Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority and Lake County Visitors Bureau are launching a new campaign with the assistance of Laketran to promote tourism and raise awareness of all the great opportunities to “Live. Work.Visit. Lake County.”
The campaign uses five Laketran Park-n-Ride Cleveland Express bus wraps to attract neighboring Cuyahoga County residents to Lake County. The commuter buses make 20 daily, roundtrips into downtown Cleveland from seven Park-n-Ride locations. The five bus routes travel along I-90 and SR-2 to Cleveland State University, Cleveland Public Square, Warehouse District, and Near Westside neighborhood to Ohio City.
“Our goal is to penetrate the Cleveland market to raise awareness in the region of Lake County’s 31 miles of shoreline with superior beaches, fishing and boating on Lake Erie, “ explains Lake County Visitors Bureau executive director Bob Ulas. “With trends of “One Tank Trips” and “Stay-cations” we need to highlight premiere visitor venues that are right next door.”
The 40-foot commuter buses are wrapped to highlight just a few of the great advantages of Lake County as a place to Live, Work and Visit. The graphics feature the beaches of Fairport Harbor and Mentor Headlands State Park along with Lake MetroParks Chapin Forest Reservation cross country ski trails, and included vineyards and wineries of Lake County, Holden Arboretum, and Lake County Captains as featured destinations.
Lake County may be Ohio’s smallest county geographically but it’s the 11th largest in population with over 230,000 residents. It’s home to over 600 advanced manufacturers, 9th in the State in retail sales volume and mirrors NEO’s trademark of excellence in healthcare with LakeHealth in our neighborhoods.
Daniel P. Troy, president of the Lake County Commissioners, commenting on the campaign states, “The Lake County Visitors Bureau and the Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority have a similar mission in the promotion of Lake County. The Commissioners are happy to support this joint effort marketing our county.”
Participating in the unveiling of the buses will be Congressman David Joyce who will address the importance of Lake Erie and federal efforts to support Lake Erie as a vital asset of the region’s economy and the key tourist attraction.
Executive director of the Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority Mark Rantala said, “One of the authority’s roles in Lake County’s economic development includes promotion of tourism. The campaign highlights the great lifestyle of Lake County with year-round recreational activities and of course Lake Erie. While we are proud partners of Team NEO’s efforts to market northeast Ohio, we want to remind people of the great opportunities in Lake County. With incredible school districts in both suburban and rural communities there’s a wide range of housing options, and of course a talented workforce. For 63 of the last 65 months Lake County’s unemployment rate has been lower than the State of Ohio and the U.S. unemployment rates a testament to the quality of our workforce.”
“Laketran is more than just getting folks from point A to point B; it’s the result of those trips. Getting people to work, shopping, and recreation is an investment into our local economy. Bus advertising is another way Laketran helps our local businesses and communities grow. We’re excited that we can help the county in this effort,” shares Ray Jurkowski, general manager of Laketran.
