Roughly 150 jobs have been created since the incubator’s launch, said Barb Ewing, chief operating officer of the incubator. Up to 100 more jobs are anticipated, when a new building comes online later this year, she said.
So when Lamoncha heads to the polls, his deciding factor will be manufacturing’s future.
“That will be on the forefront, whoever stands on creating jobs and keeping jobs here in North America,” he said.
It’s worth noting manufacturing is important beyond the industry. A single manufacturing job also generates another 2.5 new jobs in local goods and services, according to Deloitte data. And it’s this ripple effect of business activity and jobs growth that Ohio business owners want.
Over the weekend, Hillary Clinton spoke at a Youngstown factory and vowed to end steel-dumping practices by China and other nations. “I have always been committed to bringing back manufacturing,” she said. “And I’m the only candidate, on either side, who actually has a plan to do that.”
Free trade policies are important to many in Ohio, and Bernie Sanders hopes to capitalize on that sentiment along with a broader message of economic equality and fighting corporate power.
Kasich, meanwhile, has stumped on a narrative about the state’s comeback, balancing the budget and putting Ohio back on firmer financial footing after the recession.
Trump, in turn, has zeroed in on Kasich’s free trade policies, which the billionaire says have hurt Ohio’s economy and jobs market.
No matter how each candidate slices it, voter priorities straddle job creation and supporting Ohio’s fundamental manufacturing base.
“It has been really hard to survive in this economic climate,” said Lamoncha of Humtown. “Our biggest thing is the manufacturing base needs to be strong for us to survive.”
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