Toledo Punches Above It's Weight Class

Author

Bill Laranga
May 16, 2025

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Sometimes, the right choice isn’t the easiest one. Over the past few months, I had a chance to join a publicly traded giant—one that sits comfortably atop its industry in the U.S. I had relationships there that ran all the way to the C-suite, and the compensation was as generous as you’d expect. But there was a catch—a move that would pull us away from family, just as my wife and I prepare to welcome our second child.

That’s 12 weeks of paternity leave, 12 weeks of bonding with my growing family, and 12 weeks I wouldn’t trade for any title or compensation bump. It took me a while to come to this decision, but I realized that, while my career trajectory might lead to the C-suite one day, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Growth takes time, and I’m more focused than ever on finding the right balance.

So, for now, we’ll stick it out in Northwest Ohio. Yes, that means another winter, more shoveling, and the occasional windshield scrape—but it also means community, familiarity, and being surrounded by the people who matter most. It’s the same ethos that sparked Toledo Money: serving the high-performing professionals who call this region home.

As we keep building this newsletter, the curated job board, and (eventually) a trusted network with dependable partners and organizations to call upon we will continue to bring the value.

Alright, let’s get into this week’s issue.

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Local Stock Market 📈 - All The Way Up

Owens Corning | $OC ( ▼ 0.74% ) 

Dana Incorporated | $DAN ( ▲ 0.18% ) 

The Andersons | $ANDE ( ▼ 0.78% ) 

Owens Illinois | $OI ( ▲ 1.61% )

Welltower Inc. | $WELL ( ▲ 0.65% ) 

Marathon Petroleum Corporation | $MPC ( ▲ 0.8% ) 

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company | $CTB ( ▼ 0.05% ) 

The Aspen Institute | The Agent of Change 🎨 

Toledo isn’t just home to world-class glass—it’s got a world-class leader at the helm of its art scene.

Adam Levine, President and CEO of the Toledo Museum of Art, was recently named a Henry Crown Fellow by the Aspen Institute. That’s no small feat. The fellowship is one of the most exclusive leadership accelerators in the country—think MBA-level introspection meets global impact bootcamp, but invite-only. Each year, just a couple dozen standout entrepreneurs and executives under 46 are selected. You can’t apply; you have to be nominated.

That Levine made the cut? A big deal.

Under his leadership, the Museum has flexed some serious business muscle: the endowment has ballooned from $180M to $266M, the operating budget jumped from $15M to $23M, and the organization is regularly ranked as one of the top places to work in the region. The guy doesn’t just curate art—he curates growth.

He’s a Rhodes Scholar. A strategist. And now? A Fellow among the best and brightest tackling big problems in society. The Henry Crown Fellowship pushes high performers to ask bigger questions: What is a good life? What is a good society? And what’s my role in building it?

Toledo is lucky to have Levine asking those questions from here—and not a bigger coast. With this Aspen-powered leadership boost, expect TMA’s next chapter to be bolder, broader, and better funded.

Smart bets are usually obvious in hindsight. This one’s already paying off.

High Paying Jobs of the 419 📨 

Our shortcut to stacking more cheddar without leaving Northwest Ohio.

We’ve combed through the noise and handpicked a shortlist of high-paying opportunities right here in the 419. Whether you’re looking to level up, cash in, or simply see what your neighbor might be making — this list is for you.

We’re talking six-figure roles, director seats, and high-skill positions across industries like healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and tech. No spam. No gimmicks. Just real jobs with real paychecks. We will feature critical public-service roles, as well. These folks deserve more than can ever be compensated.

🔎 Check out this week’s curated list:
👉 www.tolmoney.com/job-board

New roles added weekly. Bookmark it. Share it. Or shoot your shot and start negotiating like a pro.

Investor Day | Brought to you by the Pink Panther

The New Owens Corning

Owens Corning—Toledo’s industrial gem—just laid out a bold blueprint for growth at its 2025 Investor Day, and if you’ve got capital to put to work, you might want to pay attention. And… if you are looking for job security, this is certainly the hottest employer in town.

The Plan

CEO Brian Chambers and CFO Todd Fister set aggressive targets through 2028:

  • $12.5B in revenue (4% CAGR)

  • Mid-20% adjusted EBITDA margins

  • $5B+ in free cash flow

  • Mid-teens+ return on capital

  • $2B to be returned to shareholders via buybacks and dividends by 2026

All backed by Owens Corning’s “OC Advantage™”—its brand strength, commercial reach, and manufacturing scale.

Business Units

  • Roofing: Margin target raised to 30%

  • Insulation: Increased to 24%

  • Doors: Expected to hit 18–20%+ margins in coming years

Capital investments across foam, fiberglass, and shingle manufacturing will support this growth.

Shareholder Value

Since 2019, OC has returned $3.6B to shareholders, repurchased 26% of its shares, and steadily increased its dividend. They just announce a $12M share buyback program, too! Read more of the materials here.

Toledoans: Owens Corning isn’t just building materials—it’s building wealth. The question is, are you investing in one of your city’s biggest success stories?

Immersive Experiences | Cosm Detroit

COSM Detroit Renderings

Cosm, the company redefining live entertainment through immersive tech, is planting its flag in downtown Detroit with a massive, state-of-the-art venue—and it's betting that Toledoans will drive the hour north to experience it.

The Basics

  • Location: Campus Martius, downtown Detroit

  • Opening: Mid-2026

  • Venue: 87-foot LED dome, 12K+ resolution, spatial audio

  • Capacity: ~1,500 attendees (700 under the dome)

  • Content: Live NBA, NFL, UFC events, Cirque du Soleil, concerts

The Economics

Cosm’s Detroit venue is part of a national expansion (L.A., Dallas, Atlanta), targeting experience-hungry regional markets. With Toledo just 60 miles away, the company sees real economic upside in pulling from Northwest Ohio’s population—offering a high-end, stadium-like experience without the stadium traffic or ticket prices.

Money Confessional | Public Service and Cars

Age: Late 30s

Children: Four. The most stressful thing? Honestly, it's extracurriculars. Every kid seems to need a different pair of cleats, uniforms, or sign-up fees at the same time.

Living situation: We own. Bought in South Toledo about six years ago. Locked in a 30-year fixed at 3.25%—which now feels like we won the lottery. My advice: refinance when rates dip and don’t stretch beyond what you can afford on one salary.

Job: Firefighter (City of Toledo)

Salary: ~$78K/year base. Overtime can push it closer to $90K depending on the year. Wife brings in another ~$80K as a full-time nurse.

Salary journey: I started in the mid-$40Ks as a rookie, but overtime and promotions have helped. My advice? Pick a profession with a pension and stay out of lifestyle inflation.

Other income: Yep—my “therapy” is buying older trucks or SUVs, fixing them, and flipping them on FB Marketplace. Last year I made around $9K doing this. It started as a hobby, but I got good at spotting value and doing quick mechanical fixes.

Work/life balance: It's not bad. I’m gone 24 hours at a time, but then I’m home for 48. It gives me real time with the kids and time to wrench on cars.

On Your Mind: College. Times four. Even with good salaries, the thought of paying for four educations is intimidating.

Debt: Mortgage is the big one. We try to avoid other debt. Paid off the minivan and both daily drivers. No student loans. We don’t carry balances on credit cards.

Credit Card: We use the Costco Visa for the cash back. Gas, groceries, and restaurants all add up with four kids. It pays us back just enough to feel smart.

Budgeting: My wife is the budgeter. We use a shared Google Sheet. Nothing fancy, just track monthly inflows and outflows. Tip: automate savings or it won’t happen.

Best/Worst Recurring Expense:

Best: Disney+… keeps the chaos manageable some evenings ($8/month well spent).
Worst: Monthly pest control. I know it’s necessary but it feels like I’m paying someone to maybe keep the spiders away.

Splurge: Project cars. I can justify it because I almost always make a profit… eventually.

Toledo Money Hack: If you're a Toledo city employee, check into the credit union mortgage and loan rates. Way better terms. Also—Maumee Bay State Park on a weekday? Basically private beachfront.

Toledo Restaurant? Carlos’ Poco Loco. Worth every penny. I get the Cubano with a side of arroz con gandules. Thank me later.

Total Savings/Investments: About $160K combined between my pension, wife's 403b, and some Roth IRAs. I handle it mostly myself with Vanguard—simple index funds. Not flashy, just steady.

Savings goal: Would love to get a cabin up in Michigan someday. Somewhere we can escape to but also maybe Airbnb when not using it.

Total Net Worth: Ballpark $350K. Mostly from equity in the home, retirement accounts, and some cash in high-yield savings. Nothing fancy—just slow and steady saving.

Personal Financial Freedom: Probably $1.5M. That'd let me pay off the house, cover the kids’ colleges, and not worry if my knees give out and I have to leave the firehouse early.

Retirement? 55 is the target with full pension. Would love to wrench on cars, fish more, and maybe run a small detailing or flipping business part-time.

Toledo Wealthy: $2M+. If you’ve got that and your house is paid off, you’re rich here. It means options and peace of mind.

Knowledge: Learned from trial, error, and Dave Ramsey—at least early on. But now I follow more balanced folks like JL Collins and listen to the "ChooseFI" podcast.

Money Snacks

Headlines we are snacking on

  • Dealing with a hectic household and schedules? A few folks from Skylight reached out to tell us about their incredible solutions. Furthermore, we heard from a few working Mom’s the importance the ‘iPad cousin’ is playing in their homes.

  • Too Good To Go is a clever app that lets you snag discounted meals from local restaurants, bakeries, and cafes that have surplus food at the end of the day. In Toledo, spots like Barry Bagels and local coffee shops are jumping on board—offering surprise bags that are both budget- and eco-friendly. It’s a win-win: save money, fight food waste, and maybe discover your new favorite lunch spot. The app has saved over 250 million meals from being wasted. In 2022 alone, it rescued 79 million meals, with 44 million saved through key partnerships and an additional 33 million via local businesses

  • Toledo’s putting its money where its bricks are—rolling out 24 new projects under the Vibrancy Initiative to pump $14.7 million into our neighborhoods. Think fresh façades, upgraded interiors, and a serious glow-up for local blocks. It’s HGTV meets economic development… and the city’s flipping the whole damn street.