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When I interviewed for the role of Executive Director at Defiance County Economic Development, I was asked a pivotal question by the hiring committee, “What kind of approach would you take as the leader of this organization?” My response, I believe, caught them off guard.
I paused for a moment and asked, “Have any of you seen the movie Moneyball with Brad Pitt?” A few chuckles followed, but then I shared what I meant. I explained an approach dubbed “Money Ball Economic Development” it’s rooted in reinvention—one that challenges the norm, leverages data-driven strategies, and maximizes untapped potential. That same mindset has since helped Defiance County achieve goals we once thought were out of reach.
In the movie, which was based on a true story, General Manager Billy Beane played by Pitt- turned the 2002 Oakland A’s into a winning team despite the smallest total team salary in major league baseball. He didn’t look at how many homeruns players hit, but rather their on-base averages.
Like Beane, we have the opportunity to rethink how we approach growth. When I began to dig into data and statistics in economic development, I saw myself as a kind of "Billy Beane" for the community. Instead of solely chasing large-scale investments, I started focusing on the untapped potential right in front of us—our existing, family-owned businesses.
These generational businesses are the backbone of our local economy. If they thrive, our community thrives. They hold immense, often overlooked value. But the key is data. If we're not paying attention to the numbers, we’re missing insights and opportunities to strengthen these pillars of our economy.
Beane showed us that real change requires challenging old ways of thinking. It demands a willingness to focus on what others overlook. If we, as leaders, channel that same mindset, we can build unstoppable momentum for our local economies. The data is there. All we need to do is pay attention and act.
And when our local businesses are taken care of, the grand slam opportunities see that our community is a great place to do business, and then they soon follow. Enter the 2024 announcement of Metal X coming to Defiance, Ohio.
At Defiance County Economic Development, we have a metric goal dashboard that tracks everything from median household income, job placements, local business expansions, housing units, and more.
So, how did we stack up in 2024? Below are some of our metrics pulled from our Money Ball Metric Dashboard:
Our office assisted businesses with over $370 million in new investment, this doesn’t include those business leaders who made the decision to push forward without assistance/incentives.
Since 2021, our team has assisted in bringing over $980,000,000 in new investment.
We have 580 new high-paying positions to be created within a 3-year period. These are all confirmed new positions coming to Defiance County.
We reached out to over 50 housing developers to gain interest in Defiance County.
We have over 400 new housing units coming to the market beginning in 2025.
We made over 250 unique business visits locally.
The Median Income of Defiance County is hovering around $72,000 to $68,000. Three years ago, it was $58,000.
We placed over 250 individuals into employment opportunities.
We held 6 successful Educational Bus Tours, where we took students and teachers for tours of our local manufacturing/healthcare systems.
We assisted our county/region in obtaining over $19.6 million in grants.
So, to sum up, 2024 was a remarkable year, and 2025 is looking to shape up well, too. Moneyball Economic Development is a universal principle for unlocking full potential in all fields and all aspects of our county’s economics. And it is certain to make Defiance County prosperous for generations to come. All we need to do is continue to pay close attention to the data.
Article by: Erika Willitzer - Executive Director of Defiance County Economic Development
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