Business briefs
MANUFACTURING EXPERT TO SPEAK AT CHAMBER EVENT: Slade Gardner, one of the foremost authorities on additive manufacturing, will speak a the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber’s 2021 annual meeting March 17 at the Eastwood Event Centre.
Gardner has been pioneering industrial additive manufacturing technologies for two decades. He is president and founder of Big Metal Additive, whose products include satellite components, construction machinery repair parts, spacecraft development articles, automotive chassis, a 21-foot diameter unmanned underwater vehicle and a 50-foot ocean capable cargo transport.
Previously, he was the technology and strategy leader for implementation of Advanced Manufacturing and Materials at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Advanced Technology Center.
The chamber also will present the Spirit of the Valley and Spirit of the Chamber awards, and incoming President / CEO Guy Coviello will provide an update on the organization.
BELMONT PINES HITS MILESTONE: Belmont Pines Hospital, a psychiatric hospital named for its proximity to Belmont Avenue in Youngstown, marked 30 years of service Jan. 7.
When it opened in 1991, the hospital was comprised of an inpatient adolescent unit, an adolescent residential treatment center and a 10-bed adult addiction unit. Shortly after, an inpatient children’s unit was added. In 1993, the adult addiction unit was closed and the hospital received its certification from the Ohio Department of Health as a Mental Health Agency.
Now, the hospital is the largest freestanding children’s behavioral health hospital in northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania. It provides behavioral health services for children and adolescents, ages 5-18.
Last year, the hospital added a short-term, high-intensity residential program that consists of 12 beds for adolescents 10-16 years old. The program is for those who require a more intensive diagnostic workup and, if necessary, medication adjustment.
MOLITERNO TO SPEAK AT CONFERENCE: Meridian HealthCares President / CEO Larry Moliterno will speak at the National Conference on Addiction Disorders (NCAD) on Aug. 13-15 in Denver and Aug. 20-22 in Baltimore.
In its 12th year, the conference is an educational and networking event for addiction, behavioral and mental health professionals.
Moliterno will present on the topic of “Leadership’s Guide to Working with the Media” at the three-day-long conference.
He has presented on leadership at four national conferences and has been considered a national expert by the NCAD. In 2017, he presented “Building Leaders From Within” at the conference.
CAK, SPIRIT OFFER SERVICE SOUTH: Spirit Airlines will launch nonstop service to Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) from Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) on April 15.
Spirit will fly to MYR twice per week, on Thursday and Sunday. The airline could add additional flights based on demand. Myrtle Beach has ranked in the top 15 markets for CAK passengers for years and has remained a top destination for the region through 2020, whether by car or plane.
This is the second new route launched in recent months. In December, United Airlines successfully launched nonstop service to Washington-Dulles (IAD).
RIBBON CUTTING SCHEDULED: Brilliant Cleaning Service, a commercial and residential cleaning service at 4845 Market St., Youngstown, is celebrating the opening of a new location with a ribbon cutting 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The new location has an expanded warehouse area with a larger office space to allow for training and meetings.
Opening in 2016, Brilliant Cleaning Service began its business with three employees. The company now employs 26, including 12 residential service cleaners and 14 commercial service cleaners.
People on the Move
DR. JOINS PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL: Pediatric endocrinologist, Dr. Adrian Araya, has joined Akron Children’s Hospital in its Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology.
Araya earned his medical degree from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Prior to joining Akron Children’s, he completed his fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at Mott Children’s Hospital at The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. His pediatric residency, with focus on public health, was completed at The University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla.
STAFF NEWS AT MORE OPTIONS: Giuseppe Musumeci now is licensed in Ohio, Nicole Tackett is newly licensed and Bailey Reardon and Sally Beil-Demidovich are new to More Options Realty. All four will serve the Mahoning Valley out of the Boardman office.
Ryan Hallapy, a top producing Ohio Realtor and President’s Club award winner in 2020, now is licensed in Pennsylvania. He will focus on western Pennsylvania.
NURSE PRACTITIONER JOINS ONE HEALTH: Brandy LaCivita, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, recently joined ONEHealth Ohio.
She is seeing patients of all ages at Warren West Community Health Center, 716 Tod Ave. SW, Warren, and pediatric patients at Premier Care Pediatrics, 2642 state Route 5, Cortland.
LaCivita completed her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Mercy College in 2016 and earned her Master of Science in nursing from Chamberlain University.
Submit items for Business Briefs, New Businesses and People on the Move to business@tribtoday.com, fax to 330-841-1717 or online at www.tribtoday.com. The deadline is 4 p.m. Thursday.
Business briefs
NEW NAME FOR FOUNDATION: Premier Bank recently announced the Home Savings Charitable Foundation is now the Premier Bank Foundation, following the company name change and 2020 merger of Home Savings Bank in Youngstown and Defiance-based First Federal Bank of the Midwest.
In the past 30 years, the foundation has provided more than $19 million to local organizations, Gary Small, president of Premier Bank, said.
Premier Bank, headquartered in Youngstown, operates 75 branches and 12 loan offices in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
BRITE ADDS TO BOARD: BRITE Energy Innovators in Warren, Ohio’s only clean tech and energy business incubator, has added five new members to its board of directors with energy and technology industry experience.
Added were Djifa Amefia, managing partner of ClarIT Solutions, a Cleveland-based boutique technology consulting firm, and as a consultant with Utilicast; Muhammad Ejaz, founder / president of Twinsburg-based Ejaz Microelectronics, which designs and manufactures microphone products and is expanding into the renewable energy product market; Albert Green, CEO of AMG Consulting Group in Greater Cleveland, which focuses on technology commercialization and innovation-based economic development; Anna Siefken, the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation inaugural executive director at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh; and Michael Stacey of KPMG Cleveland. He designs and implements strategies and programs within the energy, transportation and government sectors.
CREDIT UNION OFFERS FINANCIAL WORKSHOPS: Hilliard-based Credit Union of Ohio, which recently acquired First Choice Community Credit Union in Niles, will continue its free, weekly financial webinar series in February.
The sessions are How to Build Credit Wisely on Wednesday; Dealing with Financial Stress, Feb. 10; The Ins and Outs of Loans, Feb. 17; First-Time Homebuyers Workshop, Feb. 23; and How do Credit Cards Work? on Feb. 24.
All are at noon.
They are lead by Cindy Walker, the credit union’s financial coach. The virtual workshops are open to Credit Union of Ohio members and the general public. However, attendees must register in advance.
GIANT EAGLE INC. EARNS TOP MARKS: Giant Eagle Inc. received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality.
To celebrate the honor, Giant Eagle will be making a $5,000 contribution to the School of One at the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.
Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue grossing law firms and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses.
The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria in four categories: Non-discrimination policies across business entities, equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families, supporting an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility.
CHAMBER EVENT SET: The Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber’s Good Morning, Mahoning County! is set 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Feb. 26 at Stambaugh Auditorium.
Speakers include Mahoning County Commissioner Anthony Traficanti; newly appointed chamber President / CEO, Guy Coviello, who will provide a recap of last year’s state capital budget; and chamber Chief Operating Officer Sarah Boyarko, who will give an update on projects the chamber’s economic development team is working on in and around the county.
Also, a representative of Stambaugh Auditorium will provide details about the ongoing capital improvement projects there and a representative from event sponsor Continuing Healthcare Solutions will speak.
People on the Move
MORTGAGE SPECIALIST JOINS BANK: Joe Conroy has joined Premier Bank as senior mortgage loan specialist serving the Mahoning Valley.
Conroy, who has 30 years of mortgage lending experience, most recently served as a senior mortgage loan officer at a regional bank headquartered in Columbus. His specialties include purchase, construction-permanent and refinance transactions. In his new role, Conroy will work to increase the bank’s mortgage loan portfolio by developing contacts and attracting new mortgage customers.
Conroy earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Youngstown State University. His office is at 29 N. Broad St., Canfield.
MERIDIAN ADDS QUALITY / COMPLIANCE OFFICER: Katherine Komara recently joined Meridian HealthCare as chief quality and compliance officer.
She was the vice president of behavioral health integration at Catholic Charities USA and spent time at Mercy Health’s Behavioral Health Institute as director of operations.
Komara will oversee Meridian’s quality and compliance department, ensuring agency compliance with all accrediting and licensing bodies and state and federal regulations. She also will be responsible for overseeing agency audits, policies, procedures and workflows.
OHIO REALTORS INSTALLS OFFICERS: Seth Task of Cleveland was installed as the 2021 president of the Ohio Realtors during the association’s virtual winter conference Jan. 25-26. Joining Task on the leadership team are president-elect John Mangas of Toledo, and Treasurer Ralph Mantica of Dayton.
Task is associated with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty. Mangas is principal broker of RE/MAX Preferred Associates and Mantica is broker / owner of Kinzeler Realty in Dayton.
Ohio Realtors is the largest professional trade association in Ohio with more than 35,000 members.
Submit items for Business Briefs to business@tribtoday.com, fax to 330-841-1717 or online at www.tribtoday.com. The deadline is 4 p.m. Thursday.