Thursday, December 18, 2008

Cleveland Industry

Cleveland began as a strong manufacturing city that was able to use its proximity to Lake Erie to become very prosperous in its time. However, in more recent years, Cleveland's industry has slowed drastically due to the outsourcing of jobs, and extremely significantly since the current financial crisis began, arcelor/mittal just laid off something like 1000 workers.

Cleveland has had a very difficult time bouncing back from the loss of manufacturing jobs, much more so than other cities. This may be because many companies want to leave Cleveland, and most already have, thanks to its dismal state at the moment. Thankfully a few loyal ones such as Sherwin-Williams have remained in the city, to help boost it back up. University Hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic have been instrumental in the recent semi-comeback of Cleveland, and will hopefully help more in the future.

I would hope that the Cuyahoga Valley stay as it is now, maybe with a little bit more development, to keep it mostly park land, instead of mowing over the natural beauty we have for some other city that could fail just as badly as Cleveland and Akron did. However, it certainly would not be a bad thing to see Cleveland and Akron be boosted up a bit more, although I can't really see this happening to Akron much. The future of Cleveland looks somewhat promising though, thanks to the medical institutions that are setting up their large, expensive, and job-creating shop there.

10 comments:

Sethna said...

You're late.

Interesting take on the Valley.

First Knight said...

Good angle to bring in the hospitals. The health care industry in a variety of ways is one of the few with a promising future right now.

I heard a story this morning about the area we visited in Cleveland. More events coming to the banks of the Cuyahoga River, tourists coming to see unique places in the city, and creative uses for some of those old, aesthetic buildings downtown.

Evan said...

The laying off of workers is ridiculous and i even know someone that just got laid off. He got laid off a few years ago when LCT (i think) shut down.

By the way Cyrus, people realize they are late. You don't have to tell them

First Knight said...

'Tis true Cyrus probably doesn't need to identify when people send in late journals, but he caught Foschia on the date change and he shows me that he goes back to read other people's work.

I wish that you would all respond to earlier journals so our conversations could continue.

Here is a suggestion: what if each of us went back through old entries and posted something new based on what others have said?

Jeremy said...

Jeff I do agree on your comments about the outsourcing of jobs. One of the many places that this has come into effect is the making of the foreign cars hat so many Americans are driving. These include all companies like Toyota, and Mitsubishi etc. Years ago Cleveland Steel was the business to be in and now companies like these and many others buy products like steel for car frames from companies overseas, all we are doing when we buy foreign products is digging this hole even deeper for ourselves. This is where the downfall in our economy as we currently see it has originated.

Anna C said...

So you are saying we should not buy from foreign companies because it is digging us in a deeper hole, yet they don't buy from us anymore either. But what if we need to buy foriegn products in order to get them to buy from us? if we stop buying foreign products could they eventually forget about us completely?

little miss laura said...

(Finally got around to commenting more..)
I liked the comment you made about the hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic. I had been preoccupied with more the industry side of Cleveland (and Akron, I guess) than the health side of it and I hadn't thought of that.
I also liked your last paragraph about the valley. I agree with you in hoping that Akron and Cleveland continue to grow but also hoping that the Valley doesn't get developed too much because we need that, in your words, "natural beauty."

Lienne said...

I liked your last statement about the medical institutions. It is true that medical businesses bring in a lot of jobs and since they are large and expensive operations, hopefully they won't be able to just pack up and leave when the going gets tough.. or tougher.

Axel said...

O.o seems like u know ur fact dude. i wish i would have remmembered to go :( but sounds like u learned or already know plenty about where u went.

i do think that is sad when that many people are laid off, and that cleveland is in such bad shape. i hope some day that it may bounce back ^^

Axel said...

O.o seems like u know ur fact dude. i wish i would have remmembered to go :( but sounds like u learned or already know plenty about where u went.

i do think that is sad when that many people are laid off, and that cleveland is in such bad shape. i hope some day that it may bounce back ^^