Staff photo / Lily Nickel Ryan Rogalski, co-owner of Five Points Creative, stands with the city of Struthers flag he designed. He also designed the city’s website and logo that played a pivotal role in the city’s rebranding.

STRUTHERS — Despite being relatively new to the city, Ryan Rogalski already has made a lasting mark in the city.

Rogalski has served as the city’s tax commissioner since 2020, but his impact within the city came from his creative side. Rogalski freelances for the city through his separate graphic design business, Five Points Creative. He helped kickstart the rebranding and revitalization of Struthers that has been the flagship of Mayor Catherine Cercone Miller’s mayoral career since her election in 2020.

“I don’t think the rebranding was the tip of the sword, but I think it’s part of the blade,” Rogalski said. “It’s really been a partnership between the city and Five Points Creative to push the city along technologically with a new identity that will go along with her (Miller’s) overall vision to push the city forward.”

In March, Rogalski completely redesigned the city’s website, official logo and flag that had remained the same since 1971.

“There was no cohesion. You had some people using the Struthers ‘S’ from the high school; you had some people using the green Struthers welcome sign,” Rogalski said. “So I said, ‘OK, we need a new city logo.'”

Rogalski took the familiar elements of the city and created one, cohesive design that is recognizable as Struthers. The new logo features the shape of Ohio in red with a white heart to mark the location of the city, which goes with the Struthers motto: “The city with heart, in the heart of it all.” The motto is wrapped around the shape of Ohio in a red banner, and the city’s name is front and center in its signature font. The logo was placed onto a white background that now flies around the city as the official flag.

From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Rogalski maintains his full-time job with the city, but at night and on weekends, he taps into his creative side. Rogalski maintains nine clients, including the city of Struthers.

Rogalski said he has always had a penchant for computers and technology, which evolved into the business that specializes in graphic design, website design, photography and videography. He said he gets his creative side from his grandfather, who was a photographer during World War II.

Rogalski started the business in 2006 with his wife, Michelle, who is the majority owner.

“We want to encourage minority- and women-owned businesses in this city, and we figured, if we’re going to form a technically new business with this state, we might as well make it right from the beginning,” Rogalski said.

Rogalski moved to the city from Asheville, N.C., in 2020 with Michelle, and their now 3-year-old daughter. Michelle grew up in Struthers, and the couple wanted to raise their family in a city that still had a small-town feel.

“The most important thing for me, that I didn’t have in Asheville, was this small-town sensibility and community,” Rogalski said.

Rogalski said that he loves the city, and hopes that he can continue to partner with it through his business to encourage its growth and revitalization. He wants to partner with other businesses and companies to bring them to the Valley.

“We love this city; we think it’s great,” Rogalski said. “A little behind the times, but I know there are people out there — entrepreneurs, small businesses — trying to bring services to the Valley, and they’re looking for a partner to help them do that, and that’s what I’m offering.”

While Rogalski doesn’t get much free time with his packed schedule, he likes to spend those moments with his family. His pride and joy, his daughter, Rowan, takes up most of his time, but he doesn’t mind sharing his own hobbies with her.

“I play guitar; I build model cars when I can, but when you have a 3-year-old, it’s kind of hard,” Rogalski said. “She wants to help daddy glue, but then you’re afraid she’s going to glue her hand to her forehead or something, but I try to include her as much as I can.”

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