Youth leadership class explores lessons from Coshocton’s small businesses

Coshocton County Youth Leadership went to visit the local small businesses on Main Street on Wednesday, Sept. 17, planned by LCC alumna Hannah Gallagher.

The first stop was the Coshocton Collaborative, where we were informed on economic development in Coshocton. We had guest speaker Tiffany Swigert from the Coshocton Port Authority, Brad Fuller from Good Boy Bakery and Mindy Brems from Coshocton Visitors Bureau. Not only did they share information on business, but also they informed the juniors of the leadership program about different processes of the business sector.

Fuller told us about his journey of upscaling his local business, stressing the importance of buying inventory from other Coshocton businesses to further support the community.

From office space to many different lounge spaces and a workshop in the basement, the Coshocton Collaborative had tons to offer.

We also had a quick visit from Our Town Coshocton Executive Director Hailey Helter, who is a CCYL graduate from 2022.

Lunch was donated to the group by Noah Gallagher, manager from the local Papa John’s Pizza.

Going on to the next stop, we went to the recently opened Local’s Barbershop Downtown, where we talked to a barber about his journey out of high school that led him to barber school. Then we went to Carroll's Men's Shop, where we learned about the shop's rich history, being one of the oldest operated shops in Coshocton, owned by Steve Murray.

We then traveled to the Pop and Paint Studio, welcomed by Luz Canini, and then to Dean’s Jewelry, where we talked to Erin Zetty. Finally, the last stop was Mercantile on Main, where we talked to the owner Denise Guthrie.

We also ran into Mayor Mark Mills and City Service Safety Director Max Crown, who stopped and chatted with the group.

Overall, it was a fun learning experience for CCYL members and brought the community together sharing information about our town.

If you would like to learn more about CCYL, email Executive Director Betsy Gosnell at lead@coshoctonfoundation.org.

This column was written by CCYL class member Owen Spaulding.