Chamber Salutes Business at Annual Breakfast Event
BOARDMAN, Ohio -- Standing before the audience of nearly 400 members of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and guests, Joel Mastervich reflected on a 2008 Forbes magazine article that listed Youngstown among America’s fasted-dying cities.
“Not only were we on the list, but our plant, V&M Star at that time, was the backdrop for one of the photos on the cover page of the article,” said Mastervich, executive vice president of operations/industrial director OCTG -- oil country tubular goods -- North America for Vallourec.
In June, Vallourec, based in France, celebrated the ramp-up of operations at its new $1 billion pipe mill in Youngstown.
“We are proud to be an early face for what I believe will be a continuing growth opportunity for the Mahoning Valley and for the state of Ohio,” Mastervich told the audience Thursday at the chamber’s Salute to Business Early Bird Breakfast. Recognized as Business Professional of the Year, Mastervich was among five honorees at the program, which was held at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center.
Because of Vallourec’s work, “our Valley has taken a giant leap forward,” said Pete Asimakopoulos, president of First National Bank of Pennsylvania’s Youngstown Market and chairman of the chamber’s board of directors.
In conjunction with the new mill project, Mastervich told the audience, Vallourec, in cooperation with the city and Lien Forward Ohio, made “some very good strides” in removing blight and helping to put a better face on the community, with those efforts expanding to the Route 422 corridor, Mastervich said.
“Just think of all the national and international visitors -- for new businesses, for Vallourec Star, for [Youngstown State University] -- that are going to visit our area, and the opportunity we all have to attract them with a positive impression,” Mastervich said.
“With all this attention comes responsibility and it’s a responsibility to very thoughtfully lead and shape our collective direction,” he continued. “This is a very refreshing challenge for all of us and we at Vallourec Star are fully committed to helping us succeed,” he remarked.
Also recognized at the event were Daniel Dickten, aviation director at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, as Business Advocate of the Year; Daniel Catullo, owner of Catullo Prime Meats Inc., as Entrepreneur of the Year; Stephanie Shaw, executive director of the Eastern OhioPartnership for Education, Nonprofit Professional of the Year; and Don Crane, president of the Western Reserve Building and Construction Trades Council, as the Salute to Labor Achievement honoree.
Dickten cited improvements to the airport during his tenure, including T-hangar construction, upgrades to the main terminal and the continued growth of Allegiant Air, which now offers service to four destinations. He predicted that service to Las Vegas -- fulfilling a frequent request -- is likely within the next 12 to 15 months, based on recent discussions.
Additionally, discussions continue with network airlines to provide daily service to potential locations including Chicago, with one considering adding service to Youngstown as early as 2014. “I don’t have an announcement today but we’re very encouraged,” Dickten said.
Catullo, who recently took second place in an online contest capitalizing on social media sponsored by FedEx, advised the audience not to be afraid of success.
“When you do well in anything in life, others will expect you to be great all the time. Do not be afraid of that,” he said. The young entrepreneur advised the audience to tell anyone who will listen the importance of being successful.
“It’s not about the money we make. It’s about the lives we influence,” he remarked. "It’s about the jobs that we create. It’s about the careers that we make. Youngstown and Warren need us to show the next generation how to be successful.”
The event’s keynote speaker, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-13 Ohio, talked about the “revolution” taking place in the Mahoning Valley. “Those of us who were around and grew up with the steel mills closing down, and the negativity and the corruption and all the things that were happening, this is something that is very, very new for our community,” he remarked. “What’s happening in our Valley is the talent, the creativity, the ingenuity, the resiliency, is all now being brought forth. Everyone’s inspiring one another here.”
Ryan also drew comparisons between articles and stories today to those of 2008 and earlier “when it was like nobody wanted to come within 30 miles of Youngstown for fear of what may happen. Here we are today with the only National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute in America” in downtown Youngstown.
Additional speakers at Thursday’s event included Col. James Dignan, commander of the 910th Airlift Wing at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna Township; Tony Paglia, the chamber’s vice-president for governmental affairs; and Ted Schmidt, regional president, PNC Bank, the event’s sponsor.
Absent from this year’s event were the chamber’s president and CEO, Tom Humphries, and Eric Wolford, head football coach at Youngstown State University, who usually presents a preview of the upcoming season at the breakfast.
Humphries was hospitalized a few days ago and Asimakopoulos said he hopefully would be released by the end of the day “and back at the help in the next few days.” The Penguins play their home opener this evening at Stambaugh Stadium “so we decided to give Coach [Wolford] a pass today so he could sleep in, focus on tonight and get ready for the big game,” Asimakopoulos said.
In addition to a video featuring the honorees, a lighthearted short promoting the upcoming Black & White Gala: Shoot for the Moon, Dance with the Stars event was shown. Scheduled for Oct. 26, the event, a fundraiser for the American Red Cross of the Mahoning Valley, will feature representatives of six area businesses in a dance competition based on well-known dance routines from cinema. Competing are Alexa Sweeney Blackann of Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC; Holly Clouser of National Fire & Water Repair; Bob Hannon of the United Way of Youngstown and Mahoning County; Trish Hrina of ValleyCare Health System of Ohio; Ken Kollar of the Eastwood Mall Complex; and Eric Ryan of the Covelli Center and JAC Management Group.
Copyright 2013 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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