Tri-State show has $$ impact

The Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Show brings tens of thousands out-of-towners to Portland each year.
And it brings their business.
Local hotels, restaurants and shops were much busier last week as visitors made their way through town for the annual show.
“A show like this brings in 80,000 to 100,000 people into a community of 6,200,” said Bill Bradley, executive director of Jay County Development Corporation. “The impact to Portland, Jay County and regionally … is tremendous. Anytime you bring in that many people, you’re going to have a positive impact on the local economy.”
Sue Waples, general manager of Holiday Inn Express in Portland, said tractor and engine show enthusiasts fill the hotel each year.
“It was hectic,” she said. “We were close to if not sold out the entire week.”
The increase in guests brings in more revenue for the local hotel.
“We typically don’t sell out during a business week so it brought in quite a bit more business,” she said.
The same story is true for local restaurants.
Ponderosa general manager JoAnne Payne said the Portland restaurant remained busy throughout last week.
The show draws many of the same people to the restaurant year after year.
“It’s a great week, and we look forward to it every year,” she said.
Employees at Ponderosa are eager for the week to come each year because they receive more hours and earn more money than what they make in a typical week, Payne said.
“It sure is amazing, and the employees look forward to it,” she said.
Visitors coming from all over the country and world to the show puts Portland on the map, which is a good thing, Bradley said.
“These are enthusiasts who have a lot of interest in this,” he said. “It’s a great show, it’s a real benefit to the community, the county and the region.”
Though the show brings more visitors, not all local businesses feel an impact from it.
Joanna Stone of Glass Bonsai on Meridian Street said her shop sees an increase in foot traffic during the show but that the extra visitors don’t necessarily purchase anything.
Still, many agree more events like the show would be good for the community.
Sharlette Cole, owner of Sharlette’s Fudgery & Candies on Meridian Street in Portland, wishes there were more events similar to the tractor and engine show throughout the year in Jay County.
As a small business owner, she appreciates the visitors who bought candy and fudge from her shop last week.
“It’s a very good thing,” she said. “We need more things like that here.”
It’s important to maintain the size of the show or grow it, Bradley said.
“Most communities will have some kind of festival or something in the summer that brings 10 or 15,000 to the town,” he said. “We’ve got a little niche here that we need to cultivate and grow, or at least maintain.”