East Palestine is made up of a lot of small business in which the owners live in the community. Several business owners were surveyed and all talked about how they felt about the train crash. These people were owners of a greenhouse and hot dog shop, an insurance company owner, a man who started an escape room and a woman who sells rubber bracelets. Many of these owners already getting feedback from people that they’re not coming to there business for fear of what’s happening. They are all concerned about the future and the stigma that will hang over East Palestine for a long time.
Business believe they need a tremendous marketing campaign. The village is looking for a new village manager. That person has to be somebody who’s on top of marketing, who understands business, who understands how to get out of the situation they are name. Business owners in East Palestine, Ohio, have hit out at rail operator Norfolk Southern over the company's response to one of its trains derailing in the town on February 3. Plenty of companies have "lost a lot of business" due to the derailment, one business owner added: "I'm just concerned about the aftermath, what's going to happen months or years down the road. The real estate in East Palestine has hit rock bottom. Nobody's buying in this town, and you can't sell anything since the accident.
Do you think business will be able to bounce back from this environmental disaster?
As it currently stands, businesses are down, but I think the media attention drawn to the accident will work to business owners' benefits. Small-town business stories tend to sway public opinion and put pressure on state governments to act in times of crisis. Right now, DeWine is avoiding the issue entirely, but with mounting pressure from East Palestine residents, there may be hope yet. If the pressure becomes too great, the State of Ohio will have to remedy the situation, either by improving regulatory standards (highly unlikely) or providing tax incentives for businesses to invest back into the town. These incentives would work to get small business owners back on their feet, but only with public pressure.
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