Rising from Rust

MANSFIELD – For nearly four decades, Doug Versaw has worked to make Mansfield beautiful, but last spring, he decided to “take things up a notch.” Versaw and others from the Richland Community Development Group’s beautification sector signed Mansfield up for the America in Bloom program, which has helped Ohio cities like Logan and Gallipolis to […]

MANSFIELD – Heather Tsavaris believes anything can be done from right here in Richland County. Though Tsavaris has lived across the globe, she moved back to her hometown of Mansfield several years ago to put her diverse experience to work in north central Ohio, specifically at Idea Works in the heart of downtown. By identifying […]

MANSFIELD — Since the Richland Area Chamber of Commerce and the Richland Community Development Group became affiliated in June 2017, the two organizations have aimed to unite their economic and community development efforts. Less than a year later, that intention has manifested in the form of a three-year strategic plan with four overarching goals: To […]

MANSFIELD – While Amanda Golden of Designing Local recognizes there are many economic development tools, she wants to see more historic preservation in places like Mansfield. “Preservation (of historic buildings) is an amazing economic development tool that like art, many people have viewed for a long time as ‘preservation for preservation’s sake.’ But I don’t […]

COLUMBUS – Falon Donohue believes entrepreneurship is key to Ohio’s future. A 2001 Crestview graduate, Donohue works as the CEO of VentureOhio to increase access to venture capital for Ohio entrepreneurs through the Columbus-based organization. To get Ohio “back in the driver’s seat” in innovation and job creation, she sees entrepreneurship playing a significant factor. […]

MANSFIELD – Typically starting a business takes months, but this past weekend, five Richland County residents participated in a program that builds startups in only three days. “It was great. I had been involved in the Columbus startup scene, but this was an eye opening and enlightening experience,” said participant Cameron Haring. “I was amazed […]

Editor’s Note: Richland Source reporters Tracy Geibel and Brittany Schock have launched a 2018 Solutions Journalism project titled Rising from Rust, studying how Richland County fights its way out of the Rust Belt. Today we look at the community’s industrial past and how we got here. MANSFIELD – Richland County wasn’t always this way. The […]

MANSFIELD — Simply hearing the term Rust Belt is enough to anger folks in this part of the country — like me. I’m tired of hearing it. The reference is not subtle. Some have described north central Ohio as the belt buckle of the Rust Belt, old, worn-out, useless, forgotten. At one time this region […]

MANSFIELD — Mansfield’s industrial might flexed its muscle on the local employment scene and shaped the economic scope of the community for more than a century. These images show how strong the impact of blue-collar labor was on the region for several generations. They may also help explain why it’s been so difficult for Mansfield […]