There’s no reason to sugarcoat it.
We took some stiff right hands in 2006.
The closings at places like Affinia and Steris and the layoffs at Bush Industries represent the loss of hundreds of manufacturing jobs for Erie, some with moderately good pay and others better than that.
They’re not coming back.
It would be pretty easy these days to saddle up to the nearest bar stool, wax nostalgic about the days when there were more jobs than bodies to fill them and raise one last toast to the end of Erie. Then go look to see what openings are posted at Wal Mart. There is nothing on the horizon that will directly replace the millions of economic dollars lost in the last few years.
Still, if 2006 was the Year of Lost Expectations, 2007 is the Year to Expect Better.
Long awaited projects like the Bayfront Convention Center and Presque Isle Downs will come on line this year. Yes, these are retail and service jobs and even the ripple effect dollars (like conventioneers going to downtown bars and restaurants) are still not often family sustaining wages.
But these projects are important because an interested business owner is going to want to know what a town has going for it before pulling the trigger on a move.
Consider these two scenarios when an out-of-town boss asks if anyone knows anything about Erie, PA:
1. “Hey boss, I went to a convention there last year. They have shuttle boats to a peninsula with all these beaches, nice little downtown places to go. The people were great. I had a blast.”
2. Yea, I had to make a sales stop there. Went into this little bar and there were a bunch of guys in little blue vests with yellow smiley faces. They said the place bites and there’s too much snow.
Which one would you think would make an owner want to uproot his company? So there is value in entertainment and cultural projects beyond individual paychecks.
A 53 million-dollar biofuels plant should also open in 2007. There is great upside for emerging technology that will reduce reliance on foreign oil while using abundant crops like corn to stretch gasoline reserves.
Consider the Missouri couple who looked all over the country before moving to Fairview to open a business that uses electronics to adapt diesel engines for better fuel performance and the upcoming biofuel formulas.
Besides the biofuel plant, the former IP property is also home for 70 acres of reclaimed brownfield that used to be Hammermill’s south yard. That property should be marketable in 2007. No, it’s not the same as having an existing plant on the site, but since the company left anyway it’s good to see the property cleaned up for reuse. What good is attracting a business if there’s no place to put it?
Lastly, there is the joint effort between private Erie investors and the Erie Airport to take control of a former Soviet air base outside Berlin, Germany. It’s hoped that the deal will be finalized in February. Creating a direct air link between Erie, PA and Cottbus, Germany creates easy access away from big cities to move cargo from the middle of America to Central Europe. If all goes as planned, that means jobs for truck drivers, jitney operators, warehouse supervisors and logistics staff. Those are real jobs.
Some companies may even want to open operations near the airport to be near the truck, rail and air opportunities.
Hey, if we aren’t going to be making as much stuff as we used to, we better get better at moving it around.
Okay, your backside may be getting a bit warm from all the sunshine I’m shooting up your skirts. But, look, there are only two options when you get hit in the face. You can stay down on the mat or you can get up and fight. Nobody’s going to do it for us.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
HEY! We’re starting the New Year with our comment section still punched out. If you want to take a jab at anything here, bob-and-weave your thoughts onto an email and pop them off to scott.bremner@35wsee.com. Make sure to knock out the word “Comments” in the subject line so I don’t miss it.