From pool hall to concert halls
Struthers native makes his career in entertaining masses throughout area
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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is one of a series of Saturday profiles of area residents and their stories. To suggest a profile, contact features editor Burton Cole at bcole@tribtoday.com or metro editor Marly Kosinski at mkosinski@tribtoday.com.
By ASHLEY FOX
Staff writer
STRUTHERS -- For Eric Ryan, it all started with a thought.
"Honey, I have an idea. I want to open a pool hall," he recalled telling his wife, April, in the 1990s.
In 1998, South Bridge Billiards was opened in downtown Struthers, which later expanded to The Cellar, bringing local and regional acts and later national bands to the area.
The progression of his multifaceted career doesn't end there.
In 2002, Ryan started Eric Ryan Productions, which later was rebranded as JAC Live.
Two years later, he and his team with Y Live secured rock band Three Doors Down for Youngstown State University's homecoming.
Ryan managed to do all this "going 110 miles an hour" while working full time at Wheatland Tube in Pennsylvania, a place he began working at the age of 18.
Looking back at that time, Ryan can't believe how fast-paced everything was for him. "I look at my life now and think that was crazy," he said, laughing.
As he rang in 2007, Ryan left Wheatland Tube. Later that year, he was approached by the city of Youngstown to handle entertainment at The Covelli Centre, which he agreed to do in an interim role that eventually turned into a permanent position.
The following year, Ryan started JAC Management, named after his children Jordan, Ashleigh and Carson.
Two years later in 2010, he made the decision to sell The Cellar.
During his run owning the bar, Ryan and his crew managed to sell out 150 shows in eight years.
When he started The Cellar, "nothing brought me more joy than getting off after (working) 3 to 11 and getting to the bar and having 450 at a sold-out Clarks concert," Ryan said.
Now with administrative offices in downtown Youngstown, Ryan's JAC Management is on the same trajectory as his promoting days -- bringing increasingly larger shows to town.
His company is starting to manage venues around the country, predicting 50 percent growth over the next several years.
"I've always kind of been a big-idea type of person," he said.
Out of all the shows Ryan and his team have sought, many have been where JAC Management entered a bid and was elated when it received word it was bringing a show to Youngstown.
Those that are especially memorable are the Elton John shows, which Ryan called "big game changers."
Country star Carrie Underwood is another, as was the Kelly Pavlik fight in 2009 and Three Doors Down in 2004.
Ryan said that Elton John was "great and personable," along with country musician Brad Paisley and rock group Shinedown.
A 1992 Struthers High School graduate, Ryan married his wife, the former and "amazing" April Zetts.
He said she is the most supportive partner, encouraging his ideas of breaking into the entertainment industry. "She's definitely in it with me, with some of these crazy ideas," Ryan said.
"I always loved entertaining people," he said.
Ryan, 46, grew up in a household where his family entertained folks. He married his enthusiasm for entertainment with his love of music, creating a recipe for success.
Ryan's impressive resume was molded by years of hard work.
He didn't go to college, but instead applied his math skills and knowledge of the local scene to his ventures.
Having an idea how the communities will respond to events has helped Ryan grow his businesses.
"Knowing the audience and knowing the history of how events perform" have been beneficial, Ryan said.
Still, concert promoting is a risky business, Ryan said.
"You're betting on how many people you're going to have. You better not be wrong too many times," he said.
Among everything he's learned, there is one thing that sticks out.
"You can't be afraid to take risks if you truly believe in it," he said.
If he could go back in time and had to tell his 14-year-old self anything, it would be: "Don't be afraid. If you believe in something, do it."
That mentality has led him to being his own boss. "I never realized I was going to be self employed," he said.
"I'm in the entertainment industry in Youngstown, Ohio, in my hometown. That's pretty cool," Ryan said.
afox@tribtoday.com