Published: November 06, 2008 11:27 pm      

Business study eyes younger viewpoints

Each year, the centerpiece of the Economic Summit is the Business Climate Survey results that reveal how the business community of Cambria and Somerset counties views itself.

That won’t be any different today when the Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Chamber of Commerce’s annual event convenes at the Pasquerilla Conference Center in downtown Johnstown. What will be different is a new study that invites an outside group to take a look at the region and give its opinions.

The chamber’s Small Business Council has teamed with Young Professionals of the Alleghenies to commission a “Cool Communities” study to be conducted by Next Generation Consulting of Madison, Wis. It will look at how the Greater Johnstown region can better equip itself to attract professionals in the 30- to 40-year-old age range.

“I think when you live in an area, you really tend to become immune to its beauty and what’s good about it,” said Debra Orner, vice president of the chamber. “For instance, we see the same answers at the top of our annual survey – quality of life is the top positive and highway access is the top negative.

“People who are from outside the area seem to recognize a lot of the things that we take for granted. This is what this company specializes in. They understand what this age group is looking for, and it will be easier for them to identify those things than it would be for us.”

Orner noted that support for the study has been widespread. Sponsors include Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, the Regional Partnership, Johnstown Area Regional Industries and the Richland Township supervisors.

Additionally, the study won’t be restricted to the city alone. Orner said Next Generation will consider a geographic area that stretches north from Route 30 in Somerset County throughout all of Cambria County.

“We had a really enthusiastic response to the idea of conducting this study,” Orner said. “There was a lot of strong interest in producing a community handprint for Johnstown.”

As for the centerpiece of the summit – the Business Climate Survey – Orner said the responses were in line with those of recent years.

She noted that given the current national economic climate, the results are positive and compare favorably to similar studies being done throughout the state.