An Ohio county with big Amish community is becoming an economic hub. Economists say the model can be replicated.

Horse-drawn buggy in rural Holmes
County (Wikipedia photo)

Hard work, generosity and 'extreme networking,' are a few of the reasons the Amish community in Holmes County, Ohio, is thriving. The group's unique ways of supporting new businesses can serve as a model for other places looking to bolster economic mobility, reports Scott Calvert of The Wall Street Journal. "Between 2005 and 2019, average household income in Holmes County rose 24% for 27-year-olds raised in lower-income homes."

By some measures, Holmes should be struggling, but instead, it's becoming an economic hub. "Economists and local business leaders believe much of the progress stems from entrepreneurial growth fueled by cooperation and innovation, all buttressed by tight family and community ties," Calvert explains. "Mark Partridge, an Ohio State University economist who has studied Holmes County, points to an 'extreme networking effect,' where companies — and cousins — routinely help each other out."

Location of Holmes County
in Ohio (Wikipedia photo)

Experts point out that being Amish isn't necessary to replicate what's going on in Holmes County. Partridge told Calvert, "You can have a tight social network with effective social organizations, chambers of commerce, business organizations, and other kind of nonprofits.” Calvert reports, "While rural areas are often hampered by young talent moving away for better job opportunities, many Holmes County natives remain, held in part by the Amish tradition of staying near one’s community."

Sharing -- even with business competitors -- is a key ingredient in this community's success. Calvert writes, "Steve Miller, 31, started Grand Design Roofing in his 20s with a partner. Their Covid-era boom is over, he said, but business is still robust enough to sometimes overextend him and his six workers." Miller told Calvert, "If we’ve got plenty of jobs, I just go to my competitor and I give him a couple jobs. . . . I’m here so my employees can make a good, honest living. . . . I’m not here to collect all the wealth I can absolutely collect.”