Business briefs
ONLINE CLINIC DEALS WITH DEBT: Community Legal Aid will host a free, online legal clinic to give information on bankruptcy and other options to handle debt.
The Financial Wellness Workshop will be 2 p.m. Tuesday. Preregistration is required. Apply by phone at 800-998-9454 or online at www.community legalaid.org/apply.
The clinic is offered in partnership with Apprisen and the Akron Bar Association’s Access to Justice Committee and is open to residents in Columbiana, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne counties.
REALTOR WINS AWARD: Century 21 Real Estate LLC recently recognized sales affiliate Stacie Cashbaugh with the CENTURY 21 2020 Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award.
The annual award is based on results from the CENTURY 21 quality service survey, which is emailed to consumers immediately after the purchase or sale of a home. To earn the award, an agent must receive completed customer surveys for at least 50 percent of their transactions surveyed for a calendar year with an average survey score of at least 95 percent or better for 2 consecutive years.
YWCA PARTNERS ON BUSINESS PROGRAM: YWCA Mahoning Valley is joining with Ureeka, an online community that helps women and entrepreneurs of color launch and build a business to host the Woman Empowerment 360 Business Essentials Program online.
The program is free; however, registrations are limited. Contact jgibbs@mvywca.org for more information or to sign up.
STORE RELOCATES: DC Graphics, which has been in business for more than 28 years, recently celebrated the opening of its new location, 590 E. Western Reserve Road, Boardman.
DC Graphics is a full-service sign shop specializing in a variety of custom signs, including outdoor signs, vehicle lettering, window tinting and asphalt painting. It also screens and embroiders T-shirts, and creates party and event signs. The plan to add metal art and fabricating in the future.
AFP MAHONING-SHENANGO HONORED: The Association of Fundraising Professionals Mahoning-Shengnago has been named a 2021 Ten Star Chapter.
Every year, AFP, the largest association of professional fundraisers in the world, honors chapters for achieving goals that align with objectives in its long-range strategic plan. Chapters receive the Ten Star Award for performing specific activities designed to increase professionalism within fundraising and public awareness of the importance of philanthropy.
Just one-third of all AFP chapters are named Ten Star Chapters, so the local association is one of a select group of chapters to earn this honor.
RESTAURANT MARKS 20TH: Blue Wolf Tavern, 1295 Boardman Canfield Road, is celebrating 20 years in business.
The restaurant opened in 2001 in Struthers. It expanded and moved to Boardman in June 2004. In 2014, affiliate Blue Wolf Events moved to the Maronite Center to continue its planning and catering events.
MOLITERNO TO PRESENT AT CONFERENCE: Larry Moliterno, president / CEO of Meridian HealthCare, has been invited by the National Council for Behavioral Health to present at its annual conference, NatCon21, May 3-5. The conference is virtual this year.
This marks the fourth national-level conference he has been selected to speak at in the last five years.
His presentation will focus on how to build a stronger, more cohesive workforce by building leaders from within your organization. He also will examine how different cultures, a multigenerational workforce, personnel issues, employee retention and the integration of criminal justice and behavioral health care impact an organization’s ability to identify and prepare future leaders.
People on the Move
PROMOTION AT PREMIER: Youngstown-based Premier Bank has promoted Kaitlyn Profera of Niles to branch manager of the Canfield office.
She joined the bank in 2020 as client service manager at the Boardman office, bringing with her eight years of industry experience. Profera, who has volunteered with Junior Achievement of the Mahoning Valley, is a member of Canfield Rotary
CHAMBER HIRES STAFF: The Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber has brought on Giuseppe “Joe” Merlo as director of member engagement and Jacob Zillinger as marketing and graphics specialist.
Merlo, of Niles, who joined the chamber in February, will create and implement an outreach program with new and existing members to ensure they are fully utilizing their chamber benefits, oversee the organization’s Ambassador Committee and track important data and trends.
He previously worked as special projects coordinator at the Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District.
Zillinger will design the chamber’s printed and digital pieces, create and send mass email, oversee the chamber’s social media, update the website and more.
Zillinger of Warren, served as head graphic designer and social media specialist at Advantage Video & Marketing in Youngstown.
VIENNA NATIVE JOINS BURGAN: Justin Bofenkamp of Vienna recently joined Canfield-based Burgan Real Estate as the firm’s latest agent.
Bofenkamp is pursuing degrees in business and psychology at Youngstown State University, from which he plans to graduate May. He also belongs to the YSU men’s basketball team, playing point guard.
PALO EXPANDS: Advertising and marketing firm PALO Creative has brought on Troy Ledbetter as national account director, Eric Hamilton as content director and Kayla Statema as account executive.
Ledbetter, who has worked on the agency and manufacturing sides of the marketing industry for more than 14 years, will manage the marketing of Palo’s larger national accounts and help extend the reach to additional new business opportunities.
Hamilton, with 15 years of experience as an editor, copy editor and reporter and 10 years in content marketing and public relations, will help clients share their stories.
Statema of Warren, joins the firm with two years of account executive experience. She also was the marketing communications coordinator for a group of retirement communities in central Ohio for three years.
She will be responsible for client account communication while managing projects, deadlines, budgets and developing new strategies.
HOSPITAL WELCOMES DOCTOR: Neuropsychologist, Dr. Bruna Schneider, has joined Akron Children’s Hospital in its NeuroDevelopmental Science Center.
Schneider earned her doctor of clinical psychology degree and master’s in general psychology from Albizu University in Miami. She was a pediatric neuropsychology fellow in Akron Children’s NeuroDevelopmental Center from 2018 to 2020 and also served as a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown.
Business briefs
CLEANING SERVICE EXPANDS: Brilliant Cleaning Service, 4845 Market St., Youngstown, has opened a new, larger location with expanded warehouse and office space.
Brilliant Cleaning Service is a commercial and residential cleaning service that opened in 2016 with three employees. Now, it employs 26 people — 12 residential service cleaners and 14 commercial service cleaners.
Commercial cleaning services include general janitorial and day-porter duties, post-construction cleaning, electrostatic disinfectant spray services, commercial floor strip and wax as well as general floor maintenance. Services are offered in health care and educational facilities, churches, apartment buildings and general office spaces.
INSURANCE COMPANY REBRANDS: James & Sons Insurance is rebranding to First Insurance Group, A Premier Financial Company.
The change, including logo, happened March 1. It aligns with the recent name change of its corporate holding company to Premier Financial Corporation and banking affiliate to Premier Bank.
All client coverage and policies remain in place, and no action is needed by clients.
First Insurance Group is a full-service insurance agency with 10 offices in Ohio.
ELLWOOD PART OF WORKFORCE ADVANCE: Ellwood Aluminum in Hubbard is the first Trumbull County manufacturer to engage WorkAdvance for its hiring needs, as it looks to fill up to 15 aluminum casting operator positions at $16 per hour.
Ellwood Aluminum serves customers worldwide in the aerospace, defense, transportation, construction and other industries with large-diameter aluminum ingots and billets.
WorkAdvance, administered by Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition and funded primarily through the federal grant, manages and covers the costs of recruiting, training and retaining candidates to take the burden off the employers.
It prepares these individuals through a paid, five-week training program tailored to Ellwood Aluminum’s specific job requirements and provides a network of support and job coaching after being hired.
Interested candidates should visit www.workadvan ceohpenn.org and register for an information session.
TEEN WORKSHOP AVAILABLE: Credit Union of Ohio will host a free virtual workshop on 6 p.m. Wednesday to help teens learn the basics of building good money habits.
The 60-minute workshop will cover topics to help teens become financially successful, including how to manage a checking account, create a budget and protect their identity. Families are encouraged to attend.
The workshop is open to the general public but advanced registration is required at cuofohio.org.
Credit Union of Ohio serves state employees in all of Ohio’s 88 counties and the entire community of Franklin, Fairfield, Cuyahoga and Trumbull and Mahoning counties.
New Businesses
HEALTH CARE SERVICE OPENS: Angels at Work Home Health, 1601 Motor Inn Drive, Girard, recently opened.
The company offers a team of care planners, schedulers, and multiple aides and provides services in homemaking, personal care and companionship. Each aide has passed thorough background checks and reference checks. They are also provided with ongoing, formal and informal training throughout the year, every year.
People on the Move
REALTOR JOINS BURGAN: Burgan Real Estate, a locally owned and operated residential brokerage in the Mahoning Valley, has added Dennis Gonatas, Realtor, as an agent.
Gonatas has been a Realtor and certified relocation specialist for the past seven years. Over that time, he has consistently been at the top of the list of the most successful real estate agents in the Mahoning Valley, earning President’s Club honors every year since 2015.
A native of Boardman, Dennis graduated from the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy and Hondros School for Realtors.
AIM EXPANDS: Girard-based Aim Transportation Solutions has brought on two new brokerage agents in its freight brokerage service, Brandon Mellott and Joseph Siguenza.
Mellott has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Youngstown State University. His previous work experience in logistics also provided insight into customer relations, carrier relations and negotiation strategies.
Siguenza, a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with bachelor’s degree in psychology, comes with logistics experience in LTL, international shipments (air and ocean), expedite, full truckload and intermodal.
REAL ESTATE FIRM ADDS TO TEAM: Coldwell Banker EvenBay Real Estate has brought on Bobbi Johnson, Realtor, to its team of real estate professionals.
Johnson received her real estate license in 2020 after attending real estate courses through Hondros College. In addition to real estate, she holds a position in quality control with a local embroidery company.
She will be providing real estate services in Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties.
BANK ADDS MORTGAGE SALES MANAGER: Consumers National Bank has added Rob Kelly as a mortgage loan officer and sales manager of the bank’s southeast region.
He will focus on coordinating the bank’s efforts to provide mortgages to clients from the greater Youngstown area through the bank’s seven Columbiana and Jefferson county locations.
Kelly has 18 years of banking experience in branch management, wealth management and mortgage positions at local banks where he also worked to improve the customer experience. In his most recent position, he was a top performing mortgage lender in his region.
He lives in East Liverpool.
PREMIER PROMOTES: Premier Bank has announced Heather Dornon was recently promoted to branch manager of the Lisbon office, 210 W. Lincoln Way
Dornon joined Premier Bank in 2012 as a universal banker at the Eastwood office, where she was responsible for opening new accounts and originating consumer loans.
In her new role, Dornon will manage the daily operations of the branch and lead her team through training and coaching on customer and colleague experience, drive growth and represent the bank in the Lisbon community while developing key business and community relationships.
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.