR rates should be a boon to markets and the economy.

• The combination of low borrowing rates and a huge stockpile of cash should be tinder for a wildfire of economic growth.

• Investments at credit unions total more than $310 billion out of $916 billion assets. Credit unions currently have $574 billion in outstanding loans, including 13.2 million credit cards, to 45.7 million borrowers.

Every time a credit union modifies a member’s loan and reduces their payments, it puts immediate cash into that member’s hand month after month. The member will put that money toward savings, use it to pay down debt, or re-invest it in additional debt such as a new car or a home-remodeling project. This kind of economic boon is direct and immediate, and when it is repeated hundreds, thousands, or millions of times throughout a community or region, it puts demand back into the economy. Demand is what causes employers to order more, increase hiring, and invest in growth; these are the keys to accelerating America’s slow recovery.

The process is happening now credit union by credit union, member by member. The data is coming in. Mortgage pipelines are filling. Refinancing demand (80% of total) is getting close to the record levels of the first quarter 2009.

On average, credit unions lowered their credit card rates to around 10% on June 30, 2010. Banks have raised rates to close to 15%. This five-percentage-point savings puts an additional $50 million of spending capacity over a year’s time for every $1 billion of card debt outstanding.

A Callahan employee asked to refinance his first mortgage at a credit union; the credit union responded with a no-cost, no-fee modification to a 3.75% 5/1 ARM.  That lower rate added almost $1,000 each month to his household’s cash flow.

Setting these financial sparks is what credit unions do. The focus on members and long-term relationships encourages proactive initiatives for existing and new members. These actions also benefit the credit union. Even at lowered rates, the increased yield on new loans over short-term investments is 3-4%. If $100 billion of current investments were converted, this increase would add $3.5 billion in total revenue over a year. Most of the increase would go directly to the bottom line.

Next Steps

As credit unions facilitate consumer access to historically low rates, their collective action addresses the three big issues facing the country:

Converting idle economic resources into cash flow that directly benefits consumers, which in turn strengthens confidence, a critical factor in a faster recovery and job growth,

Demonstrating that actions by market-facing firms can be immediate, direct, and that government intervention, required in the crisis phase, can now be drawn back,

Highlighting the critical counterintuitive role credit unions perform in the economy, a fundamental part of their social compact. Doing the right thing for the member is credit unions’ sole reason for being. They are different by design.

Blanchard Valley Hospital Among Top 5% of U.S. Hospitals for Patient Safety for the Fourth Consecutive Year

Blanchard Valley Hospital has been named a recipient of the Healthgrades® 2013 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ by achieving patient safety ratings that are in the top 5% of U.S. hospitals. This means that BVH is an excellent performer in safeguarding patients from serious, potentially preventable complications during their hospital stays. This is the fourth consecutive year BVH has received this award.

The Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award is based on a study released by Healthgrades that analyzed nearly 40 million hospitalization records from approximately 5,000 hospitals nationwide that participate in the Medicare program to determine how each hospital fared in preventing 14 of the most avoidable patient safety events. Through the study, BVH was found to be in the top 5% in the country at preventing these events.

When compared to hospitals performing in the bottom 5% for patient safety, on average, patients treated in Patient Safety Excellence Award hospitals were:

81% less likely to experience hip fracture following surgery compared to hospitals ranked in the bottom 5% in the nation[1]

80% less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital compared to hospitals ranked in the bottom 5% in the nation1

70% less likely to experience a catheter-related bloodstream Infection acquired in the hospital compared to hospitals ranked in the bottom 5% in the nation1

“Healthgrades report highlights the variation in hospital quality, both locally and across the nation, in order to show consumers that spending time on understanding hospital performance can be a matter of life and death,” said Evan Marks, EVP Informatics and Strategy, Healthgrades. “Consumers can be assured that a hospital that has been recognized with a Healthgrades 2013 Patient Safety Excellence Award has demonstrated an established commitment to patient safety.”

To determine each hospital’s 2013 patient safety ranking, Healthgrades evaluates Medicare inpatient data from the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) database for three years (2009-2011) and uses Patient Safety Indicator software from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to analyze 14 AHRQ Patient Safety Indicators.

13 of the 14 patient safety events analyzed for this award are:

• Death in procedures where mortality is usually very low

• Pressure or bed sores acquired in hospital

• Death following a serious complication after surgery

• Collapsed lung due to procedure or surgery in or around chest

• Catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired at hospital

• Hip fracture following surgery

• Excessive bruising or bleeding resulting from procedure or surgery

• Electrolyte and fluid imbalance following surgery

• Respiratory failure following surgery

• Deep blood clots in lungs or legs following surgery

• Blood stream infection following surgery

• Breakdown of abdominal incision site

• Accidental cut, puncture, perforation or hemorrhage during medical care

The fourteenth patient safety indicator (foreign object left in a body during a procedure) is not evaluated as presence of this event is a disqualifier for consideration for the Healthgrades award.

For more information about Healthgrades, to download a full copy of the report or to get information about hospital and physician quality, visit healthgrades.com.

Lima, Ohio, March 26, 2013 - Denny Staude was recently named Director of Packaging for Wannemacher Packaging.

Staude will be responsible for all day-to-day operations of Wannemacher’s packaging facilities in Lima, the Liquid Fill plant in Van Wert and Wannemacher’s recently acquired Midwest Spray Drying facility in Upper Sandusky.

During his 30-plus year career, Staude has worked in various positions in the food and dairy industry with such companies as Borden and General Foods. He was most recently Plant Manager of Wannemacher’s Liquid Fill plant.

Wannemacher Total Logistics was founded in 1991 and includes freight logistics, distribution services, warehousing, transportation, and contract packaging.

“Construction held up better than a number of other industries in part because of Hurricane Sandy-related rebuilding and the fact that construction’s cyclical timing tends to lag that of the broader economy.” —ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu.

Summary

The construction industry unemployment rate fell to 14.7 percent in March, down from 15.7 percent in February, according to the April 5 employment report by the U.S. Department of Labor. The nation added 18,000 new construction jobs in March. Year-over-year, the construction industry workforce has expanded by 2.9 percent, or 162,000 jobs.

Specialty trade contractors, the largest subsector within the construction industry, added over 23,300 jobs in March, and have grown by 112,500 jobs, or 3.2 percent, compared to the same time last year. Among specialty trade contractors, residential specialty trade contractors added 12,500 jobs for the month and 72,900 jobs, or 5 percent, from one year ago. Nonresidential specialty trade contractors gained 10,800 jobs for the month and added 39,600 jobs, or 1.9 percent, during the past year.

Other construction subsectors also continued to expand. Nonresidential building construction employment rose by 1,000 jobs last month and is up by 21,100 jobs compared to a year ago. Employment in this sector stands at 682,100 jobs. Employment in the residential building segment expanded by 2,300 jobs in March and is up by 4,900 jobs, or 0.9 percent, compared to one year ago. Heavy and civil engineering represents the only subsector that lost jobs for the month of March and is down 8,800 jobs. However, employment in this subsector remains 2.7 percent, or 23,700 jobs, above the March 2012 level.

Overall, the nation added 88,000 jobs in March and has added 1.8 million jobs during the past twelve months. Last month, 95,000 jobs were added in the private sector while the public sector contracted by 7,000 jobs.

The national unemployment rate fell to 7.6 percent in March, down from 7.7 percent the previous month and down from 8.2 percent in March 2012.

Analysis

“ABC has been warning for several months that growing fiscal headwinds emerging from Washington, D.C., would eventually interrupt the momentum of the U.S. economic recovery,” said Associated Builders and Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “That time may have come.

“Many economists were surprised by the vigor of the U.S. economy given the higher tax rates that took effect on Jan. 1, the sequestration and continued wrangling in Washington,” remarked Basu. “However, should the slowdown persist as sequestration-related cuts steadily grind into the economy, construction will begin to feel the sting later this year.

“In March, construction held up better than a number of other industries in part because of Hurricane Sandy-related rebuilding and the fact that construction’s cyclical timing tends to lag that of the broader economy,” Basu stated. “For example, construction employment expanded by 18,000 jobs last month, with employment among specialty trade contractors rising by 23,000 jobs.

“The hope is that the March employment data represent a one-month blip–a statistical aberration in the wake of several surprisingly good employment reports in prior months,” Basu offered. “On the positive side, today’s employment report implies that interest rates will remain low, which all things being is equal, is good for real estate valuations and for nonresidential construction.”

LIMA, OH --- Tuttle Construction, Inc. has recently named Mike Baxter and Brent Stechschulte as Senior Project Managers of Tuttle Construction, Inc.  Mike and Brent will continue to work under the direction of Paul S. Crow, President of Tuttle Construction, Inc.

Mike has 20 years of experience in the construction industry, and has worked with Tuttle Construction since 2004 as a Project Manager and Estimator on various size construction projects primarily in the industrial and petrochemical market. Mike is a graduate of Columbus Grove High School, and has a B.S. in Construction Management from Bowling Green State University.  In addition to his current duties as a stockholder at Tuttle Construction, Mike’s new responsibilities will be to manage and focus the company’s operations in the petrochemical industry.

Brent joined the Tuttle team in 2006 after having accumulated 17 years of experience as a Project Engineer, Project Manager and Engineering Manager for an industrial company with locations throughout the United States and in 8 foreign countries. He has a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and an Associates Degree from ITT Technical Institute in Tool Engineering. Brent’s responsibilites include project management and estimating of various sizes of industrial, commercial, medical and governemental projects for Tuttle. Brent’s new responsibilities will be to   manage the company’s operations in the commercial and manufacturing industry.

Along with their new duties, Mike and Brent will participate in stockholder meetings, submitting team reports at Team Leader meetings, building and sustaining client relationships, mentoring and leading Project Managers and Project Engineers and proactively contributing to the company’s strategic vision and plan.

Tuttle Construction is a subsidiary to its parent company to Tuttle Services, Inc. and a sister company to Touchstone CPM, Inc. Since 1928, Tuttle has provided general contracting, design-build and self-performed services, including concrete, carpentry, masonry, steel erection and metal building installations for commercial, educational, institutional, healthcare and faith-based clients within a 2-hour radius of Lima, Ohio.