Steelworker, farmer, business owners share how they are coping with the economy

Project Manager for the Ohio 63 and Interstate 75 construction project, Kate Holden, says federal stimulus dollars will keep those in her profession busy for the next couple years.

Stelzer, Gary Project Manager for the Ohio 63 and Interstate 75 construction project, Kate Holden, says federal stimulus dollars will keep those in her profession busy for the next couple years.

Photos: Local workers talk economy

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Three weeks after being called back to AK Steel after eight months on layoff, Jerome Layman said fear hangs over him that he will lose his job again.

GARY STELZER/MIDDLETOWN JOURNAL Three weeks after being called back to AK Steel after eight months on layoff, Jerome Layman said fear hangs over him that he will lose his job again.

Economic downturn forces workers to adapt

By Jessica Heffner, Staff Writer Updated 3:33 PM Sunday, September 6, 2009

As long as you see orange barrels lining Ohio 63 and Interstate 75 from exit 21 to 32, Kate Holden has a job.

The project manager for J.R. Jurgensen said there is nothing like the security she has with her company thanks to three-year jobs like the interchange upgrades she’s on now and federal stimulus dollars coming down the pipeline.

In fact, she along with other companies that contract with the Ohio Department of Transportation can see what projects are receiving funding years in advance. And from what she sees, there is plenty of work to come: new bridges and highway interchanges, repaving, widening and extending Ohio’s roadways.

“What helps is being in an industry knowing there are even more federally funded projects out there waiting,” she said.

Which is why Holden says she has residents knocking on her site office door every week filling out applications, about six times as many as she received in a month last year.

While construction has a temporary lull in the winter due to ODOT rules that do not allow crews to work in colder climates, Holden said her salary status saves her from missed paychecks. Most of the workers under her prepare for the slow times and receive unemployment benefits when they are off, so there always is money coming in.

If anything, the economy pushes everyone on the job to work harder. Holden said she doesn’t hear much worry from her crew, which is about 70 percent male, as “guys don’t tend to talk a lot about what issues they are facing at home.”

But Holden admits, things aren’t perfect in construction. Holden’s husband works in the residential building sector, which is much slower as fewer people are building homes or remodeling. She tries not to let it bother her.

“I don’t have to stress-out day-to-day or week-to-week thanks to my job at J.R. Jurgensen,” she said. “My husband works as hard as me, we both work a lot of hours so we don’t have a lot of time to worry.”

For some like Holden, the current economical experience has been mostly positive: plenty of work with more on the way thanks to federal stimulus dollars. For others, it’s been a challenge that has been either fearful or exhilarating. What seems clear is that in this economy, it’s all about your outlook.

There’s no doubt the recession has forced change. Americans are spending less and carefully considering what they decide to spend their money on. It’s also been a time of careful introspection: How is my life being affected and what do I need to do to get through?

So we talked to some of the different people across the different sectors that makes up our local landscape — a steelworker, petroleum distributor, farmer, restaurateur, university financial aid director and local auctioneers — to find out what they’ve lost and what they’ve found through the daily struggles that surround today’s economy. Through their stories comes the portrait of local life in the midst of the recession.

Jim and Linda Easton

EASTON AUCTION COMPANY

Challenging times bring cash-strapped and bargain hunters to auction center

There’s little that can be done to waylay the desperation when you are walking into someone’s house to take an inventory of what they own that can be sold to pay the bills.

Easton Auction Company, owned by Jim and Linda Easton in Ross Twp., is bursting at the seams with collectibles, antiques and high-end items waiting to be sold by residents in need of some extra cash. Sometimes the stories are uplifting — like the lady who got $300 for an old Flintstone’s Dino toy she thought would only fetch $10. Other times, they can be heart-breaking.

“I literally went into someone’s house and took all their furniture to sell because (someone) lost a job and they were going to lose the house,” Jim said.

Sales have increased about 50 percent at the center as residents clean house. “We are running into a lot of people who are just financially strapped,” Linda said. “They are getting rid of their toys because they need the cash flow.”

But toys can be replaced, like the 1901 Buick they received that was completely restored. While residents may not be able to find a buyer, Jim’s sister and auction manager Joann Cook said they have no shortage of customers. Thanks to the auction center’s recent association with proxibid.com, they are able to sell items live on the Web to customers all over the world. Collectors can never resist a top-notch piece.

“If you have high-quality, good material stuff, then there are people buying and we are making good money and good money for our clients,” Jim said.

The family’s best advice to residents in need of a few extra dollars is to not underestimate the value of their “junk,” especially antiques and fire arms, which the auction center is licensed to sell.

The worst, Jim said, is when he comes in to appraise someone’s items and finds “they got rid of what they should have sold and want to sell what they should just give to charity.”

Stephen Hightower

HIGHTOWERS PETROLEUM CO.

Rapidly increasing sales in recent years help oil company finance its own growth

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