CANTON, Ohio—Ohio Republican leaders put the spotlight on local businesses at an economic roundtable Monday to promote President Donald Trump’s re-election bid.

• The roundtable was held at Peoples Services, a place that GOP leaders and businesses say benefitted from Trump’s economic policies
• Republican leaders said Trump’s tax cuts and Jobs Act benefitted business and workers
• The Ohio Democratic Party said Trump’s economic record has been a “disaster"

The roundtable was held at Peoples Services —a place business and political leaders say has benefited from the Trump administration’s economic policies. 

“This economy has actually helped us grow to become one of the top 250 roofing companies in the country,” said Fred Horner, Advanced Industrial Roofing. 

Fred Horner works for Advanced Industrial Roofing in Massillon.

He, along with Ohio Congressman Bob Gibbs (R-Lakeville) and Republican Party leaders, gathered at the roundtable to talk business with the Trump Victory Committee.

They praised the tax cuts and Jobs Act championed by President Trump for benefiting business and workers. 

“We’ve increased wages more in the last two years than we have in the last 10 years,” said Doug Siblia, Peoples Services. “Entry-level drivers are making more than $50,000 a year, and our senior drivers are getting closer to $100,000 a year, and here in the Midwest, that’s a nice salary and a way to earn a living. 

The Ohio Democratic Party had a much different view…

“What we’ve seen from Donald Trump’s economic record has been a disaster,” said Kristin Alvanitakis, Ohio Democratic Party. “He’s been conducting trade policy via tweet. His tax scam benefited the wealthy at the expense of working people… it actually encouraged outsourcing.”

While mentioning recent warning signs of a recession... 

“More than 70 percent of economists are predicting a recession in the next two years, and we need a real strategy to deal with that. And, the president’s erratic statements and ranting on Twitter, is not the strategy we need to fix our economy,” Alvanitakis said. 

But Gibbs insists the economy is on the right track, saying he expects a trade deal to get done with China—one that will hold the Chinese accountable. 

“They were cheating, they were stealing our intellectual property, they weren’t playing fair, and nobody, until this president, President Trump, decided to take them on, because the track we were on was heading to a disaster, we just have way too much wealth being transferred to China in an unfair way,” said Gibbs.