“I’m just absolutely so proud of Salem and Columbiana County and the work that they’re doing to help promote existing business expansion, to attract new opportunities here. It just says a lot about the teamwork and collaboration taking place,” she said.

Mihalik visited the Sustainable Opportunity Development Center in Salem for a business roundtable Friday to celebrate Salem’s designation as an Up and Comer, moving from the 84th spot in 2023 to the 12th spot in 2024. That’s 12th out of 577 micropolitans in the country.

At the state level, Mihalik said they love to see that, offering kudos to all involved, from the city officials, to the SOD Center, the businesses and state legislators and the work that’s been done to reach this point.

What she said she loved about what she heard during the roundtable was not just the communication but the action after the communication, using the building department services offered through Elevate Building Solutions for Salem, Columbiana and now Leetonia as an example of seeing a need, talking about it and fulfilling it.

From left, Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik, Butech Bliss President/CEO Jock Buta, Sustainable Opportunity Development Center Executive Director Julie Needs and attorney Shawna L’talien listen as Butech Bliss Manufacturing Facility Plant Manager Brian Whitehill talks about the recent $8 million expansion of the Pennsylvania Avenue, Salem facility during a tour Friday. Mihalik attended a business roundtable at the SOD Center in celebration of Salem being named an Up and Comer ranked at number 12 in the Top 100 Micropolitans of 2024 by Site Selection Magazine. (Photo by Mary Ann Greier)

Mihalik said it’s understated, but she can’t overstate how important having that collaboration is and that’s where the difference lies in a lot of communities.

“You’ve unlocked that power,” she told the business roundtable participants.

A few of the business entities whose expansion projects helped Salem move up in the rankings spoke briefly, talking about the importance of the SOD Center thinking “outside of the box” and improving workforce development through the offerings at the training center to train employees and moves by the city to make expanding a business easier.

Some of those speakers included Jock Buta, president/CEO of Butech Bliss, TruCut Inc. CFO and SOD Center Board Treasurer Ryan Crowell and Fresh Mark President/COO Brent Patmos.

Patmos said if talking about sustainable opportunity development, making it simpler to do business in a municipality and the cooperative engagement of state, city, local officials and business, “we’re thrilled.” He talked about the building department and the investment Fresh Mark has made in the community and the continued investment the company plans to make.

State and local officials recognize Salem’s ranking as number 12 in the top 100 Metropolitans of 2024 by Site Selection Magazine, a massive jump from the 84th spot in 2023. Pictured from left are state Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel, R-79th, TruCut Inc. CFO and Sustainable Opportunity Development Center Board Treasurer Ryan Crowell, state Sen. Al Catrona, R-33rd, Butech Bliss President/CEO Jock Buta, Salem Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey, Fresh Mark President/COO Brent Patmos, Ohio Director of Development Lydia Mihalik, SOD Center Board President George Morris III of Morris Financial, SOD Center Executive Director Julie Needs, SOD Center Board Secretary attorney Shawna L’talien, Salem Service/Safety Director Joe Cappuzello, Columbiana County Port Authority Assistant Executive Director Brittany Smith, Lake to River Economic Development Interim CEO Alexa Sweeney Blackann and SOD Center Vice President Joe Hovorka of Coffee Real Estate LLC. (Photo by Mary Ann Greier)

In 2024, he said the company invested $86.1 million in the Salem community and that commitment will continue with the expansion of the employee centered area by another 4,000 feet.

“We love culture and culture connect in Salem and that’s why we continue to invest,” Patmos said.

Both state Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel, R-79th, and state Sen. Al Catrona, R-33rd, spoke, along with Salem Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey, SOD Center Board President George Morris III of Morris Financial, SOD Center Executive Director Julie Needs, SOD Center Board Secretary attorney Shawna L’talien, Columbiana County Port Authority Assistant Executive Director Brittany Smith, Lake to River Economic Development Interim CEO Alexa Sweeney Blackann and SOD Center Vice President Joe Hovorka of Coffee Real Estate LLC, who’s been developing some of the downtown buildings in Salem.

All talked about the importance of collaboration and working together to succeed, the growth happening in Salem and the county, whose success is important to the state of Ohio, and the work of city and of the SOD Center in taking a proactive approach to economic development.

Dickey said there are some discussions happening among the county’s mayor about tackling some of the barriers to employment, including transportation and child care. The SOD Center is dealing with training while Dickey said there’s been talk about a proposal for vans or buses with bus stops in different areas that residents without transportation can use besides what’s already offered through the Community Action Rural Transportation System.

There was also discussion about legislation to address the child care issue and possible child care tax credits to help mothers who want to work. That’s something Mihalik said she wants to work on, pointing out that the state wants to get more women working, more people who need transportation working and other segments of the population with barriers to employment, to get them in the game.

The former mayor of Findlay, Mihalik is very familiar with the micropolitan rankings since Findlay has been at the top for several years.

Needs explained that a micropolitan is a city or group of communities together with a population of 10,000 to 49,999. The ranking by Site Selection magazine is based on economic development projects done in a year and Salem had six expansion projects that qualified in 2024, including two with Butech Bliss, two with Fresh Mark, and one each with TruCut and Salem Welding Supply.

The projects have to meet at least one of three criteria. Those criteria include creating 20 jobs, 20,000 square feet of expansion and a capital investment of at least $1 million. They also have to be in specific sections, such as corporate headquarters, manufacturing, distribution or warehousing.

Needs said the higher ranking brings awareness to the Salem market, helps support the businesses already here and opens the community up to attracting new businesses and creates jobs and opportunities not just for the residents of Salem but for surrounding communities.

“Our Salem businesses are thriving,” Needs said.

After the roundtable, attendees, including Mihalik, toured the Butech Bliss expanded manufacturing facility on Pennsylvania Avenue, with Plant Manager Brian Whitehill and Buta explaining what was added, including three large horizontal machining centers, two new vertical machining centers, expanded copper production area, women’s locker room, welding system rollers, new equipment such as two large lathes and an updated break room.

The expansion added 10 to 20 jobs and Buta said they’re trying to attract women to the workforce.

Before Mihalik left, Needs presented her with a basket of goodies, including coffee from LiB’s, soda from Kast Iron Soda Works and a book of Salem native Charles Burchfield’s artwork.

mgreier@mojonews.com