Trumbull County tourism director, commissioners outline county economic tour and recent event attendance

Trumbull County’s tourism director and commissioners described a continuing series of county economic tours intended to introduce state and federal officials to local businesses and communities, and reported strong attendance at recent tourism events.

Beth Carmichael, executive director of Trumbull County Tourism, said the office hosted a large family weekend at Mosquito Lake that included a raptor event attended by more than 260 people. "Even though the weather was really cruddy this past weekend, that event was very successful," Carmichael said.

Commissioner Malloy outlined a multi-part "economic tour" program begun last year, designed to bring state representatives, congressional staff and federal agencies to businesses across Trumbull County so officials better understand local operations. Malloy listed stops planned for the Northeast tour including Strumbolt Trucking, W.I. Millard and Sons Farms (which he described as farming more than 5,000 acres), Heritage Hill Farms and an aluminum plant, Uniserv, that processes steel rolls.

Malloy said the tours aim to highlight business activity beyond the usual industrial centers and to educate elected representatives on infrastructure and permitting issues: "To be better public servants, we need to understand what people do in the county," he said.

Carmichael also described marketing co-ops with Ohio trade publications and an advertising arrangement with three county wineries to increase exposure while sharing costs. The commissioners invited department heads and county representatives to join upcoming tours; one bus tour was scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. in Brookfield and finish about 4:30 p.m.

Why it matters: the tours are intended to connect county officials and state/federal staff directly with businesses that generate jobs and sales in Trumbull County; the tourism office also uses partnerships to maximize exposure while sharing advertising costs.