When it comes to Erie County's economy, you're pretty much talking Cedar Point, the Islands, and the Wineries. For the past 30 years or so, tourism and some manufacturing have been the employment base. But, like nearby, Lorain and Cuyahoga Counties, that base has been in decline, and the local population is both shrinking and aging. Recently, a national firm was hired to analyze the county's strengths and weaknesses, compared to similar-sized communities across the country. Then, says Erie development director Mark Litten, appropriate companies to attract will be targeted.
MARK LITTEN: It's unique for a small rural county to do these kinds of things. Where you've typically seen economic development groups target industry clusters in your large regional metropolitan areas.
Litten says his small county, with big ambitions, hopes to have it's business attraction plan together by this summer.
