Akron-Canton Metroplex Magazine: Spring 2021 issue

SPRING 2021

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Contents

Spring 2021

Sectors 30 TOURISM

“Visitors don’t see boundary lines,” so the metroplex push is seen as boosting existing regional cooperative efforts

34 NONPROFITS

The Akron-Canton Foodbank serves as an example of how thinking regionally can help nonprofits better meet needs

36 HIGHER EDUCATION

38 COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

“A hidden gem:” Over 30 years, Green has boomed from a “little farming burb,” to a familyfriendly city

42 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Burns & McDonnell: Universities and interconnected communities were keys to engineering firm’s decision to open an Akron office

10

10

44 HEALTH CARE

46

The Makings of a Metroplex

The success of North Carolina’s Research Triangle provides a potential model for those promoting the Akron-Canton Metroplex

Features

19

A Tool to Expand Economic Opportunities

Metroplex branding opens doors for attracting new companies while bolstering existing businesses, development professionals say

24

The Heart of the Metroplex

The Akron-Canton Airport has served as a prime example of collaboration, and is ready to further serve as a catalyst for growth

27

How to Market the Metroplex

Focus on the richness of lifestyle experiences, and micro-target a variety of specific population segments, marketing experts say

46 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Polymer Packaging: Massillon company is expanding to meet booming demand for thinner, stronger packaging products

48 ECONOMIC INDICATORS

A quick, graphical look at how the Akron-Canton Metroplex is faring

Columns 4 FROM THE PUBLISHER

Bill Albrecht says this magazine’s focus is leveraging the size and scope of what the Akron-Canton Metroplex area has to offer

6 EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

Ted Daniels explains how “building the case” for the metroplex shaped the content of this first issue

8 GUEST COLUMN

ON THE COVER

Population is Power: Marketing the Akron-Canton Metroplex’s 1.1 million population in the four counties of the combined MSAs will help the region attract new business and increase its influence in state and federal government affairs, proponents say.

Illustration by Alyse Pasternak

2 Akron-Canton Metroplex

Mergers and alliances of hospital systems continue to reshape medical services across the metroplex region

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Developer Bob DeHoff has been saying for 40 years that the Akron and Canton markets are stronger together than separate

PHOTOS: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP, COURTESY AKRON-CANTON AIRPORT; COURTESY POLYMER PACKAGING; COURTESY RESEARCH TRIANGLE FOUNDATION OF NORTH CAROLINA

Colleges, universities say increased collaboration will attract new students and companies to the region

24

388 S. Main St., Suite 720, Akron, Ohio 44311 PUBLISHER Bill Albrecht EDITORIAL EDITOR Ted Daniels CONTRIBUTORS Aaron Bennett, Theresa Bennett, Fred Cay, Ginger Christ, Patricia Faulhaber, Karen Hanna, Kristi Schweitzer, Becky Meziere — copy editing ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR Darlene Schuring 330-705-9228 dschuring@cantonrep.com DESIGN & PRODUCTION PRODUCTION/DESIGN DIRECTOR Craig Rusnak ART DIRECTOR Alyse Pasternak

Akron-Canton Metroplex is made possible with support from:

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To provide feedback or share a story idea, send it to metroplex@gannett.com VOLUME 1 / NUMBER 1 Akron-Canton Metroplex is published quarterly by LocaliQ, Gannett Northern Ohio. All contents of this magazine are copyrighted © Gannett Co., Inc. 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials.

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SPRING 2021 \\

Akron-Canton Metroplex 3

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Welcome to Issue No. 1 Akron-Canton Metroplex Magazine’s focus is the size and scope of what our area has to offer

BY BILL ALBRECHT

4 Akron-Canton Metroplex

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When combining the Canton and Akron Metropolitan Statistical Areas, the Akron-Canton Metroplex’s population of 1.1 million would rank as the 50th largest metro market in the U.S. Wow! Imagine how that may help get the attention of a surgeon from a metropolitan area thinking about relocating, and then hit them with the local cost of living compared to Chicago.

The Akron-Canton Metroplex is the fourth-largest population center in Ohio. How can our elected representatives use that to our advantage? Or how can marketing the Akron-Canton Metroplex as a whole help drive more tourism for all involved?

I want to be clear about what the metroplex concept and magazine is not. It is NOT a replacement of any city’s or county’s individual identity. It is NOT the giant foot of Akron and Canton stomping on smaller communities. It is NOT defined by the hardline boundaries of the Akron and Canton MSAs. Communities like Dover, New Philadelphia, Medina and Wooster are buyers and vendors of products and services in the Akron-Canton Metroplex. Keep in mind, nobody is the mayor, senator or king of the metroplex. It is all of ours, and if you want to leverage it to your advantage, please do.

The Akron-Canton Metroplex concept is all about evangelizing the size and scope of what our area has to offer. This magazine’s goal is to proactively promote that scale in order to benefit our local businesses and communities.

Acknowledgements The Akron-Canton Metroplex Magazine is made possible with sponsorship commitment made by The Schipper Group Ltd./AES Building, MAGNET and DeHOFF Development, plus the businesses that are advertising to reach business decisionmakers throughout the metroplex. The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce and Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce also have been great partners. Thanks to all.

Enjoy Issue No. 1!

Bill Albrecht is publisher of Akron-Canton Metroplex Magazine.

PHOTO: FILE/BEACON JOURNAL

March 3, 1840. That’s when Summit County, Ohio was formed, carved out of portions of Medina, Portage and Stark counties. Carroll County had been established in 1833, making Summit County the last to the party.

The rest is history.

Those boundaries created governments and communities while traditions, celebrations and tragedies defined the lives of citizens in each county. Those boundaries give us a sense of place and community, while providing local government representation. They also provide for good-natured ribbing and competition. However, the scale defined by those boundaries suited the scope of communication and commerce of that time.

I lead with that bit of history to help outline the concept of the Akron-Canton Metroplex and why we decided to create a quarterly magazine to focus on it.

A lot has changed in those 181 years. Transportation and communication have evolved the most. Drive time between downtown Akron and downtown Canton on Interstate 77 is 25 minutes, a distance that was a day’s travel on horseback in the 1840s. Just as I-77 has speeded travel, the internet has accelerated communication and commerce, expanding geographic borders in consumer buying and business selling.

The Akron-Canton Metroplex positioning is an acknowledgment that while our individualism is good, we can be even better together. Specifically, our story is more powerful when marketing the sum of our regional parts.

The vision of the Akron-Canton Metroplex Magazine is to provide information and data to better understand trends and address issues that are important to the region. We’ll seek stories and commentary that help educate, inform, celebrate and identify opportunities for the metroplex region to grow.

This publication is dedicated to proactively promoting business within and outside the Akron-Canton Metroplex so all can see what our region collectively has to offer.

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EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

Building the case for the metroplex How the theme and stories for the inaugural issue of this magazine came together

When Bill Albrecht first approached me about producing the inaugural issue of a new quarterly publication focusing on the Akron-Canton Metroplex, the concept sounded intriguing.

As publisher of the Akron Beacon Journal and the Canton Repository, Albrecht was among a group of business and civic leaders who had been meeting to promote the branding of the two markets as the Akron-Canton Metroplex.

The Akron-Canton Metroplex, with 1.1 million people in its four counties, ranks No. 50 in terms of U.S. metropolitan areas, between Buffalo, NY, and Birmingham, Ala. Proponents say breaking the million-population mark would better position the region to attract new business and industry while increasing its clout in governmental affairs — both on the state and federal levels.

Albrecht, who was my last publisher before retiring as a newspaper editor, said the theme for the first issue of his proposed business-tobusiness magazine should be “building the case for the metroplex.”

Obviously, the first task was defining a “metroplex” and examining how the AkronCanton Metroplex branding would benefit the economies of the four counties that comprise the Akron and Canton MSAs. Another obvious angle was finding an example of where the metroplex concept had worked.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is probably the best known and where the term “metroplex” originated. But it’s huge — the fourth largest metro area in the U.S. North Carolina’s famed Research Triangle ­— the region between Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill — seemed to be a better metroplex comparison since those individual cities are more similar in size to Akron and Canton.

Over the past six decades, the Research Triangle has developed into an economic powerhouse often referred to as the Silicon Valley of the East Coast. The Triangle’s three points are North Carolina State University,

6 Akron-Canton Metroplex

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Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Its heart is the 7,000acre Research Triangle Park that is home to more than 300 companies employing 55,000 people, including Fortune 500 employers Cisco and IBM. While the comparison isn’t perfect, the Research Triangle example provides some valuable lessons and insights into how the AkronCanton Metroplex might more effectively leverage its many combined existing assets.

One of those local assets that deserved a closer look is the Akron-Canton Airport, right in the heart of the metroplex region. While passenger service declines in recent years have further been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, its potential to serve as an economic development driver has never been greater.

And it could serve as the stimulus that the research park provided the Research Triangle.

Since the metroplex concept at this point is basically about branding, we asked local marketing experts how they would go about building the metroplex brand to sell the region. They suggested focusing on another asset — the region’s richness and variety of the lifestyle experiences that natives often take for granted.

As you will see in stories about the local economy’s various sectors, there are already many collaborative efforts among local businesses and institutions — assets that can be enhanced even further by the metroplex concept.

The case for the Akron-Canton Metroplex is a strong one.

I hope you agree that this magazine’s inaugural issue reflects that strong case, and lays a foundation for future issues that will continue to tell the stories of the metroplex.

Ted Daniels is editor of Akron-Canton Metroplex Magazine, and can be reached at metroplex@ gannett.com.

PHOTO: FILE/ASHLAND TIMES-GAZETTE

BY TED DANIELS

WHY THE AKRON-CANTON METROPLEX? The Greater Akron Chamber and Canton Regional Chamber represent nearly 4,000 businesses in the region.

With a population of 1.2 million people, we share common assets, tourist destinations, universities, health care systems, a workforce and even an airport.

By working together, we’re developing economic partnerships and collaborating on shared challenges and opportunities to foster regional growth.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE

INITIATIVES HERE:

A larger, stronger, more connected region with greater economic opportunity for all – that’s the Akron-Canton Metroplex.

GREATER AKRON CHAMBER greaterakronchamber.org • 330.376.5550

cantonchamber.org • 330.456.7253

GUEST COLUMN

Four decades later, it’s still a good idea Fears and perceptions have kept metroplex from happening for far too long

What do the Promised Land and the Akronago, there were only three in Ohio — Cleveland, Canton Metroplex have in common?

Columbus and Cincinnati.

40 years!

Cleveland’s MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) Perhaps this metroplex idea of combining consists of five counties, Columbus’ includes 10, the Akron and Canton MSAs and the wanderand Cincinnati’s includes 3 states and 16 couning Israelites in the desert have something else ties. The Akron and Canton combined MSAs in common too: It’s how we see ourselves. In include four counties — Summit, Portage, Stark, case you aren’t familiar with the Bible story, and Carroll — and over 1.1 million people.

God gave the Israelites the Promised Land, but There can be no doubt that the main reason there were giants in the land. to brand the two MSAs as The Israelites were afraid one market is that it offers and didn’t believe they There can be no doubt strength in numbers. Toutcould conquer the giants, so ing a larger market area gives they wandered around in the us the power to compete for that the main reason desert for 40 years. new companies, retailers, I first shared this concept to brand the two MSAs jobs and talent. of combining the Akron and There can be no doubt that as one market is that Canton MSAs some 40 years our fears and perceptions ago in a 1981 article in the have kept this from happenit offers strength in Northern Ohio Business Jouring for far too long. In 1981, nal. Ironically, the same ratioI said that the “division of numbers. Touting a nale expressed 40 years ago two contiguous market areas remains relevant today. is unnecessary and harmlarger market area Despite the passage of time ful to the residents who and obstacles at hand, I have are losing their share of the gives us the power never been more convinced economic pie to ‘broader’ about the idea of marketing markets that simply include to compete for new the merger of these two great more territory.” companies, retailers, regions of Akron and CanWe’ve got a great region ton. I often quote the sayto market, but we’ve got to jobs and talent. ing of my late friend, Fred erase the feeling of competiKrum, former director of tion between the two areas the Akron-Canton Regional and stress the value of coopAirport, who said, “Trust Your Crazy Ideas!” eration. I believed that crazy idea 40 years ago Well for more years than I care to count, I and I believe it today. have held onto this crazy idea of the AkronIf there has ever been a time to conquer the Canton Metroplex. giants of politics, self-interest, parochialism In my 1981 article, I said, “Numbers have and old-fashioned thinking, that time is now! clout.” When an out-of-state company chooses to enter the Ohio market, the first step is to Bob DeHoff, CEO and owner of DeHOFF Developidentify the major markets with more than 1 ment, has been involved in local property develmillion people. Today, as was the case 40 years opment and real estate for over five decades.

8 Akron-Canton Metroplex

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PHOTO: COURTESY BOB DEHOFF

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THE MAKINGS OF A

METROPLEX METROPLEX: A combination of “metropolis” and “complex, it defines a large metropolitan area usually made up of two or more cities and their neighboring heavily populated areas.

ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES

10 Akron-Canton Metroplex

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North Carolina’s Research Triangle provides a potential model for the Akron-Canton Metroplex

BY THERESA BENNETT

I

n the 1950s, North Carolina’s economy had reached a low point.

The state ranked 47th out of 48 states in the nation at the time based on per-capita income. But one wouldn’t know today the immense struggles the state endured, thanks to an effort led by the governor that decade to promote collaboration among some of the best institutions North Carolina had to offer.

The state now ranks 34th of 50 in percapita income, driven in part by joining and marketing a region that was once defined as separate cities.

It’s a revitalization effort that local leaders are hoping to recreate with the AkronCanton Metroplex — a concept that’s been discussed for decades but is finally starting to build momentum. u

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Akron-Canton Metroplex 11

In August 2019, a group of government and business leaders from Stark and Summit counties decided to officially adopt the metroplex moniker as a way to rebrand the area. Instead of viewing the Akron and Canton areas as two separate markets, leaders want both residents and outsiders to see them as one region connected by collaboration while still retaining their individual identities.

The group that adopted the name sees it as a way to attract local businesses to boost the area’s economy. Businesses are attracted to numbers — and leaders think the combined 1.1 million people within the Akron and Canton areas will be a number that starts to talk.

“That brand is best reflected by population,” says State Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), who was part of the original group that adopted the metroplex language. “Population is power.” u

What Is a Metroplex?

A “metroplex” is defined as “a large metropolitan area usually made up of two or more cities along with neighboring heavily populated areas” by Merriam-Webster.

In practice, it carries varying meanings depending on the area, but it essentially 12 Akron-Canton Metroplex

\\ SPRING 2021

boils down to a “marketing tool,” Schuring says — a way of giving an area brand recognition for its assets. A metroplex doesn’t necessarily have to be a federally recognized area such as a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).

The term was coined in the early 1970s

by Harve Chapman, the executive vice president of an advertising agency in Texas, according to Texas Monthly. A combination of “metropolis” and “complex,” the word went on to become a label that helped define the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the state.

The branding worked. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is now home to 24 Fortune 500 companies and has recently experienced a population boom, becoming the metro area with the highest annual population growth in the U.S. in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The metroplex moniker is just one of several ways cities around the U.S. have chosen to repackage themselves as holistic, collaborative regions. The Minneapolis-Saint Paul area in Minnesota is known as the “Twin Cities.” And in North Carolina, the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill combined statistical area has become known as the Research Triangle.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

A Texas advertising executive is credited with coining the term “metroplex” to define the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill is a combined statistical area made up of the Raleigh–Cary, Durham– Chapel Hill, and Henderson MSAs. NORTH CAROLINA POPULATION: 10.5 million MEDIAN AGE: 39.1 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $57,341

DURHAM

CHAPEL HILL

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK RALEIGH-DURHAM AIRPORT

RESEARCH TRIANGLE (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) POPULATION: 2,079,687 MEDIAN AGE: 37.5 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $73,654 SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

RALEIGH

“At the time we were founded, we were an economy of agriculture, and we were very sleepy. I don’t think anyone was thinking about us being a tech hub at the time,” Weston says. “A lot of people now call us the Silicon Valley of the East Coast.”

While the universities play an integral role in the area’s success, so too does the Research Triangle Foundation. Its nonprofit status u

PHOTO: COURTESY O’BRIEN ATKINS ASSOCIATES, PA; GRAPHIC, ALYSE PASTERNAK

A Success Story In the heart of North Carolina, the Research Triangle serves as a testament to the power of branding and collaboration.

In the 1950s, the area had three universities that, when viewed on a map, formed the shape of a triangle: North Carolina State University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The problem was that graduates often left the state after they finished school.

“They called it ‘the brain drain,’ ” says Morgan Weston, the director of marketing and communications for the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina.

Then-Gov. Luther Hodges began the foundation in 1959 to facilitate collaboration not just among the three universities, but also with businesses in the area. Word of this region began to spread, and eventually large firms such as IBM and BurroughsWellcome, a British-based pharmaceutical firm, began moving in.

The effort has since created a bustling unit called Research Triangle Park (RTP) in the center of the region that fuels the area’s economy. Anchored by the three nearby universities, the 7,000-acre RTP is now home to more than 300 businesses.

These businesses and universities interact regularly: The companies fund research at the universities that advance their businesses, while the universities provide an educated workforce to feed the companies. It’s spurred innovations that range from the barcode to the world’s first HIV treatment, Weston says.

The heart of the Research Triangle is a 7,000-acre forest-like research park (RTP) that is home to more than 300 companies, including Fortune 500 employers Cisco and IBM.

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Akron-Canton Metroplex 13

Ground has been broken on the Hub RTP, a dense mixed-use development that will feature apartment buildings, a hotel, additional retail and 1 million square-feet of high-rise office space.

The Research Triangle A nonprofit foundation and 7,000-acre park remain the keys to success The Research Triangle region’s success Fortune 500 employers Cisco and IBM. as an economic engine is credited to two The companies in the region employ more components — the Research Triangle than 55,000 full-time workers and, when Foundation and Research Triangle Park combined with the universities, conduct $6 — that both can be traced back to its billion in sponsored research each year.

1950s roots.

To this day, the Research Triangle FounNorth Carolina’s then-Gov. Luther dation, a registered nonprofit, helps compaHodges, along with other government nies in the area attract and retain talent and university leaders, founded the Refrom universities while investing in ways to search Triangle Foundation. They began improve the area, such as transportation promoting the concept of a centralized and K-12 STEM education in rural areas. research park to cultivate businesses “We have partnered with Go Triangle, that would keep the region’s gradour bus system, to set up a subuates from leaving the state for sidy program which will cover jobs, a phenomenon Hodges the first $10 of your ride on dubbed the “brain drain.”

Uber or Lyft within the park if “They established the you’re using transit,” Weston Research Triangle Foundation gives as an example. “Say you to act as a steward of land and take the bus from a couple of amenities and real estate transtowns over to the transit center Morgan Weston actions within the park, and act in the park, and then you need an as a marketing economic development extra last-mile solution to your office or engine of sorts as well to unite universito lunch. We’ll cover that for you through ties in that goal of attracting companies Uber or Lyft with a code. So we’re trying to back to stop the ‘brain drain’ and keep all make it easier for people to use transit.” of these well-educated people in North The foundation is responsible for Carolina after they graduated,” says Mormaintaining shared amenities in the park, gan Weston, the director of marketing including volleyball courts, more than and communications for the Research 20 miles of walking trails and a free coTriangle Foundation of North Carolina. working and meeting space.

Those two components — the foundaOffice suites in Research Triangle Park tion and the 7,000-acre research park — are also available at competitive rates together are still vital to the area’s boom thanks to the foundation, with rents in growth today. starting as low as $400 a month (which The forest-like research park is home to includes internet and trash services). more than 300 companies, which includes “We’ve been able to do that because of

14 Akron-Canton Metroplex

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our not-for-profit status—invest in things that a traditional for-profit organization may not be able to,” Weston says.

The research park is divided into developments that are themselves living, growing entities. The Frontier RTP campus, for example, is a set of former IBM buildings that have been converted into office spaces. The foundation works to provide amenities and events for RTP employees as well, including weekly networking hours, fitness classes and on-site food trucks.

Weston says the foundation was funded in its first 60 years of operation by buying and selling land to companies in the area. “That enabled us to do all this other work that we do,” Weston says.

Now, the research park is almost fully occupied, but the foundation has plans to make the most of what is left.

Directly in the center of the Research Triangle Park, the foundation is in the final stages of constructing a local food, beverage, retail and event center constructed from shipping containers. On the same 100-acres parcel, the foundation has also broken ground on the Hub RTP, a dense mixed-use development that will feature apartment buildings, a hotel, additional retail and 1 million square feet of high-rise office space.

The evolving research park landscape is a direct reflection of the foundation’s evolution throughout its history.

“We’re really excited about that and proud of [the Hub RTP] development and that we have been able to shift gears a bit to think about not just what has served the park in the past, but what RTP employees are going to want out of their work-life balance in the future,” Weston says. —Theresa Bennett

PHOTOS: COURTESY RESEARCH TRIANGLE FOUNDATION OF NORTH CAROLINA

A CASE STUDY:

allows it to offer benefits for businesses that locate there, such as competitive tax rates, low monthly rent and more. Weston says the area brought in a combined $2 billion in real estate investments alone in 2020.

“If you consider the fact that there are now over 55,000 full-time employees in the park at these high level of education positions, I’d say we successfully reversed the brain drain,” Weston says. u

Akron-Canton Synergies While the Akron-Canton Metroplex effort is still in its early stages, area leaders hope to someday see a similar level of economic stimulus from a collaborative model similar to RTP’s.

Joined by a stretch of Interstate 77, Akron and Canton seem like a natural fusion not just for their proximity, but also for their shared assets.

“When you logically look at the two areas from a business standpoint, we have an interstate that travels through Northeast Ohio that goes through two cities, an airport that sits in between two cities, a workforce that transfers each day between the two counties, we have businesses that have locations in both communities, we see education reaching now to the two communities … and we also see a greater

talent pool when you aggregate all universities,” says Dennis Saunier, the president and CEO of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Marketing those assets together, as well as promoting collaboration among them, is more attractive to businesses than if they assumed completely separate identities, Schuring says.

“We have a lot to offer,” Schuring says. “... We need to start boasting and bragging about it and use it as a way to lure new businesses and new opportunities to come to our metroplex.”

Some of the region’s top institutions have already begun collaborating across county borders. A few examples: Stark County has a branch of Akron Children’s Hospital; Stark State University has a campus in Akron; Kent State University’s largest regional campus is in North Canton, and the Akron-Canton Airport is a result of a collaborative effort between Stark and Summit counties.

The areas also share more than just assets.

“We have similar issues between the counties,” Saunier says. “If the two communities agree upon an issue that could affect laws or public policy for businesses, it’s much better to approach that from the standpoint of two communities together. u

As a region, we share an abundance of infrastructure and opportunity.

The concept of the metroplex is simple: If we collaborate and work together, we are a stronger, more attractive option for businesses and other economic growth opportunities than we would be separately. … In the long term, if we can appropriately leverage our shared interests and advantages as a region, then we can truly thrive as an entire region.

PHOTOS: TOP, FILE/BEACON JOURNAL; BOTTOM, GETTY IMAGES

AKRON MAYOR DANIEL HORRIGAN

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Akron-Canton Metroplex 15

Why Not Combine MSAs? ficials. They represent a natural, measurable change to an area’s population and the behavior of people within it.

“An MSA is not driven by politics,” says State Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton). “It’s all about cold, hard facts.”

MSA data is used for many purposes from the local to federal level to help establish policies and allocate funding on labor issues, stimulating economic growth, housing and social services needs.

That’s not to say MSA mergers can’t happen.

“In some instances, formerly separate areas have been merged, components of an area have been transferred from one area to another, or components have been dropped from an area. The large majority of changes have taken place on the basis

Akron, Canton currently don’t meet the federal criteria necessary to designate it a single Metropolitan Statistical Area In southern Ohio, Dayton and Cincinnati have been working for several years to combine their areas into a metroplex.

The efforts there have been focused on having the two cities recognized by the federal Office of Management of Budget as a single official Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which consists of meeting a specific set of requirements.

“The general concept of a metropolitan ... statistical area is that of a core area containing a substantial population nucleus [i.e. more than 50,000 people], together with adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and

social integration with that core,” the U.S. Census Bureau says on its website.

However, in late 2019, the Dayton Daily News reported that recognition as a single MSA was “not close to happening” for Cincinnati and Dayton.

Another perhaps more feasible option — with more tangible measurements — would be to combine MSAs to form a Combined Statistical Area (CSA). But this, too, comes with a set of requirements mainly driven by a work commuter interchange rate of at least 15 percent.

In short, neither MSAs nor CSAs can be created manually by government of-

Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) POPULATION:* 2,048,449 NO. OF COUNTIES: 5 NATIONAL RANKING: 34

POPULATION:* 641,816 NO. OF COUNTIES: 4 NATIONAL RANKING: 93

LUCAS

WYANDOT CRAWFORD

ALLEN HARDIN

#11 Springfield DARKE

UNION

FRANKLIN

OH

FAYETTE

ROSS

BOONE KY

CAMPBELL KENTON O

BROWN

H IN GALLATIN PENDLETON GRANT BRACKEN

#1 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

MEIGS JACKSON

KY LAWRENCE OH

BOYD

KY

WAYNE

W

V

\\ SPRING 2021

WV

# 2 Columbus

PUTNAM

CABELL

LINCOLN

POPULATION:* 703,479 NO. OF COUNTIES: 2 NATIONAL RANKING: 82 #8 Canton-Massillon POPULATION:* 397,520 NO. OF COUNTIES: 2 NATIONAL RANKING: 136

MARSHALL

POPULATION:* 2,122,271 NO. OF COUNTIES: 10 NATIONAL RANKING: 32

GALLIA

SCIOTO

GREENUP

POPULATION:* 2,221,208 NO. OF COUNTIES: 16 (5 Counties in OH; 1,685,069 pop.)

NATIONAL RANKING: 30

16 Akron-Canton Metroplex

ADAMS

MONROE

OHIO

WASHINGTON

VINTON

PIKE

BELMONT

BROOKE

ATHENS

HIGHLAND CLERMONT

HANCOCK JEFFERSON

OH

MORGAN

CLINTON

HAMILTON

NOBLE

PERRY

HOCKING

IN OHIO

FAIRFIELD PICKAWAY

COLUMBIANA

HARRISON

GUERNSEY

#5 Akron

PA

DEARBORN

MUSKINGUM

MERCER

MAHONING

CARROLL

COSHOCTON LICKING

GREENE

STARK

TUSCARAWAS

DELAWARE

MADISON

WARREN

SUMMIT PORTAGE

HOLMES

CHAMPAIGN CLARK

UNION

WAYNE

KNOX

LOGAN

MIAMI

BUTLER

RICHLAND

MORROW

PREBLE MONTGOMERY

# 4 Dayton

ASHLAND

MARION

AUGLAIZE

SHELBY

POPULATION:* 134,083 NO. OF COUNTIES: 1 NATIONAL RANKING: 307

MEDINA

HANCOCK

VAN WERT

MERCER

TRUMBULL

LORAIN

HURON

SENECA PUTNAM

POPULATION:* 102,351 NO. OF COUNTIES: 1 NATIONAL RANKING: 352

ERIE

PA

PAULDING

GEAUGA

CUYAHOGA

SANDUSKY

WOOD

HENRY

POPULATION:* 536,081 NO. OF COUNTIES: 3 (2 Counties in OH, 426,657 pop.)

NATIONAL RANKING: 106

ASHTABULA

LAKE OTTAWA

DEFIANCE

#14 Lima

POPULATION:* 807,611 NO. OF COUNTIES: 3 NATIONAL RANKING: 73

FULTON

WILLIAMS

#7 Youngstown-WarrenBoardman OH-PA

# 9 HuntingtonAshland, WV-OH-KY POPULATION:* 355,873 NO. OF COUNTIES: 7 (1 County in OH, 59,463 pop.)

NATIONAL RANKING: 151

#13 Weirton-Steubenville WV-OH POPULATION:* 116,074 NO. OF COUNTIES: 3 1 County in OH, 65.325 pop NATIONAL RANKING: 334 #10 Wheeling WV-OH POPULATION:* 138,948 NO. OF COUNTIES: 3 (1 County in OH, 67,006 pop.)

NATIONAL RANKING: 299

*2019 POPULATION ESTIMATE SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

GRAPHICS: ALYSE PASTERNAK

#3 Cleveland-Elyria

POPULATION:* 121,154 NO. OF COUNTIES: 1 NATIONAL RANKING: 329

WV

#6 Toledo

#12 Mansfield

It’s a louder, unified voice to be heard, and it gives us more of a presence in Columbus and Washington (D.C.).”

The presidents of the area chambers of commerce have begun initiating further collaboration between the areas to promote the idea of the metroplex. Those initiatives include developing a combined community guide that promotes the two cities as a joined region, as well as joint business seminars and workforce development initiatives.

“In everything we do, one of the questions I ask is: ‘Is there a way we could make this better if it were both of our communities?’ ” says Steve Millard, the president and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re looking for a growing awareness and a growing recognition that there’s more opportunity in working together than working separately,” Millard says. u

of decennial census (and more recently American Community Survey) data,” the Census Bureau says on its website.

But it’s notable that many benefits of adopting the metroplex moniker don’t depend on official designations as MSAs or CSAs. The Akron-Canton Metroplex is more about embracing a joined identity, Schuring says. It’s an identity that metroplex advocates are hoping will first catch on among residents, allowing it to spread organically across the country.

This is something that can catch the attention of businesses with or without an official designation.

Federal recognition as a combined area may help spur this progression, but like in Dayton and Cincinnati, it too may be far off.

“At some point down the road, if the data worked out correctly, having us designated as an MSA might be valuable to us. But at this point, it’s more about, ‘How do we raise the visibility of our place to give us a better chance of being on the map for people who are making decisions?’ ” says Steve Millard, the president and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a lot more about a state of mind than official designations. Those are helpful, but not game-changers.”

Greater Cleveland MSA expansion?

As Akron and Canton have discussed combining forces, a regional planning group last year proposed wrapping the two areas into Greater Cleveland MSA. Cleveland, Akron and Canton are already a single CSA (Combined Statistical Area).

However, the Cuyahoga County-based planning group, called the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), says the larger MSA area will draw even more business as well as federal funding to the area, reports the Akron Beacon Journal.

But Akron Director of Planning and Urban Development Jason Segedy says it would ultimately disproportionately affect Cleveland, as the city would be the center of the new region. Other area leaders say the merger would result in Cleveland overshadowing some of Akron’s and Canton’s distinct features.

Akron City Council voted in May 2020 to oppose NOACA’s proposal to form an alliance, the Beacon Journal reported.

—Theresa Bennett

Achieving Success At the present time, the goal of the original group that met to adopt the “metroplex” moniker is for the Akron-Canton Metroplex to be recognized both within and outside of county lines.

One of the first and easiest ways to do so is by introducing the term to residents’ u

Akron-Canton Metroplex’s population of

AKRON MSA: 703,479

1,100,999 would rank

4 in Ohio and # 50 nationally #

SUMMIT

541,013

PORTAGE

162,466

STARK

370,606

CARROLL

26,914

CANTON-MASSILLON MSA: 397,520

SOURCE: 2019 POPULATION ESTIMATE: U.S. CENSUS

SPRING 2021 \\

Akron-Canton Metroplex 17

lexicons, Schuring says: “The only way people are going to pick up on this is if they read it, see it and understand it.”

Having area residents on-board with the metroplex idea is crucial to its success. It’s an idea that manifests from the inside out. Once residents begin to identify themselves as members of the AkronCanton Metroplex — not just Akron, not just Canton, not just their suburb — they will begin integrating that label into their speech and spreading word of it potentially across the country.

Schuring says he’s heard some pushback from residents who want to maintain their individual identities. Changing that mindset will take time. But Schuring says this concept isn’t about wiping out identities, nor is it about removing competition between the two cities.

“People need to have no fear about having to relinquish any competition they might have with other political subdivisions in the metroplex,” Schuring says. “We still can compete with each other in the metroplex.

Actually, that makes it stronger.” u

The purpose of the idea is a good one. ... This will allow for a more powerful marketing brand which will provide greater opportunities to attract national and international attention to our region. It is not for purposes of creating a new political subdivision or new community organization. …

In this day and age of internet and national/global marketing, this provides a good opportunity for our region which presently is missing.

The widespread acceptance of the metroplex concept won’t happen overnight, Millard says. “It takes a long time. You think about people who were born and raised in either community. For people to change perspective, it takes some time.”

Transforming the Akron-Canton Metroplex into a household name is one piece of the puzzle. But Weston says success like the Research Triangle experienced takes not only decades, but also efforts from all corners of the community.

Weston believes the establishment of the Research Triangle Foundation was key, as it created an entity based in the sole mission of facilitating collaboration among institutions in the region. It also created an entity that could provide benefits to promote further growth in the area, such as competitive land value and tax breaks.

“It’s this whole 360 thing,” Weston says. “It’s all of these pieces that are making us competitive.”

Theresa Bennett is a freelance writer based in Cuyahoga Falls.

PHOTOS: FILE/THE REPOSITORY

CANTON MAYOR THOMAS BERNABEI

18 Akron-Canton Metroplex

\\ SPRING 2021

A T O O L T O E X PA N D

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES Metroplex branding opens doors for attracting new companies, bolsters existing businesses, development professionals say

PHOTOS: COURTESY DEHOFF DEVELOPMENT

BY PATRICIA FAULHABER

Think big. Work big. Be big. Many local business and industry leaders believe branding Stark and Summit counties as the Akron-Canton Metroplex is about thinking bigger, working bigger and being bigger.

Such positives include: •• A combined population of 1.1 million people.

•• Downtown Akron and downtown Canton being just 25-minutes drive time apart.

•• Interstate highways including I-77, I-76 and the Ohio Turnpike.

•• Transportation resources including a centrally located airport and good railroad connections.

•• Educational resources with colleges, universities, trade schools and workforce development outlets.

•• Professional and career opportunities for the region’s workforce.

•• A shared workforce within the region that regularly cross county lines to work and play.

•• Proximity to large metropolitan areas inside and outside of the state of Ohio.

•• The opportunity to market the region as a whole versus marketing each county individually.

Bob DeHoff, CEO of DeHOFF Development based in North Canton, has promoted the benSPRING 2021 \\

Akron-Canton Metroplex 19

efits of jointly marketing Stark and Summit counties for more than four decades. In 1981, he was interviewed about the topic in an article for a local business publication, the Northern Ohio Business Journal.

In the early 1980s, DeHoff owned the AkronCanton Industrial Park located across from the Akron-Canton Airport along I-77. His company was also in the residential real estate business building new residential communities in the area.

“I recognized that so many people, especially those new to the area, worked at Goodyear and lived in Jackson Township, Lake Township and North Canton,” DeHoff says. “There were also people who worked at The Timken Company in Canton and lived in Summit County. When

new people moved into the region, they looked at it as one community and didn’t see boundaries between the two counties.”

Belden Village Mall (built in 1970) became a regional mall because it drew from the wider Akron-Canton region due to its easy access to I-77, DeHoff says. “Belden Village Mall was really the beginning of the two regions coming together.”

Economic impact of metroplex branding Over the past two years, local business and civic leaders including DeHoff have begun working more intently to promote the metroplex idea.

DeHoff says research shows the region is losing population, getting older and poorer with stagnant household income.

The benefits for smaller communities Carroll County official sees increased visibility for smallest county in economic development picture Officials from the smaller communities Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Walters in the four counties beyond Akron and points out that his city with a population Canton are at least somewhat intrigued of nearly 50,000 is the third largest in the by the metroplex promotion efforts. metroplex, behind only Akron and Canton.

Some are fully on board, others tread “Any marketing strategy that brings more lightly and a few seem skeptical jobs to the region would be beneficial to about whether or not it would really our residents,” Walters says. “Cuyahoga benefit their communities.

Falls is at near capacity for land, but Increasing the influence of Carroll there is some room for infill. I do have a County -- the metroplex’s smallest with very good relationship with every Sum27,000 residents -- would be the goal of mit County mayor as well as the county Christopher Modranski, a county executive, so collaboration is possible.” commissioner and former ecoBarberton Mayor William Judge nomic development director. seems to be generally in favor of “Being part of the metrothe metroplex concept. plex would bring our com“Exposure to the city of Barmunities into the converberton’s business ecosystem, sation,” Modranski says. projects and programs that “Because we are a rural enhance the quality of life are county with no hospitals or important aspects to share with commercial airports, we often the greater regional area,” Judge Christopher Modranski get overlooked by developers.” says, adding future development Modranski hopes the metroplex conwould be included in that. cept would help his county to attract Alliance straddles two counties, but the attention of those ready to develop most of the city is in Stark County. land and businesses.

“Our city would relate to Canton pri“It would be beneficial as 54 percent marily, particularly as the county seat,” of our workforce is traveling out of the Alliance Mayor Alan Andreani says. county for work currently,” Modranski “With a small portion of the city lying says. “As you can see we have the in Mahoning County, in some cases the workforce available. I can attest to one Youngstown area is also in our relationthing. You won’t find a more dedicated ship sphere.” and hard-working individual than a Catherine Farina, deputy director of man or woman that has been born and administration and development for raised in a rural county.”

North Canton, thinks it’s “a great idea.”

20 Akron-Canton Metroplex

\\ SPRING 2021

“The Akron and Canton area does need to band together when surrounded by the big three Cs — Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus — in Ohio,” Farina says.

North Canton, located directly between Akron and Canton, was rated the 42nd best city to live in by USA Today, Farian says, and has “active community development and citizen engagement with an eye to the future for development.”

Tom Wilke, economic development director for the city of Kent, is a native of Akron. And he is in agreement with another native Akronite — basketball star LeBron James — who believes the Akron/Canton area should have an identity separate from Cleveland and the generic Northeast Ohio area.

“As for its potential benefit to Kent, it’s hard to say,” Wilke says of the Portage County city. “Selfishly, we are trying to create our own identity and to attract out-of-town visitors into our redeveloped downtown and until the pandemic, we were having success.”

However, he says many of those out-of-town visitors came for other communities in the Akron/Canton area, especially Summit County.

“I would be open to discussion on the topic,” Wilke says, “but I would hate to see us and other communities compete with each other under the umbrella of the metroplex as it could be counter-productive.”

PHOTO: COURTESY CHRISTOPHER MODRANSKI

BY FRED CAY

PHOTOS: LEFT, FILE/THE REPOSITORY; RIGHT, FILE/COURTESY JACKSON TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY

“Local business owners and others want to live in an area with vitality that attracts younger talent and keeps them interested in staying here. To have an area like that, we need to make the region attractive for them to work and live in,” DeHoff says.

“Using the designation of the Akron-Canton Metroplex provides the area an identity and a sense of place.”

The economic impacts of metroplex branding are clear, according to local economic development officials.

“The metroplex is a way for us to better work together on economic development,” says Ilene Shapiro, Summit County executive. “A lot of people refer to those artificial lines between counties, but the reality is that a lot of people who work in Summit often live in Stark County and a lot of people who work in Stark County often live in Summit County,” Shapiro says.

“It is in the best interest to all of us to increase the activities in the area and especially in and around the Akron-Canton Airport,” she continues. “The metroplex would also enhance existing businesses when a complementary new business comes into the area.”

A new business moving into the metroplex could be a supporting business for existing industries such as shale, polymers or other manufacturing. Companies locating in the region could enhance existing business in operations and processes such as supply or distribution. New businesses would also enhance retail or restaurant development because the more people working in an area, the more customers there will be to serve.

One of the metroplex region’s strengths is the number of higher education resources to educate and train viable workforces.

‘POPULATION IS POWER’ Businesses are attracted to numbers—and leaders think the combined 1.1 million people within the Akron and Canton areas will be a number that starts to talk.

Akron MSA: 703,479 total Summit County: 541,013 Portage County: 162,466 Canton-Massillon MSA: 397,520 total Stark County 370,606 represents 10,000 people

Carroll County 26,914

SOURCE: 2019 POPULATION ESTIMATE: U.S. CENSUS

“We use our universities as an attraction for companies not only for training for their employees but for their children’s education.

Education makes an area much more attractive to a company,” Shapiro says.

Better represents available workforce Ray Hexamer, president of the Stark Economic Development Board, agrees with Shapiro when

Above, Belden Village celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020 Right, An aerial photo of Belden Village in 1972 after the mall was built. I-77 is clear in the photo as is many of the newer roads surrounding the mall area including the extension of Dressler Road, Belden Village Avenue, Higbee Avenue and Holiday Street and where Whipple Avenue runs along the mall and under freeway.

SPRING 2021 \\

Akron-Canton Metroplex 21

PHOTO: TOP, FILE/BEACON JOOUNRAL; BOTTOM, FILE/THE REPOSITORY

it comes to a metroplex creating a complemensmaller molecules to create ethylene used in tary business environment. plastics manufacturing.

“With the combined population of both areas “Shell makes products that are used in plasand the close proximity, branding the region tics and Akron is the polymer capital of the as the Akron-Canton Metroplex offers a lot of world. There are consumers within a one-day people and resources to attract more companies drive. Plus, 17 percent of Stark County’s workand people to the area,” Hexamer says. force is in manufacturing, so we know how to “It better represents the workforce available make things,” Hexamer says. in the region versus showing the numbers for “So, if you are a plastics company that can each city of Akron and Canton,” he conlocate within a two-hour drive of raw tinues. “Plus, it shows the workforce materials, have a trained and ready is within driving distance which is a workforce available, have the best in great selling point.” polymer research and expertise within Hexamer says the board was a short drive and there are consuminvolved in 12 projects last year ers within a one-day drive, that affects and the first question each prospect a company’s bottom line in a positive asked was, “What is the workforce in way,” Hexamer says.

Ilene Shapiro, the area like?”

Typically, area plastics manufacturers Summit County Another metroplex selling point is get their raw materials from Louisiana executive, says the that it is within a one-day drive of twoand Texas. With the Shell plant, those metroplex concept thirds of the U.S. population includ- will help break down raw materials would be much closer to the “artificial lines ing cities such as New York City, Pittsthe area. between counties.” burgh, Cleveland Cincinnati, Columbus Marketing the region as the Akronand Detroit.

Canton Metroplex and promoting the positives That relative proximity to large metro marof the area is a way for the region and northeast kets can be advantageous in attracting new Ohio to grow and succeed. businesses to the metroplex.

Both markets can prosper and complement Hexamer cited the Shell Oil Company’s each other, economic development profesnew plant under construction just outside sionals say. of Pittsburgh as a good example of how the “If Akron does well, it’s good for Canton. If Cancombined Akron-Canton Metroplex’s poputon and Stark County do well, it’s good for Akron lation numbers, proximity to customers and and Summit County,” Hexamer says. “And, if polymer-oriented workforce makes the area Cleveland does well, we all benefit. That’s the more attractive to new businesses. approach we have to take, leveraging what we Shell’s new Pennsylvania Petrochemicals have here to those who may want to move here.”

Complex will be a cracker plant that takes oil and gas (from the shale drilled in Ohio, PennPatricia Faulhaber is a freelance writer sylvania and West Virginia) and breaks it into from Canton.

The Stark Economic Development Board and Team NEO recently announced that Polytech America, a company specializing in the food packaging industry, will be opening a facility in a building on Saratoga Avenue SW in Perry Township.

22 Akron-Canton Metroplex

\\ SPRING 2021

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THE HEART OF THE METROPLEX

BY AARON BENNETT

As the push for the Akron-Canton Metroplex builds momentum, proponents of the initiative often identify one asset that perfectly represents their vision: the Akron-Canton Airport (CAK).

Originally constructed in the 1940s for defense purposes relating to World War II, CAK has long served as a success story in regional collaboration. Despite its location in Summit County and litigation fighting its funding, B.T. Bonnot, president of the Canton Chamber of Commerce, led the early efforts advocating a bi-county approach to serving the 600,000 people then living in Stark and Summit counties. Despite some opposition, both county governments partially funded the new airport.

24 Akron-Canton Metroplex

\\ SPRING 2021

Equally accessible to residents of Akron and Canton thanks to its proximity to Interstate 77, the airport not only serves individuals looking for convenient air travel but is also vital to the region’s economy.

“The Akron-Canton Airport is a critical economic driver in our region, especially for businesses that are linked to key locations in the United States and throughout the world, says Gerard Neugebauer, mayor of the City of Green, home of CAK. “We also see our airport as a gateway to the leisure experiences that have become increasingly important as a quality-of-life indicator.”

The numbers support this. According to CAK’s most recent economic impact survey conducted by Kent State University, in 2018 the airport recorded a total economic impact of $1.01 billion which included $212 million in total payroll generation and $85 million in total tax revenue generated from 4,486 jobs.

The airport’s president & CEO, Renato Camacho, is well-versed in the importance of further establishing the Akron-Canton Metroplex and embraces CAK’s position as central to those plans.

BI-COUNTY GOVERNANCE:

Akron-Canton Airport is the only commercial airfield in Ohio governed by an Airport Authority which is a political subdivision of the state.

Eight trustees serve on the authority board -- four members are appointed by the Stark County Commissioners and four appointed by the Summit County executive and approved by council. The board is responsible for the strategic direction of the airport. The president & CEO reports directly to the board of trustees.

PHOTO: COURTESY AKRON-CANTON AIRPORT

Airport has served as a prime example of collaboration, and today is ready to further serve as a catalyst for future growth

PHOTOS:TOP, FILE/BEACON JOURNAL; BOTTOM, COURTESY AKRON-CANTON AIRPORT

Development District to generate revenue for airport infrastructure and other expenditures.” It doesn’t just apply just to CAK but all other similar entities across the state.

In layman’s terms, the legislation will allow businesses and property owners located around the airport to voluntarily contribute to funds that CAK could use to retain and attract Vernon Sykes more airlines, develop infrastructure (D-Akron) projects and hire employees.

“The big thing that this would enable through the voluntary assessment is flight guarantees,” Schuring says. “With major airlines hurting so badly, it has opened up the opportunity for startup airlines. Startup airlines right now are looking for opportunities to locate at a regional airport.” But they often seek local subsidies to cover financial losses Kirk Schuring associated with starting new routes.

(R-Canton) Sykes mirrors the sentiments of his colleague, promoting the law’s ability to act as a kind of rising tide to lift all boats.

“The creation of Airport Development Last November, the airport unveiled a Districts will lead to infrastructure improve$37-million gate modernization project ments and an increased number of flights with jet bridges placed at all gates. It was part of the final phase of CAK’s 10-year servicing the region,” Sykes says. “These $115-million capital improvement project. changes will help increase tourism, decrease crime and raise property values in areas near our airports.”

The bi-partisan effort to pass the Airport “We see the airport as a key community Development District Bill is a clear sign that asset right in our collective backyards and local officials view the success of CAK and we have several Fortune 500 companies the concept of the Akron-Canton Metroplex in the area that rely on our airport specifias one and the same. cally for their travel needs,” Camacho says.

“The heart of the Akron-Canton Metroplex is “For the community, the metroplex creates the airport,” Schuring says. “Doing something a sense of place while keeping intact the that would bolster the airport is a positive sign individual cities and townships that make that the Akron-Canton Metroplex is alive and up the region. While various entities have been working together for years, the metroplex creates a greater sense of opportunity for collaboration.”

The Airport Development District In keeping with this theme of collaboration, last December, local legislators from both sides of the aisle put aside their political differences and passed the Airport Development District Bill (Sub. S.B. 259) in the Ohio General Assembly to further establish CAK as a regional economic hub.

Co-written by State Senators Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) and Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), according to a press release from Sykes’ office, the bill “will authorize certain regional airport authorities, port authorities and municipal corporations to create an Airport

CAK:

What’s in a name?

Ever wonder why is the three-letter airport location identifier code assigned by the Federal Aviation Administration is CAK instead of AKC? The airport’s original name in the 1940s was Canton-Akron Memorial Airport, a name agreed to by the Summit County Commissioners as part of a compromise with Stark County parties.

Later, to ease tensions with Akron officials arising when four airlines announced plans in February 1946 to move their flights from the Akron Municipal Airport, the name was changed to Akron-Canton-Massillon Airport. Later, Massillon was dropped from the name and replaced by “regional.” The FAA’s designation for Akron Municipal Airport, now known as the Akron Executive Airport, is AKR.

A free business lounge was included in the recent renovation project.

SPRING 2021 \\

Akron-Canton Metroplex 25

BY THE NUMBERS: PASSENGERS: 2019:

813,976 2020:

291,657 Airport president & CEO Renato Camacho says hundreds of acres of land surrounding the airport remain available for business development.

NUMBER OF DAILY FLIGHTS: 2019: 2020:

11

7

well, but it also will be a great way for us to promote ourselves, both to people living in the area and across the United States.”

AIRPORT SIZE:

2,300 Acres NUMBER OF GATES:

9

NUMBER OF AIRLINES: 2019: 2020:

4

3

MOST POPULAR DESTINATIONS* 1. Charlotte 2. Chicago 3. Atlanta *November 2019-October 2020

The Power of Community The legislative support could not have come at a better time. While the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been detrimental to businesses large and small across the country, the United States airline industry has suffered more than most, with losses that top $35 billion and counting.

CAK has not been immune to these effects. While the airport began 2020 with 11 nonstop destinations, due to the pandemic, four of those routes were suspended throughout the year. Additionally, the airport has seen its number of passengers decline year over year by 64.2 percent, from serving 813,976 passengers in 2019, to 291,657 throughout 2020.

While these numbers are bleak, Lisa Dalpiaz, CAK vice president of marketing and air service development, believes they could have been even worse if not for the close relationships and support CAK has developed with both the airlines and the local community.

26 Akron-Canton Metroplex

Preparing for the future In the face of economic challenges that continue to impact the airline industry, CAK has continued to provide new ways to better serve its customers.

Last November, the airport unveiled a $37-million gate modernization project with jet bridges placed at all gates, providing passengers with a more convenient boarding process.

As the final part of CAK’s 10-year, $115-million capital campaign improvement project, it also includes upgraded WiFi service throughout the terminal, a free business lounge and a play area for kids.

Camacho believes that as plans for the metroplex initiative continue to gain traction, that the airport is prepared to act as a hub for development. Hundreds of acres of land surrounding the airport remain available for business development, with access to utilities and convenient access to I-77.

“If the thought is to have the airport as the focal point of the metroplex, as far as our available parcels [of land] and our industrial parks, we are here to help,” Camacho says.

Aaron Bennett is a freelance writer from Cuyahoga Falls.

PHOTOS: FILE/AKRON BEACON JOURNAL

The COVID-pandemic has severely reduced passenger traffic at Akron-Canton Airport, like it has at every other airport, reducing the number of flights and causing Delta to temporarily suspend service. But local officials say that setback doesn’t impact the airport’s vital economic role as serving as the focal point for the metroplex.

Because the first round of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) allowed airlines to consolidate their services if two airports served the same city, if they had decided to, all of CAK’s airlines could have decided to only fly out of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

“We actually could have lost all of our service and there would have been no repercussions,” Dalpiaz says. “We’re fortunate though that three of our four carriers (American Airlines, Spirit Airlines and United Airlines) stuck around the entire time and even recently United launched a new service destination for us.”

\\ SPRING 2021

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

HOW TO MARKET THE METROPLEX Focus on richness of lifestyle experiences, micro-target a variety of specific population segments

PHOTO: FILE/BEACON JOURNAL

BY KAREN HANNA

Like many Akron-area residents, Amanda Weinstein takes pride in her community. An associate professor of economics, she and other marketing professionals see untapped potential for hyping the region’s wide array of attractions under the Akron-Canton Metroplex moniker.

“Akron-Canton has a little bit of everything.

We have a national park filled with waterfalls and trails. ... We have beautiful wineries to go wine-tasting while we watch the leaves changing color in the fall. We have zoos and art museums and libraries and indoor play places,” says Weinstein, who teaches at the University of

Akron (UA). “We have great bars and restaurants — and all without the big city traffic of larger cities like Chicago and without the big city housing prices. We have so many choices!”

The region from Akron south to Canton and beyond into Portage and Carroll counties offers so much — at a low cost big cities can’t beat, Weinstein and others say. A marketing strategy that encompasses the entire metroplex could take advantage of this diversity of attractions to micro-target a variety of population segments.

“I love this area. I love to promote it. We need to promote it as a multi-season destination,” says Deborah Owens, the interim chairwoman of UA’s marketing department. An assistant professor of marketing, she believes the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to influence people’s interests and needs for years to come — making the region’s outdoor attractions and wide-open spaces all the more appealing.

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Akron-Canton Metroplex 27

‘A game-changing strategy’ Short videos and social media campaigns that take aim at particular demographics should drive home the point that people can engage in the activities they most enjoy, with a quality of life they might not be able to achieve elsewhere, Owens says.

“I don’t think we can market to the old normal; we have to market to a new normal, which is people want to be outside [doing] their outside activities that they can feel safe doing,” she says.

Promoting the region as a metroplex is “a game-changing strategy,” advertising professional Dick Maggiore says. That’s because people responsible for bringing new jobs to the region are likely to scan the top Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) as part of their research.

In working together, “we’d move up to the fourth-largest MSA in the state! This would give us a powerful credential and selling tool,” says Maggiore, the president of Innis Maggiore, a Canton ad agency that’s not directly involved with the plan.

Owens, who has lived in the region most of her 60 years, rattles off the region’s attractions and benefits in rapid-fire: the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, farmers’ markets, the laid-back atmosphere of Portage Lakes, the convenience of the Akron-Canton Airport, high-quality public schools, big property sizes, housing prices that make homeownership attainable.

The first step in selling the region is knowing who wants what, Owens says. It’s a matter of identifying personas — quick-reference avatars, like a soccer mom or mid-career professional — and matching them with psychographics — people’s activities, interests and opinions.

28 Akron-Canton Metroplex

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“I think that what we have to understand is who we are trying to attract, and what are their wants and needs? And then how can we share those from the perspective of our region?”

Owens says.

In terms of the vitality of any region, Owens believes two groups are particularly important: new professionals looking to move ahead in their careers, and young families looking for a place to put down roots. As a college professor and the mother of four grown children, who have all moved to larger metropolitan areas, she has some insight into both groups.

Lifestyles of the metroplex Marketers can reach them by telling them a story about the type of life the metroplex offers.

Experiences such as shopping at farmers’ markets such as this one in North Canton increasingly are valued by young professionals.

PHOTOS: TOP, FILE/BEACON JOURNAL; BOTTOM, FILE/THE REPOSITORY

The laid-back atmosphere of Portage Lakes is just one of vast variety of lifestyles available in metroplex communities.

new Thai restaurant. We are also within driving distance of so much!” she says. “We can easily drive to the beaches of Lake Erie or the beaches along the East coast — we can easily drive to the big city amenities in Cleveland, Chicago, and even New York!”

Protecting a sense of identity Weinstein and Owens acknowledge such efforts can backfire. For instance, longer-term residents, who have become accustomed to a certain tempo or traffic patterns, might resent an influx of newcomers.

For others, regionalization represents an attack on their sense of identity or belonging to a particular community.

“Residents from both Akron and Canton have a strong sense of pride in their city, as they should,” Weinstein says. “Initiatives toward more regionalization can sometimes be viewed by residents as taking something away from their city changing who they are rather than something that is adding to their city and adding another layer of pride in their region in addition to their pride in their city.”

An enthusiast for the region, Owens says people should recognize the benefits of hyping its charms.

“I do think that what we need to emphasize … is how important it is to have young people to have a vibrant region. I don’t care what community you go into. It’s young people that they bring vibrancy to the neighborhood. It’s young people that maintain excellent schools,” she says.

For those, like Owens who believe the region has succeeded in such areas, selling others on the metroplex’s charms can only add to its vitality.

Karen Hanna is a freelance writer residing in Cuyahoga Falls.

The Akron RubberDucks minor league baseball team provides an affordable source of entertainment all summer long at Canal Park.

PHOTO: FILE/BEACON JOURNAL

As an example, Owens points to her son, who lives in a flat in Boston, on the fourth floor of a building with no elevator. He’s surrounded by bars and restaurants, and, while that might have been fun once, now, he has a baby.

“It’s a whole different set of wants and needs that you have, once you have a family and you’re living in the middle of Boston. … Maybe Boston is not quite so attractive,” she says.

As companies have adopted work-from-home practices, employees once tied to high-cost cities now are free to pursue other plans.

Another of Owen’s sons works in Cupertino, California, where he wanted to buy a house — but couldn’t find anything for under $3 million.

By comparison, the Akron-Canton Metroplex could be pretty appealing.

While the region may take pride in its bluechip companies and world-class health-care institutions, those attractions won’t speak to recent graduates, Owens says.

Older generations looked for long-term jobs at trusted old-standby companies, like Goodyear, but Owens says younger people, like her son in California, have different expectations.

“He wants to work for a cool startup. Because he’s got that in his blood. He wants to work for a less bureaucratic company,” she says.

Efforts to attract people like Owens’ kids and former students should take account of younger people’s values. Rather than possessions, people are looking for experiences that they can share and talk about on social media like Instagram.

The pandemic has shaped the types of experience they’re seeking, enhancing the appeal of places like apple orchards, hiking trails and outdoor festivals, Owens says.

Fortunately, the region offers lots of options, Weinstein says.

“We can live in the country with horses or in the city just a short walk from our favorite

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Akron-Canton Metroplex 29

TOURISM

Visitors stroll outside of Akron’s Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

‘Visitors don’t see boundary lines’ Tourism officials see metroplex bolstering existing regional cooperative efforts

BY PATRICIA FAULHABER

30 Akron-Canton Metroplex

Those who provide and promote opportunities to “play” in the area believe that wider use of the AkronCanton Metroplex branding could provide a results-driven opportunity to reach a broader audience across the state and across the country.

Beyond the well-known major attractions such as Canton’s Pro Football Hall of Fame and Akron’s stately Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, the metroplex region also boasts an impressive array of museums, historical sites, wineries and dining options.

And for those who enjoy outdoor activities, there’s a wide range of opportunities including the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Entertainment and performing arts venues abound

\\ SPRING 2021

across the metroplex, including the Blossom Music Center in northern Summit County.

Regional cooperation not a new idea The half-dozen convention and visitors’ bureaus across the metroplex region have worked together over the years to promote regional tourism by offering a variety of day-trip and overnight-stay packages.

“When working with our neighbors in Akron and Summit County and other areas of northeast Ohio and beyond, regionalism comes naturally in tourism because visitors don’t see boundary lines between cities, communities or counties. They see a destination and multiple points within a reason-

PHOTO:FILE/BEACON JOURNAL

“Location, location, location” has always been the key to buying and selling real estate. Look closer at those three words and you’ll find three more words that hold the real meaning— “live, work, play.”

The communities inside the AkronCanton Metroplex offer great neighborhoods with a low cost of living; an abundance of career opportunities with employers from small businesses to large manufacturers, and the region has plenty of sights to see, activities to do and entertainment and relaxation venues to enjoy.

Locals likely know this, but outsiders may need to be a bit more informed of what the area offers — especially in the “play sector.”

able range for them to visit on occasion,” says Tonja Marshall, executive vice president of marketing and communications for the Visit Canton Stark County Convention & Visitors’ Bureau.

Marshall says her agency has worked especially closely with Akron Summit CVB to promote and support the Akron-Canton Airport and visitor outreach efforts and sales initiatives there.

Officials at tourist destinations across the region see even greater benefits to branding the area as the AkronCanton Metroplex.

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens on North Portage Path in Akron has been open to visitors for tours and public events since 1955. The majestic home and garden was built by F.A. Seiberling, cofounder of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, and is the sixth-largest historic home open to the public in the country.

The historic national landmark has seen much growth over the past 10 years going from 85,000 to 135,000 visitors a year in part due to their working with bus tour organizations on a national and regional level that brings 100 tour buses annually.

Executive Director Sean M. Joyce says the metroplex branding will give the region “a bigger voice when promoting all together versus doing it individually.”

“Cooperative marketing as a region would continue the growth and get the message out to regional and national publics of what they can come and see here in Summit and Stark counties,” Joyce says.

Among the metroplex’s many benefits, an increase in “regional pride” is a key one, according to Mark Syroney, Stan Hywet’s vice president of development & communication.

“Like anything else in life, there is more power and strength in collaboration than there is in isolation,” he says.

A good product draws people Ted Swaldo, founder and owner of Gervasi Vineyard in Canton and The Twisted Olive in Green, echoes the same sentiments about the Akron-Canton Metroplex’s positive effect on tourism.

“For too long we’ve been thinking of Summit County and Stark County as independent entities and in some

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TOURISM

cases competing against each other,” Swaldo says. “Looking at ourselves as the Akron-Canton Metroplex, now we can start to see how we can promote tourism together. Tourism will bring people into an area.”

“Gervasi is in the tourism business and we’ve been able to prove that if you have a good product and advertise it, people will come,” says Swaldo, one of the business leaders who have been meeting to promote the Metroplex concept.

As an example of increased crosscounty cooperation, Swaldo cites his involvement with the Blue Coat Drum Corp that has hosted the Drum Corps International Competition at the end of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival for many years. The event was held at the Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon for 10 years, but was moved for the 2018 and 2019 shows to the InfoCision Stadium at the University of Akron.

“People were worried about moving the event out of Stark County, but it saw a 25 percent increase in attendance with the move,” Swaldo says.

Hall of Fame Village’s impact The Pro Football Hall of Fame is Stark County’s biggest tourist attraction, and its events attract over 200,000 visitors to the area every year with an economic impact of more than $30 million.

And that economic impact will be growing with the ongoing construction of the second phase of the Hall of Fame 32 Akron-Canton Metroplex

Village, powered by Johnson Controls, adjacent to the museum.

Anne Graffice, executive vice president of public affairs with the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company, said Phase II will include having the core/shell of the Constellation Center for Excellence, a 5,000-square-foot retail, research and office building, finished by August. There will also be three more youth sports fields added this year as well.

Other components scheduled for construction in 2021-2023 include the HOF Indoor Waterpark; The Eleven, a Hilton Tapestry Hotel with a football theme; the Center for Performance; the retail and restaurant promenade; and the Play-Action Plaza.

In addition to the Pro Football Fame museum itself, the completed Phase I of the Hall of Fame Village included the renovated Tom Benson HOF Stadium, the National Youth Football & Sports Complex and the Hilton Doubletree Hotel in downtown Canton that opened in November 2020.

Marketing the Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame Village as part of a larger metroplex would have several advantages, according to Jen Grisez, vice president of marketing for the Hall.

“First, being a part of an area with over 1.2 million people shows potential visitors that there is so much more to do in this region than just a visit to the Hall. It also easily identifies the Akron-Canton Airport as the closest and easiest airport for visitors.

“Second, being a part of the fourth

\\ SPRING 2021

largest metro in Ohio shows potential corporate partners that we have a much larger local audience for their goods and services than the 375,000 that are currently in the Canton area alone,” Grisez says.

And the metroplex brand opens doors locally to sponsorship dollars, as well as corporate and foundational support, that may currently only view the region as Akron or Canton, she adds.

Grisez says cities like Cleveland and Indianapolis have carved out a niche as cities that are able to host large-scale sporting events. A region that already is home to marquee sporting events like Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week and PGA golf tournaments at Akron’s Firestone Country Club becomes much more attractive for future sporting events, she says.

A key component of the Hall of Fame Village will bolster efforts to attract more sporting events. The youth sports complex’s eight state-of-the-art turf fields — including a championship field with 3,000 seats — will host not only football, but other sports including soccer, lacrosse, rugby and track and field.

Swaldo calls tourism the best economic development an area can get.

“People come, spend money and then go home. We don’t have to make further investments in infrastructure or schools, but we get the financial benefit from it.”

Patricia Faulhaber is a freelance writer from Canton.

RENDERING: COURTESY THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME VILLAGE

When completed, the Hall of Fame Village, powered by Johnson Controls, will include retail shops, restaurants, exhibition hall space, sportsresearch facilities, hotels and eight state-of-the-art youth sports fields.

Hunger is on the rise in our community.

More families than ever are facing tough choices and empty plates because of the pandemic.

31%

estimated increase in the number of people facing food insecurity in our area due to COVID-19.

100%

of every dollar raised for the Harvest for Hunger Campaign goes directly to providing free food for individuals and families in need.

$43M

value of food distributed in our 8-county network to keep pace with the growing demand last year.

TOGETHER, WE CAN GET FOOD INTO THE HANDS OF FAMILIES WHO NEED IT MOST. To learn more about the Harvest for Hunger Campaign or to make a donation, please visit our website. akroncantonfoodbank.org/hfh

NONPROFITS

Feeding the hungry Akron-Canton Foodbank is an example of how thinking regionally can help nonprofits better meet needs

BY FRED CAY

Can a locally based nonprofit find success that enables it to grow and expand far beyond its original intentions?

Look no further than the AkronCanton Regional Foodbank, which serves not only the Akron-Canton Metroplex counties, but also four other adjacent counties.

Founded in 1982 by a group of community leaders to provide emergency food to those in need, the AkronCanton Regional Foodbank continues to thrive and now provides food and other essential items to food pantries and hunger-relief agencies across eight Northeast Ohio counties.

The food bank’s headquarters is a warehouse near downtown Akron at 350 Opportunity Parkway. This summer it will open a second warehouse in Canton, allowing for more efficient collection, sorting and distribution of food to Stark and neighboring counties, agency officials say.

The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank secures food donations from corporate food donors, state and federal food assistance programs and Feeding America, the national food bank network.

While the foodbank has grown organically into a regional agency, proponents of the Akron-Canton Metroplex hope that other nonprofits can benefit and grow from similar regional collaborations.

“The more that local agencies can work together and collaborate, the better,” says Michael Wilson, director of marketing and communications at the food bank. “Since we act as that coordinator within our network of pantries, hot meal sites, homeless shelters and other hunger-relief programs, we are all able to work together to accomplish our goals.

“Working together also eliminates duplication in services and enables us to be better stewards of the donations we receive.”

Wilson says it is a benefit to serve multiple counties.

“Each county across the country cannot have its own food bank facility,” he says. “That would not be efficient. We work with Feeding America to divide up all of the counties so there is no duplication of work.”

Whether such regional collaborations would work for other nonprofits “probably depends on the organiza-

tion,” Wilson says, referring to the services they provide and how they receive funding.

With the coming addition of the new 40,000-square-foot facility in Canton at 1365 Cherry Ave. NE, the food bank sees new opportunities.

Wilson says the majority of the food bank’s distribution and fundraising revenue currently comes from Summit County.

“That is likely because that’s where our physical presence has been located for the last 38 years. Once we have a physical presence in Stark County, I suspect our activity in the southern counties of our service territory would pick up.”

And with the COVID-19 pandemic still turning people’s lives upside down, the regional food bank has assumed a larger role than ever.

“Our region has seen a 31 percent increase in the number of people facing food insecurity,” Wilson says. “So the demand for food has been at an alltime high. But with the help from the Ohio National Guard and our extremely supportive community, we’ve been able to increase our food distribution to meet those needs.”

He says it will take “months, if not years” for families to rebound from the pandemic.

“But the Foodbank and our network of hunger-relief partners will be here to help,” Wilson added.

Fred Cay is a freelance writer based in Akron.

BY THE NUMBERS

8 500

Food pantries, hot meal sites, shelters and other hungerrelief efforts served by partner agencies.

Assistance from the Ohio National Guard has been critical for the Foodbank to meet the increased demand for food assistance in the past year caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

34 Akron-Canton Metroplex

\\ SPRING 2021

2012

263,200

People served through this network annually.

27.4 MILLION Meals served in 2019.

Feeding America named the local food bank the “Food Bank of the Year,” given to the top food bank among the 200 in the Feeding America network.

PHOTO: COURTESY AKRON-CANTON REGIONAL FOODBANK

Counties served — Summit, Portage, Stark, Caroll, Medina, Wayne, Tuscarawas and Holmes counties.

“THE EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING!”

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Akron-Canton Metroplex a smart play, educators say Higher-education institutions say increased collaboration will attract new students and companies to the region

BY GINGER CHRIST

Kent State Stark has co-hosted the Balloon Classic as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival on its campus since 1991, attracting up to 65,000 people. Stark State College is considered a co-host since the two institutions share the same North Canton campus.

36 Akron-Canton Metroplex

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Redefining the Akron and Canton areas as a metroplex is the next step in building on the collaboration already at play in the region’s higher education sector, leaders say.

While competitive on the athletic fields, the area’s colleges and universities say they strive to work together and complement one another academically. Leaders say embracing a way to promote the region as a whole will help each institution succeed individually, as well.

Marketing the region will attract new students and companies, and bringing in new businesses will give students more job and training opportunities, they say.

“If the two communities really pushed hard on the metroplex idea, I think it would form a really strong umbrella for lots of creativity and cross-county interaction to leverage what’s already going on,” says University of Akron President Gary Miller.

Through the Inter-University Council of Ohio, the state’s 14 public universities work together to avoid duplication of offerings. In 2018, the University of Akron eliminated its fashion program, citing the popularity of Kent State University’s program.

Likewise, in 2016 Kent State launched a specialized engineering program, the aerospace engineering program, so as not to compete with the University of Akron’s strong engineering program, says Nick Gattozzi, Kent State’s executive director of government and community relations.

The universities regularly have conversations about where “our limited resources are best utilized,” Gattozzi says. “There is a lot of collaboration that’s taking place.”

And that collaboration is happening across county lines. Kent State shares a satellite campus in North Canton with Stark State College while Stark State has a facility near Downtown Akron. And area universities share transfer agreements with local community colleges.

With a more directed effort, even greater collaboration could exist, says University of Mount Union President Thomas Botzman.

“There’s a lot of potential. There are a lot of different institutions, so there are a lot of things we could do together,” Botzman says.

PHOTO: COURTESY KENT STATE STARK

HIGHER EDUCATION

Institutions also work with high schools across the region to recruit students and regularly partner with area businesses on research and internship opportunities.

Though it has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, Kent State and Stark State are looking at ways to partner with the Akron-Canton Airport on an aircraft maintenance program.

“How can a college and a university and potentially a private employer work in collaboration to create an environment that meets the immediate needs of aircraft maintenance?”

Gattozzi says. “If we’re all at the table willing to work collaboratively on this,

BY THE NUMBERS:

Metroplex University & College Enrollments Kent State University-Main Campus

25,948

University of Akron

16,166

Stark State College

10,803

Kent State University-Stark

3,264

Walsh University

2,651

University of Mount Union

2,243

Malone University

1,613 PHOTO: FILE/BEACON JOURNAL

Northeast Ohio Medical University

983

TOTAL: 63,671 SOURCES: OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY WEBSITES

University of Akron President Gary Miller sees the metroplex concept forming “a really strong umbrella for lots of creativity and cross-county interaction to leverage” existing cooperative efforts among the region’s higher education institutions.

willing to bring our shared resources on this, it becomes less expensive.”

And the University of Akron and the Timken Company came together in 2011 to create the Timken Engineered Surface Laboratory, a place for students to work with those in the industry on surface engineering.

The more business a regional marketing effort could attract to the area, the more these real-world types of opportunities will exist for students, leaders say.

“We have a lot of capable, ready-togo students,” Botzman says.

Taking a regional approach helps the area sell itself both internally and externally, Gattozzi says. It can help raise awareness of the pooled resources in the region and its potential for growth.

“It’s the realization that we’ve got to work together, and that we’re not that different from each other. We can work collaboratively and to the benefit of all of us and then demonstrate that to the rest of the country and the rest of the world,” Gattozzi says. “We’re trying to attract national players but also international players.”

Part of marketing the region, however, also involves respecting and maintaining identity, leaders say.

“The trick in these sort of metroplex concepts is to recognize that identity is

important, and you don’t necessarily have to subsume your identity in the joint efforts that are going on. Usually you can grow that identity,” Miller says. “I think you have to intentionally work for that balance, or I don’t think the consolidated efforts will work.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, necessary safety precautions have redefined what it means to attend a college or university, Miller says.

With remote learning, physical distancing and social limitations, that sense of place a campus embodies has changed.

“I think what we might see is a sharpening of campus identities, even in an environment like this, while we figure out how to be better partners.

Now is a time to really find out what’s important about our current identity and lift it up.”

The pandemic has really emphasized the need to be lean and better use resources, and Gattozzi expects to see greater collaboration as a result.

“Coming out of this pandemic, I’m excited for the region; I’m excited for the organizations in the region,” Gattozzi says.

Ginger Christ is a freelance writer based in Northeast Ohio.

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Akron-Canton Metroplex 37

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Green residents take particular pride in the city’s 14-park system that along with good schools make the community a great place to raise a family.

‘Hidden gem’ in the middle of the metroplex

GREEN — Residents of this southeastern Summit County community in the heart of the Akron-Canton Metroplex say life in Green offers a little of everything — good schools and easy access to parks, shopping and major employers.

Located halfway between Downtown Akron and Downton Canton on Interstate 77 and home to the AkronCanton Airport, Green was a small rural village until just a few decades ago with a population of 3,600 in the early 1990s. The 2019 U.S. census estimate put the population at 25,760.

Green is committed to growing sustainably without jeopardizing the high 38 Akron-Canton Metroplex

quality of life residents have come to expect, says Valerie Wolford, the city’s communications manager, adding that the city’s population might top out at about 40,000.

“It’s a great place to live and work, and it has great access to go either direction, and 45 minutes to get to downtown Cleveland,” Wolford says.

Like many residents, 62-year-old Akron attorney David Mucklow says there’s a lot to like about the community. The native son graduated high school in 1977 and is a one-time Green mayoral candidate.

“Green has become self-sustaining with a large industrial and commercial

\\ SPRING 2021

base with healthy taxes and good overall infrastructure, including a great park system, [access to] Portage Lakes and Metro Parks, and highly rated public schools,” he says. “Houses move fast no matter what the price range.”

Hometown pride Some residents describe Green as a hidden gem; others expressed concern that development will change its character.

Longtime resident, Jackie Murphy, for example, expressed some longing for how Green used to be. A grandmother now, she bounced between Green and the Kenmore neighborhood of Akron in her youth.

“I moved from a little farming burb and moved back to a city and, boy, things were much easier when it was just a little farmer’s burb,” she says.

PHOTO: FILE/ CANTON REPOSITORY

Over 30 years, Green has boomed from ‘little farming burb’ to a family-friendly city

BY KAREN HANNA

Since then, Green has added traffic lights and developments, becoming a village in 1991 and a city a year later.

Murphy, who’s uncomfortable in cities like Canton and Akron, says it has everything she needs.

“Green has enough business to shop here unless you’re looking for a particular business,” she wrote in a Facebook message.

For many Green residents, the area around Belden Village Mall known as The Strip is the main local draw.

It offers enough shopping and entertainment options that venturing to Akron and Canton really isn’t necessary, they say.

“I spent a lot of time in North Canton .... the mall and some other restaurants,” says Marianna Kiser, a longtime resident. “I’m very familiar with that area also, and probably that’s just part of part of why I’m such a big fan of Green because I love the neighboring areas, as well.”

A University of Akron graduate, Kiser says Green schools provided

an excellent education for her children, who range in age from 9 to 27.

While the youngest is identified as gifted, her oldest son had special needs. “I really appreciate everything they have done for him. And I think because of that he is a successful person today,” she says.

Kiser, her husband and youngest children, recently moved to Uniontown, to be closer to family. Leaving Green, where she’d lived more than 20 years, wasn’t an easy decision.

“I think it is a very family-friendly area,” Kiser says. “It has many, many parks, recreational areas, wonderful restaurants. It’s still a building community and actually there are so many things which are close … grocery stores, doctor’s offices, clinics … Cleveland Clinic, we have Summa there, wellness centers, the YMCA … is you know, there [is] just so much to do in Green when it comes to families. … I feel like it’s a nice blend of businesses and opportunities, but at the same time nature is still there.”

BY THE NUMBERS:

Green

25,752 10,822 Population

Households

$85,426

Average Household Income

7,105 Families

42.1 Median Age

34,410

No. of people employed in city

5

Traffic roundabouts in service with 3 others currently under construction

SPRING 2021 \\

708

Acres of parkland in 14 parks with 8.7 miles of trails SOURCE: CITY OF GREEN

Akron-Canton Metroplex 39

Sustainable growth Home to 1,200-some businesses, Green is more than a commuter city with residents heading north and south on I-77 to work. Many residents both live and work within its borders.

Wolford is one of them, having settled in Green with her family 14 years ago, in part because of its access to I-77 and proximity to employment opportunities for her husband, who’s always worked for large corporations.

Wolford says the city is sensitive to balancing the needs of current residents while continuing to grow.

To accommodate increasing call volumes, a new $4.4-million Fire Station 3 opened last year on Green’s northeast side. Another development focus is housing, especially for people either looking to start their lives, or to downsize as they age, Wolford says.

“Getting a few new developments is probably certainly on the horizon,” Wolford says. “Nothing currently planned, but it’s on the horizon. Not everybody wants to move to Florida; their children

AKRON 277

241 77

619

GREEN

AKRON-CANTON AIRPORT 241 77

CANTON

are here. They made their life here. …

These properties are also really attractive to the young professional, who are rising in their career and don’t have a family yet but want to own property.”

Wolford pointed to the city’s growing collection of roundabouts as proof of its commitment to maintain a parklike feel even as it makes infrastructure investments.

4065 Fulton Dr NW, Canton 330.498.4400 putmanproperties.com

“Having a roundabout allows us to have two lanes in each direction as it is today, and move traffic efficiently well into the future. They’re just aesthetically pleasing. It looks so much nicer than a bunch of wires and hanging lights,” she says.

Green put in its first roundabout about 11 years ago. Over the next five years, it’s planning five more.

Maintaining the city’s charm — and its residents’ pride in their hometown — is important. For residents, it’s not just a stop off I-77 but a great place to be, Wolford says.

“We don’t have to drive far to get to work. ... We’ve got great parks, great theater, great sports, great access to museums and all that within a short distance.

A great quality life. And we can live here cheaper than elsewhere in the country, which gives us more money in our pockets, right?” she says. “It’s just the quality of [life], you can’t find it elsewhere.”

Karen Hanna is a freelance writer residing in Cuyahoga Falls.

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3,200 Sq.ft Shop & Warehouse Space for Lease 1222 Sanders Ave SW, Massillon

6.52 Acres of I-77 Industrial Land with Utilities Bruening Ave SW, Canton Twp.

22,350 Sq.ft. has one 8'x10' drive in door plus two recessed docks, a restroom and 100% sprinklered.

Bays face 9th Street SW. Separate Gas/Electric Meters. $2.95 Per sq.ft. triple net - Broker Interest.

Timothy Putman 330.495.0600 or Wick Hartung 330.495.0601

Great stand alone insulated block building. Newly repainted inside and out with two restrooms. Easy access to Rt. 21, 480v 3 phase electric, 1-12' dock, 1-12' on grade doors. Perfect for small manufacturing, welding, auto repair, plumbing or HVAC contractor. $1,200.00 per month.

Jim Bednar 330.417.9034

I-77 visibility on 6.52 acres in mature industrial park. 565’ Frontage on I-773 Neighbors include FedEx, Service Steel Aerospace, Solmet, Miller & Co., Canton Bandag, Kenworth Trucking, and AT&T. Canton Township has no personal or corporate income tax. All utilities at site. $35,000/acre.

Wick Hartung 330.495.0601 Spencer Hartung 330.936.0276

40 Akron-Canton Metroplex

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GRAPHIC: ALYSE PASTERNAK

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Portage Path Provides:

An Employer Resource Program Are your employees struggling with mental health or addiction issues exacerbated by the pandemic? Nearly 60% are, and eight in 10 of those have not sought treatment. These struggles cost businesses billions in lost productivity and absenteeism per year*.

Portage Path is providing your company an introductory webinar with options for follow-up consultations and services. Learn about how mental illness, suicide, and addiction affect businesses and how Portage Path can help.

Following an introductory webinar, we also offer the following programming: Webinar on Building a Company Culture of Mental Health and Resiliency Custom-designed Management Training to identify, address and resolve potential mental health or addiction issues Customized Employee Wellness seminars and/or lunch & learns Portage Path Behavioral Health is here to help you address these issues and create a culture of mental health in the workplace!

Visit www.portagepath.org/about/education-training/erp/ to request more information or a consultation! © 2021 Portage Path Behavioral Health

*Harvard Business Review

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Realizing the metroplex region’s advantages Universities, interconnected communities keys to engineering firm’s decision to open Akron office

When the construction and engineering firm Burns & McDonnell decided to expand its physical presence in Ohio, Akron became the next stop on the map.

The region’s higher education institutions and interconnected communities were among the key factors that attracted the Kansas-City-based company to locate its second Ohio office in Akron in an effort to strengthen longstanding business relationships and develop new ones.

The firm plans to hire 100 employees in its new Akron office within the next five years.

Signing a lease to occupy the entire third floor of White Pond Crossing building, located at 534 White Pond Drive, the company opened in January, occupying 14,940 square-feet of the 45,000-square-foot building. It plans to complete the space by summer and fill it with staff as the business expands.

The 123-year-old firm has business partners across the country including Ohio. With so many cross-country connections to the Buckeye State, the firm opened a Columbus office in 2017. Akron was next on the list because of the company’s long-standBurns & McDonnell opened its Akron office Jan. 1 in White Pond Crossing, 534 White Pond Drive. The firm plans to hire 100 employees within the next five years to service Northeast Ohio. ing work with companies like FirstEnergy Corp and the untapped potential of the region. across the state. It was the is to better transmit renewable and “To do business in Ohio firm’s reoccurring work with natural gas generation and increase and better service Ohio, the electric utility company reliability to their customers.” you have to have offices in FirstEnergy that brought roots Burns & McDonnell carried the projNortheast Ohio, Southern to the Northeast Ohio region. ect to term in 2017, providing comOhio and Central Ohio,” “We’ve been working with pliance monitors who studied perDarrell Butler, Ohio office FirstEnergy about 30 years mits, licenses and regulations with branch manager, says. in the Akron area,” says Tim local, state and federal agencies and The firm, specializing in McCullough, transmission inspected upgrades to transmission engineering, architecture, Darrell Butler says and distribution department power lines and substations. engineering firm’s construction, environmen- services “fit real nicely” manager and office lead in “That was really one of the biggest tal and consulting solutions, into efforts to push the Akron. “Back in 2013, 2014 drivers was to take the folks we already has completed projects with metroplex effort. they made an increase to have in Akron and provide a permanortheast Ohio entities such as the J.M. upgrade and modernize their transnent home to support the growth of Smucker Company, the City of Clevemission system by launching ‘Energiztheir careers and also the growth of our land, Cleveland Clinic and Cargill, ing the Future.’ This was an initiative business in the region,” Butler says. and has worked with Duke Energy to direct capital investments in the As the firm gets established in Akron, and Marathon Petroleum Corporation transitional electric grid … The goal it hopes to not only strengthen long42 Akron-Canton Metroplex

\\ SPRING 2021

PHOTOS: COURTESY BURNS & MCDONNELL

BY KRISTI SCHWEITZER

PHOTO: COURTESY BURNS & MCDONNELL

term relationships with clients, but its employees as well. The firm works to retain its people through its employee stock ownership plan.

The company is looking for those skilled in the STEM and business fields through traditional four-year and related degrees and has benefitted from local education institutions including the University of Akron and Kent State University to gain hires.

Recruiting talent within and across city and county lines is another way the firm expects to hire in the next few years.

“One of the benefits of the AkronCanton area is kind of easy mobility between those two locations,” McCullough says. “The extensive highway network with I-77 provides some pretty easy traffic in that direction. We already have some professionals that commute on a regular basis from Canton to Akron.”

Shaping the connectedness of the region through the marketing of the Akron-Canton Metroplex is a plus.

Engineers Caleb Mitchell and Samantha Wermager work on a Burns & McDonnell highway project.

Butler has seen the benefits of marketing the greater Columbus area which provides additional stability and business opportunities.

“I think certainly we would love to promote that kind of overall regional

approach because the services we provide just fit nicely in support of our clients’ growth,” Butler said.

Kristi Schweitzer is a Columbus-based freelance writer and a native of Alliance.

6,570. That’s how many days there are in childhood. We’re here to help your family make the most out of every one.

From preventive care that keeps sick days at bay, to breakthrough procedures that speed up recoveries, to discoveries that make more birthdays possible – Akron Children’s is devoted to delivering the very best for kids.

Learn more at akronchildrens.org/morechildhoodplease

More sunshine on a rainy day. ach13701-07_RaincoatGirl_MCP._ABJ_v01AR_20210325.indd 1

More childhood, please.

SPRING 2021 \\

3/26/21 10:17 AM Akron-Canton Metroplex 43

HEALTH CARE

Mergers, alliances reshaping local health care Hospital systems are continuing to expand and enhance medical services across the metroplex

BY KAREN HANNA A regional approach to growth is nothing new for hospitals in the AkronCanton Metroplex.

While some hospitals have moved into the metroplex region, others have long been community assets. Retaining that connection is important, says Shawn Lyden, chief strategy officer of Akron Children’s Hospital.

Being in a market that includes a global powerhouse like the Cleveland Clinic, along with regionally recognized providers, raises the level of care, Lyden says.

The competition can be fierce.

“One of the challenges in Northeast Ohio and, frankly, Ohio generally outside of Columbus, is the population demographics are not great,” he says.

“The population is flat to declining, population is aging, the birth rate is declining. So, to grow in a market that has those kinds of demographics is a bit challenging.”

Spreading out Akron Children’s is among hospitals in the region that have expanded or formed alliances with other healthcare partners as part of a pervasive trend throughout the industry of mergers and acquisitions. Many of the metroplex’s hospitals have been making moves.

In February, the Cleveland Clinic announced its acquisition of Canton’s Mercy Medical Center, now known as Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital.

Mercy patients will have access to the Level 1 trauma center at the clinic’s Akron General, as well as the services of Union Hospital in Dover and the outpatient surgery center and physician offices at Akron General Health and Wellness Center in Uniontown, says Joe Milicia, director of public relations and communications at Cleveland Clinic Akron General.

“Cleveland Clinic sees a great opportunity to work together to expand and enhance services provided by Mercy, improve health care throughout Stark County and advance Mercy’s position as the leading provider of cardiac services in Stark County,” says Milicia.

Competition from the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals’ Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital was one factor behind Akron Children’s own campaign of expansion, which began about two decades ago, Lyden says.

PHOTO: COURTESY AKRON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Akron Children’s strategy has been to offer its “laser-focused” expertise of caring for kids to health-care partners more accustomed to adult patients.

44 Akron-Canton Metroplex

\\ SPRING 2021

“You’ve got to be very strategic about growing service lines, and you need to continue to push your geography,” he says.

Akron Children’s strategy has been to offer its “laser-focused” expertise of caring for kids to health-care partners more accustomed to adult patients, Lyden says. Most recently, in December, the system took over pediatriccare services at its newest partner, the Mercy Health–Lorain system.

“We’re not competition to these other hospitals. We do pediatrics. So they look and say, ‘We should partner with Akron Children’s and outsource pediatrics and raise the level of what’s provided in the community,’ ” Lyden says. “They don’t have to worry about the adult side of our organization as potential competition.”

Locally, the system’s partners include Summa Health, Akron General and Aultman, which houses 40 beds in Canton staffed by Akron Children’s.

Aultman, too, has been growing.

In January, Aultman announced its newest and farthest-flung affiliation— with Pomerene Hospital in Millersburg, Ohio, about an hour away from its base in Canton, where it has served the community since 1892.

“With that long legacy of supporting and promoting the health of residents in Stark and the surrounding counties, Aultman knows this community better than anyone,” says Kevin Pete, a senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Aultman.

Next year, Aultman plans to open the Timken Family Cancer Center, a $28-million, 58,270-square-foot facility, Pete says.

In addition to the Cleveland Clinic, Akron Children’s and Aultman, Cuyahoga Falls’ Western Reserve Hospital and Akron’s Summa have also made recent news.

Late last year, Cleveland-based University Hospitals became a minority partner of Western Reserve.

Based in Cuyahoga Falls, the physician-owned, 89-bed Western Reserve operates a handful of outpatient clinics and laboratories.

Also last year, Summa announced it would become a subsidiary of Beaumont Health system, which operates eight hospitals throughout Michigan;

BY THE NUMBERS METROPLEX HOSPITALS

NO. OF BEDS

Akron Children’s Hospital Akron campus

285

Aultman pediatrics, Canton

15

Aultman neonatal intensivecare unit, Canton

25

Other off-site facilities

123

Aultman Hospital Canton Main Campus

858

Alliance Community Hospital

202

Orville Hospital

37

Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital

532

Mercy Medical Center, Canton

476

Summa Health Akron Campus

979

Barberton Hospital

235

Summa Rehab Hospital, Akron

60

University Hospitals Western Reserve Hospital, Cuyahoga Falls

89

Portage Medical Center, Ravenna

302

SOURCE: HOSPITAL SYSTEMS

Beaumont later scuttled those plans due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 crisis.

No place like home Retaining an identity amidst expansion can be a challenge.

Since the late 1990s, Akron Children’s has grown far beyond its downtown Akron base, with expanded services and satellite facilities throughout Ohio, including Boardman and Marietta. Back then, it was concentrated on five counties — Summit, Medina, Portage, Stark and Wayne; now, it serves 35.

“We have grown exponentially over that period of time, but we still have that family feel, so we still have quite a few of the positive characteristics of being a much smaller organization focused on a more local community.

And that’s hard to do when you’re now 65-hundred employees, but … it’s a very cozy, friendly, family-oriented place, still,” Lyden says.

The Cleveland Clinic, which was recently recognized as the No. 2 hospital in the world by U.S. News & World Report, looks to make each of its hospitals the best place for patients to receive care, Milicia says.

“We are committed to offering the same high-quality care at all of our locations across our health system, which has locations in Ohio, Florida, Nevada, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and England,” he says.

With more than 68,000 employees on its payroll, the Cleveland Clinic announced that Mercy will remain true to its roots as a Catholic institution, sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine.

“We are united by a noble purpose to care for others,” says Dr. Tom Mihaljevic, the clinic’s president and CEO. “Together, we will deliver exceptional care to patients in Stark County and beyond as we continue the Catholic tradition of healing the body, mind and spirit.”

For Akron Children’s, the key to growth has been its reputation, which has facilitated its partnerships across Ohio.

“Everybody is here for the same reason, and that’s for kids and families, and particularly providing outstanding quality care to kids and improving the health of the children that we serve,” Lyden says. “So that alignment around the mission is universal and, frankly, palpable, when you talk to our folks. If you ask anybody at our place why they’re there, that’s what they would say.”

As community assets and major employers, hospitals are engaged in regional economic development efforts.

“At the end of the day, we all want the same thing, and that is to have a growing, vibrant region,” Lyden says.

Karen Hanna is a freelance writer who resides in Cuyahoga Falls.

SPRING 2021 \\

Akron-Canton Metroplex 45

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Blowing into a heated market Polymer Packaging is expanding its manufacturing facility to meet booming demand for thinner, stronger packaging products

BY KRISTI SCHWEITZER

46 Akron-Canton Metroplex

A 75-foot extrusion tower mold at Polymer Packaging is part of the company’s new blown-film manufacturing lines. One of three running lines, the mold is used to cool molten plastics that are being made into three-ply film.

project’s first phase and is set to be completed by the end of 2021. The second phase, anticipated to be completed during the last quarter of the year, raises the roof in an adjacent area so another three lines can be installed and ordered later this year.

The third phase, with an estimated 2022 start date, includes a

\\ SPRING 2021

105,000-square-feet building addition to house an additional 12 lines, bringing the total between 18 to 20 lines.

Lanaham estimates the total investment to exceed $80 million.

Blown-film manufacturing blends a variety of plastic pellets that are then heated and fed through a mixing extrusion screw. The molten plastics

PHOTO: COURTESY POLYMER PACKAGING

When Polymer Packaging decided to meet a growing niche demand in the plastics industry, it was a nobrainer to expand at its Massillon corporate headquarters.

The company that designs and sells a variety of plastic packaging products and makes zipper-resealable packaging for industrial and foodservice use, is in the midst of bolstering its newest division, Polymer Film & Bag, LLC. The new division manufactures custom-made bags and perforated bags-on-a-roll.

Long-standing local roots and the region’s collective talent pool propelled the 35-year-old company into a multi-million dollar expansion to make room for the state-of-the-art blown-extrusion lines that produce thinner but stronger plastic packaging using less raw material.

The project began in mid-2018 to meet the growing need for high-end blown film, says Larry Lanham, Polymer Packaging CEO and founder.

“With the plastics industry projecting continued annual growth of 2 to 3 percent, along with the consolidation of many independent regional film suppliers, we decided to enter the capital-intensive blown-film extrusion manufacturing business,” he says.

The company invested $20 million to purchase and install four three-ply, high-output co-extrusion lines in its existing 100,000-square-foot facility. A fifth line was purchased later.

Redesigning space in its current facility to house the five lines is the

COMPANY PROFILE

Polymer Packaging 8333 Navarre Road SW, Massillon Founded in 1986 Designs and produces a variety of plastic packaging products for consumer, foodservice and industrial uses.

Employees: 97 Locally; 124 Total Annual Revenues: $70 million, projecting $117 million by end of first-phase expansion.

PHOTOS: COURTESY POLYMER PACKAGING

Polymer Packaging is in the midst of its multi-million dollar expansion project to manufacture three-ply plastic sheet film for custom-made bags.

are passed through a circular threelayer die that creates bubbles with air trapped between the die and a chilled nip roller approximately 75 feet above. Air cools the plastic as the film is pulled upward where the bubble is collapsed through a nip roller then descends to the ground level. The flattened film is then slit, rolled and cut to size.

Retail food and industrial packaging the most widely requested products made on these state-of-the-art lines.

“We’re utilizing various engineering grades of resin in multi-layer formats that offer stronger strength and barrier performance characteristics at more cost-effective thinner gauges,” Lanham says.

Polymer Packaging had attempted to enter the blown-plastics business between 2007 and 2008. But poor timing and the Great Recession, forced the company to abandon that effort and scale back to its existing business.

Today the company can’t get lines built and operating fast enough to meet the demand. “We have business to put on the lines as soon as we get them up and going,” says president Chris Thomazin.

The expansion has created 48 positions since its launch in 2018, adding $1.3 million to Stark County’s payroll.

Polymer Packaging plans to hire an additional 60 employees over the next

three years for an additional payroll increase of $2.8 million.

Over the years, the business has had a mix of financial and networking support from Stark Development Board, JobsOhio, and the city of Massillon. It recently acquired a TechCred grant through the state and plans to partner with Walsh University in May to train 60 employees in data analytics.

Protective Packaging Division, acquired in 2004, is located in Allendale, Mich.

Thomazin sees the promotion of the Canton-Akron Metroplex building on those efforts.

“Any kind of collaborative effort between businesses and surrounding, adjacent communities can help each other and continue to strengthen the business for all of us,” Thomazin says.

Kristi Schweitzer is a Columbus-based freelance writer and a native of Alliance.

Since 1997, Polymer Packaging has been installing plastic zippers in bags, making it easier to reseal grocery products from snack foods to frozen vegetables.

SPRING 2021 \\

Akron-Canton Metroplex 47

SNAPSHOT

Economic Indicators

BUSINESS ACTIVITY TAXES Local Sales Tax Revenue

How the Akron-Canton Metroplex is faring

2018 2019 2020

REGIONAL GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) GDP is the total value of goods and services produced by a region. $34.8 BILLION

2016

$16.1 BILLION

AKRON MSA

CANTON-MASSILLON MSA

METROPLEX TOTAL:

$50.9 BILLION

$35.9 BILLION

2017

$17.1 BILLION

$53.1 BILLION

Q3

$28 MILLION

$24.8 MILLION

$25 MILLION

$26.8 MILLION

$27.7 MILLION

$25.3 MILLION

Q2

Q4

Finance and Insurance

$3.3 billion

$3.6 billion

$3.8 billion

$ 1.1 MILLION

$2.2 MILLION

$2.1 MILLION

$ 1.3 MILLION

$2.7 MILLION

$916,147

$2 MILLION

Retail Trade

$5.6 MILLION

$4.2 MILLION

$4.8 MILLION

$5.2 MILLION

$4.2 MILLION

$5.3 billion

$3.8 MILLION

Wholesale Trade

Q4

Real Estate Sale/Transfer Tax Revenue

$3.6 MILLION

Educational Services

Q3

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

$4.1 MILLION

$2.7 billion

Q2

*Portage County does not collect lodging taxes on countywide basis.

$4.1 MILLION

(2019 GDP)

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

$2 MILLION

Q1

$6 billion

$2.9 MILLION

$2.6 billion

$3.1 MILLION

Top Sectors of Akron-Canton Metroplex

Construction

$1.1 MILLION

$1.6 MILLION

Health Care and Social Assistance

$2.5 MILLION

$2.2 billion

$1.5 MILLION

$9.7 billion

$2.6 MILLION

Overnight Lodging Tax Revenue* Manufacturing

Management of Companies and Enterprises

$4 billion Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

EMPLOYMENT

15%

Metroplex Total Employment

Unemployment Rate 13%

Metroplex U.S.

11% 9%

525,174

531,680

531,722

535,341

527,674

534,781

537,015

536,449

525,831

472,129

498,044

517,571

7%

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2018

2019

48 Akron-Canton Metroplex

2020 \\ SPRING 2021

5%

Q1

Q2

2018

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

2019

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

2020

Q3

3% Q4

GRAPHIC: ALYSE PASTERNAK; SOURCES: JOBSEQ/via GREATER AKRON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; COUNTY AUDITORS’ OFFICES; BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Q1

$22.6 MILLION

$56.0 BILLION

$23.1 MILLION

$18 BILLION

$22.4 MILLION

$38.1 BILLION

2019

$25.1 MILLION

$54.9 BILLION

$28.2 MILLION

$17.7 BILLION $26.3 MILLION

$37.2 BILLION

2018

CANTON HAS A BOLD NEW VISION FOR EVENTS. CENTENNIAL PLAZA OFFERS A BOLD VISION FOR CANTON AND ITS RESIDENTS. INSPIRED BY THE CITY’S RICH HISTORY, THE DESIGN ESTABLISHES AN ICONIC PRESENCE DOWNTOWN, UTILIZING A VARIETY OF SOCIAL SPACES AND ARCHITECTURE THAT WILL INSPIRE RESIDENTS FOR YEARS TO COME.

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The Premiere Event Space in the region on the campus of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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The Akron-Canton Metroplex, a key to a bright future filled with opportunity in the real estate industry.

As the Akron-Canton Metroplex continues to grow and it’s needs evolve and expand, DeHoff will continue to strengthen neighborhoods, increase the housing supply, initiate and facilitate quality commercial real estate development, create new jobs, and continue impact investing throughout the region.

u Maplecrest Shopping Center, Brimfiled/Portage County

u Nobles Pond Shopping Center, Jackson Township/Stark County

Cutting edge business practices combined with a customer service focus has propeled the company for over 50 years.

uThe Akron-Canton Metroplex combines Summit, Portage, Stark, and Carroll Counties into 1 large Metropolitan Statistical Area.

u Newly constructed ALDI, Green/Summit County

Dan DeHoff 330.499.8153 | ddehoff@dehoff.com | dehoffdevelopment.com FP MetroPlex.indd 1

3/2/21 12:26 PM