Paulding County, Ohio

at any time to hear about those companies. And if they are enticed by it, and maybe are thinking about getting into that business, they can learn a lot about them even before going and interviewing.” The podcast initiative is gaining traction and other counties are trying to mimic the show because it’s helping students find gainful employment in all industries. The major economic drivers in Paulding County are agriculture, with Cooper Farms being the largest, and the plastics industry, followed by tile and glass. Paulding is the largest supplier of tile in the midwestern U.S. thanks to Baughman Tile Co., that has a 100-year history of producing quality tile. Spartech, a leading plastics manufacturer in Paulding became creative during the pandemic and within weeks was producing plexiglass for consumer safety and Copsey says they couldn’t stock it fast enough. There are a variety of sites for industries to locate; some are in the business parks and changed the way we think.” His office created a booklet that has each business in the county listed with company information and history. But that wasn’t enough. So Copsey asked student councils what they thought would reach students. Creating podcasts came back with a ringing endorsement, so the county partnered with the local radio station, MY 102.7, and Ohio Means Jobs and applied for a grant to produce a weekly radio program. Copsey reports, “We would interview businesses from around the county about their company and the history of the people themselves, so that students understood they could make a living here by staying local and still make a good living. And then we had the businesses talk about their operations, and the future, and how that plays into the local, regional, state, or even the national and international markets. And then we took that broadcast and saved it on the radio station’s website. Now kids and adults can go in