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Copyright

Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce
45 E. Main St.
Chillicothe, OH 45601
740-702-2722

Carlisle owners need to move

to Plan B, Plan C or Plan D

By Marvin Jones

President and CEO

Chillicothe’s City Council and administration couldn’t have been clearer Monday night in letting the Columbus-based owners of the Carlisle Building know that they need to stop bullying the city and find another way to get a return on their so-far meager investment.

In the emotion-charged council chambers, the Carlisle owners were told:

• The city doesn’t have the money to move the administration offices into the Carlisle.
• The city doesn’t have the inclination to enter into an agreement where the owners can’t guarantee the price of such a move.

Councilman Chair Jeremy Siberell plans another meeting Monday of his Finance Committee to recommend formally that the council once and for all stop consideration of turning the Carlisle into the new city hall. It’s a good move and forces the owners to go in another direction.

The only problem with that is it very much appears this group has not pursued seriously any other options to restore this architectural landmark, despite having gone through the pain to acquire federal and state historic preservation tax credits that now will probably go unused.

The local preservation groups need to either work to help the present owners find a non-government solution or work to get the building out of their hands and control.

The best possible scenario comes from the HyettPalma study that’s now almost three years old: Locally based ownership. This can come in many forms and certainly won’t be easy, but it will take probably more than one local investor willing to wait for up to a decade or more to get a return on this investment.

And it will take a City Council and administration offering to help with some possible legal issues, such as property tax abatements, to aid the investors.

It’s been seven years since the fire. Two sets of non-local investors have failed. It’s time for our own community to step forward.

Education initiative

attracts educators

The principals from six of Ross County’s 10 elementary schools and seven teachers, all from the Chillicothe system, were part of the 39 who attended Tuesday’s chamber-sponsored rollout of The Leader in Me program from the FranklinCovey Education organization.

David Hatch (pictured) and Steve Yauch from FranklinCovey provided the educators and others with an overview of the program that started 11 years ago in North Carolina and is being implemented in hundreds of schools across the country. Without changing the curriculum, the program incorporates Dr. Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” into the teaching process of an entire school.

The results after even a year for nearly all schools include better test scores, fewer discipline issues, more engaged parents and a change in culture where students have much more self confidence, a respect for others and who take more responsibility for their own actions.

The chamber is offering to help find the funding to train a school’s staff in implementing the program for not less than three years. The program is effective only if an entire school adopts it as it involves all teachers, staff and parents.

For those unable to attend the session and who want more information, call the chamber at 702-2722 or email mjones@chillicotheohio.com.

Are you denying problems in your business?

An unwillingness to acknowledge and deal with reality is one definition of denial. In an article in Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, author Richard S. Tedlow talks about the issue that cripples many companies and CEOs. While his focus is on large companies, much of it applies to small businesses.

He says, “Denial is not merely being wrong. Everybody makes mistakes. Denial is falling into a cognitive Bermuda Triangle. Everything is clear, yet you lose your bearings.” He cites examples such as General Motors, Sears and the former A&P supermarkets.

Intel, though, turned things around starting in 1985 when the two top people stopped and thought, “If the board kicked us out and brought in new management, what do you think they would do?” Tedlow said that “allowed them to see the situation afresh, face it squarely, and make what had instantly become the obvious choice.”

Read the entire interview and an excerpt from his book, “Denial: Why Business Leaders Fail to Look Facts in the Face and What To Do About It:” Tedlow interview

Some items to note:

• Be careful about someone wanting to help you with an SBA loan. The inspector general of the SBA said complaints are coming in about firms wanting to charge high fees to provide assistance, firms offering assistance you didn’t seek and threats about future SBA funding. To report any attempts such as this: www.sba.gov/ig.
• The new Kenworth T700 model and the new Paccar MX Engine are on a road trip this month. The model, being built in the Chillicothe plant, is off on tour to 90 dealers in the U.S. and Canada. The tour trailer also showcases information on the new Kenworth NavPlus navigation and infotainment system, 75-inch Aerodyne sleeper and Eaton UltraShift automated transmission. Check it out: www.kenworth.com
• Many chamber members will be represented at the annual Southern Ohio Home and Garden Show at the Ross County Fairgrounds on April 10-11. NBC-4’s Tom McNutt will be there on Saturday and Columbus Zoo folks and animals on Sunday. www.southernohiohomegarden.com
• The Pike County chamber has its Southern Ohio Trade Show April 9-11 at the Pike YMCA with Bristol Village and USEC as major sponsors. It runs 5-8 on Friday, 10-4 Saturday and 12-4 Sunday.
• Megan Core of the Sun Shine Tanning Studio recently completed the associate training track of the International Smart Tan Network.
• Columbia Gas is offering instant rebates to small businesses making energy efficiency improvements. Improvements that qualify include duct sealing and insulation, infrared fryers for restaurants and tubular radiant space heaters. Details: www.columbiagasohio.com/SBES
• If you’re one of the lucky businesses hiring workers, don’t forget about two federal programs that could help your bottom line. One could exempt you from paying the 6.2 percent Social Security tax on new hires for a period of time and another provides a $1,000 business tax credit for each new employee. Check it out: www.irs.gov

Newest members:

• Ross County Farm Bureau, 24633 U.S. 23 South, Circleville, 740-474-6284, www.ofbf.org
• Oasis Pavilion and Island Spice Café, 402 Chamber Drive (former craft mall), by Angel O’Brien, 774-4111, offering conference and banquet rooms and catering; restaurant open 10-4 Monday through Saturday

Commercial building permits issued recently by the Chillicothe and Ross County Building Departments:

• Roman Catholic Diocese, 126 Church St., HVAC replacement, value $37,000.
• AEP, 701 Hardin Drive, sprinkler relocation, $2,000.
• ADM-Countrymark, 331 S. Watt St., fire protection, $18,000.
• The Nusbaum Company, 1120 Western Ave., signs, $6,500.
• Litter Real Estate, 524 Eastern Ave., signs, $2,000.
• Kenworth Truck Company, 65 Kenworth Drive, fire protection, no value given.
• Frontier Community Services, 2097 Western Ave., roofing, $28,400.
• Rebecca Peters, 1287 Main St., Richmond Dale, electric upgrade, $3,700.

Vendors licenses issued recently by the Ross County Auditor:

• Henderson Sales, 11826 Main St., Adelphi, by Ruth Henderson.
• Egghead Tek, 1244 Poes Run Road, Harold Cupp Jr.