BATAVIA, Ohio — Lee and Jack's Appliances sits right off of State Route 32 in Batavia. The location has been its home for more than 30 years.
“We have a lot of people that have been visiting us for the, you know, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth time," owner Hunter Willoughby said.
The family-owned business has been a staple in Clermont County for decades, spanning three generations.
“My mother and father-in-law, they've owned the store for the last 50 years," Willoughby said.
Willoughby said filling out all his positions isn't easy, especially in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Installing appliances and moving appliances, it's manual labor and it’s harder work. So for us, it’s finding someone that wants to come here and consistently work day in and day out, it’s been a little bit of a struggle," Willoughby said.
Hear what a member of the president's cabinet spoke about during a recent visit to Clermont County in the video below:
There are 6.9 million open jobs in the United States, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics published on March 31.
The need for skilled workers was one of the major topics that Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler discussed during her visit to Clermont County on Wednesday.
“We hear everywhere we go, we need more workers like these," Loeffler said.
Loeffler made a stop at Towne Construction in Batavia, meeting with both leaders and staff at the company.
“We’ve had some great conversations about so many important topics, whether it was the working family tax cuts, the importance of the tax cuts for small business owners and what they do for the business," Loeffler said.
Loeffler applauded the work done by the Trump administration for the economy and for small businesses.
“Deregulation, making capital available again to our job creators, fair trade," Loeffler said.
Sam Harasimowicz covers Clermont County for WCPO. If you have a story for him, you can contact him here:
I asked the administrator what she believes the biggest need for small businesses is moving forward.
"The biggest concern is regulation," Loeffler said.
We reached out to the Clermont County Democratic Party for comment. Patty Lawrence, the party's chair, sent us the following statement Wednesday afternoon:
Clermont County would benefit from more small businesses, as many people who live here work in Hamilton County. Clermont County Democrats want Clermont to be a place where people both live and work, but policies from the Trump administration have made it harder to operate, plan, or secure loans. When nearly half of America's workforce comes from privately-owned small businesses, this is not a formula for success.
The Clermont County Democratic Party is committed to supporting the conditions that help small businesses—and the families relying on them—thrive. In Southwest Ohio, where small businesses are linked to manufacturing, supply chains, and local services, stability and predictability are crucial. Not only has the Trump administration failed to create this environment, it has made owning a small business even more difficult.
The Trump era has made things very challenging for small businesses trying to plan. For example, one long-standing local business saw its costs unexpectedly rise by 20% in a single month, with ongoing fluctuations. The owner said the last year has simply been “really hard.” If owners can't anticipate the price of goods, it impacts not only their profit margins and consumer pricing, but also their employees, as it becomes difficult to provide even modest pay raises. Coupled with high healthcare costs, running a small business is especially tough.
Willoughby said his business felt the impact of tariffs for a short period in 2025.
“Microwaves doubled in price overnight," Willoughby said, "Thankfully, it circled back and went back down.”
The appliance store owner said he's looking to fill at least two installer/delivery positions. But, he's making sure they find the right people for the job.
“We don’t want to compromise our customer service and just take anyone. We’re looking for someone that we can trust and send into people’s homes, and we feel comfortable doing that," Willoughby said.
